AT1-7: The Earth System in the Anthropocene.

Conveners: Tania Villaseñor, Universidad de O’Higgins. Valentina-Flores Aqueveque, Universidad de Chile. Violeta Tolorza, Universidad de La Frontera. Verónica Oliveros, Universidad de Concepción. vfloresa@uchile.cl

Description: The Anthropocene concept refers to the influence of human activities in modifying the Earth System, including significant and rapid global changes to the atmosphere, biosphere, cryosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, pedosphere, and the climate, outcompeting natural variability. More widely, it has become a concept used to refer to the period in which people become a major force in shaping natural environments, either at the local or regional scale. Recent research on the Anthropocene manifestations in Chile has provided relevant insights into the role of pre-Hispanic communities on the evolution of ecosystems, land use changes and soil conservation, the effect of the megadrought on water and sediment fluxes, and fire regimes, among others.  

The aim of this session is to gather the diverse geoscientific community involved in research and its approaches to study the Anthropocene in Chile and South America. We invite contributions that look at the changing dynamics of the Earth System during the Anthropocene (sensu lato) from multiple geological records and proxies including studies that look at the past to establish natural variability versus variability influenced by anthropogenic factors. We also invite studies that integrate the relation of humans with the landscape they live in.