In the last few years, the topic related to a new geological epoch has been object of a progressively intense discussion: it is now well accepted by the scientific community that we are living in the Anthropocene, where human activities may leave a significant signature on the Earth, by altering its morphology and ecosystems. The recognition and the analysis of such signature represent a real challenge for better understanding the evolution of our Planet. This analysis can help in scheduling a suitable environmental planning for a sustainable development, to mitigate the consequences of anthropogenic alteration. The purpose of this session is to stimulate the debate about this challenging topic by presenting its state of the art, and also underline the future directions. The session welcomes the recent advances about environmental change on Earth caused by human presence and activities in different disciplines such as geomorphology, hydrology, ecohydrology, ecology, biogeosciences, and geoarchaeology (a wide point of view is strongly necessary). In detail, we are looking at analyses about the scale and magnitude of landscape modification (eg. land use changes such agricultural land and urban growth), and analyses about any type of environmental records (eg. long-term series of rainfall-runoff, long-term rate of erosion and sedimentation, geologic records among others), but also at analyses aimed at the recognition of human-induced geomorphic features, and anthropogenic features. Applications of different technologies such remote sensing for the Earth surveys (GPR, LiDAR, SAR, ASTER, among others), and geochemical tracing techniques in soils and sediments are welcome, since they can play a key role in the recognition and analysis of the anthropogenic fingerprints on the Earth surface. We also welcome any advances in environmental planning strategies for the mitigation of the consequences of such human alterations. Early stage researchers are strongly encouraged to present their research.
INVITED TALKS
Dr. Jan Zalasiewicz - University of Leicester: "The unique inner landscape of the Anthropocene"
Prof. Jed Kaplan - EPFL: "From Forest to Farmland and Meadow to Metropolis: Integrated modeling of Holocene land cover change"