Glikson Evolution of the Atmosphere, Fire and the Anthropocene Climate Event Horizon

2014
ISBN: 978-94-007-7332-5
Verlag: Springer Netherland
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: 1 - PDF Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, 174 Seiten, eBook

Reihe: SpringerBriefs in Earth Sciences

Unique among all creatures, further to the increase in its cranial volume from Australopithecus to Homo sapiens, the use of tools and cultural and scientific creativity, the genus Homo is distinguished by the mastery of fire, which since about two million years ago has become its blueprint.  Through the Holocene and culminating in the Anthropocene, the burning of much of the terrestrial vegetation, excavation and combustion of fossil carbon from up to 420 million years-old biospheres, are leading to a global oxidation event on a geological scale, a rise in entropy in nature and the sixth mass extinction of species.

Zielgruppe

Research

Autoren/Hrsg.

Glikson, Andrew Y.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Preface Acknowledgements Prologue Part A – Early Atmospheres 1. Early atmosphere-biosphere systems2. Palaeozoic and Mesozoic atmospheres 3. Cenozoic atmospheres and early Hominins Part B – Mass Extinction of Species4. Mass Extinction of Species 4.1  Acraman impact and Acritarchs radiation 4.2 Late Ordovician mass extinction 4.3 Late and end-Devonian mass extinctions 4.4 Late Permian and Permian-Triassic mass extinctions 4.5 End-Triassic mass extinction 4.6  Jurassic-Cretaceous extinction 4.7 The K-T mass extinction Part C – Homo’s Fire Blueprint 5. A flammable biosphere6. Homo Prometheus – a fire species7. Climate and Holocene civilizations Part D – The Anthropocene Event Horizon 8. Homo sapiens’ war against nature 8.1 Neolithic burning and early global warming 8.2 The Great Carbon Oxidation Event 8.3 The Sixth mass extinction of species9.  An uncharted climate territory 10. Homo Prometheus Epilogue - The life force

Über Autor(innen)

Andrew Glikson, an Earth and paleo-climate scientist, studied geology at the University of Jerusalem and graduated at the University of Western Australia in 1968. He conducted geological surveys of the oldest geological formations in Australia, South Africa, India and Canada, studied large asteroid impacts, including effects on the atmosphere and oceans mass extinction of species. Since 2005 he studied the relations between climate and human evolution. He was active in communicating nuclear issues and climate change evidence to the public and parliamentarians through papers, lectures and conferences.