The Impact of Humans on Earth: A New Geological Epoch

Sometimes the start of something is easy to see or hear, but when it comes to the history of the Earth, it's not so clear-cut./nGeological eras, periods, and epochs are difficult to define in terms of their beginnings or endings./nThe dominant life forms of a time period can often determine its geological era or epoch./nScientists speculate that humans have ushered in a new epoch in the Earth's history./nThe history of the Earth spans 4.6 billion years, while humans have only been around for 200,000 years./nHumanity's impact on the Earth could surpass previous great events like meteorite strikes and mass extinctions./nGeologists play a crucial role in understanding the history of the planet and its geological time scale.