Stratigraphy Commission of the Geological Society of London
The Stratigraphy Commission of the Geological Society of London is a specialized group dedicated to the study and discussion of stratigraphy, particularly focusing on sediments and sedimentary rocks. Established as part of a prestigious geological society founded in 1807, the commission functions independently from industrial and academic entities, as well as the Geological Survey of Britain. Its primary role is to represent the interests of geological scientists and serve as a platform for addressing significant issues in stratigraphy, including the pressing topic of climate change.
The commission actively engages with contemporary debates, most notably through its contributions to discussions on global warming. It has produced a position paper that articulates the scientific consensus on climate change, emphasizing its historical context as documented in the stratigraphic record. This essay highlights the urgency of addressing climate change, citing evidence of its pervasive and rapid nature throughout geological history. The report acknowledges the complexities of past climate fluctuations and their implications for current human populations, which face limited options for migration in response to environmental changes.
In advocating for immediate action, the commission suggests various measures, including the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions and a shift towards alternative energy sources, such as nuclear power. Through its work, the Stratigraphy Commission underscores the critical interplay between geological sciences and contemporary environmental challenges, aiming to inform both the public and policymakers.
Stratigraphy Commission of the Geological Society of London
- DATE: Geological Society established 1807
Mission
The Stratigraphy Commission of the Geological Society of London is a body within the society that operates independently of any industrial or academic organization and apart from the Geological Survey of Britain. The Stratigraphy Commission represents the interests of geological scientists in all aspects of stratigraphic studies (mainly the study of sediments and sedimentary rocks) and helps provide a forum for discussion of issues related to stratigraphy. The commission contributes to selected topical debates within the geological community, one of which is global warming.
Significance for Climate Change
The commission has prepared a global warming essay, or position paper, that lays out the consensus of scientific opinion on this matter for the public and political leaders. The essay commences its discussion by delving into a review of climate change as rooted in geological history, which entails discussing the stratigraphic record of climate change.
The global warming essay of the Stratigraphy Commission minces no words in saying at the outset that is recognized as a key threat to the continued development and even the continued survival of human society. The essay goes on to say that the commission finds the evidence compelling that climate change is now pervasive and that the need for immediate action is compelling.
Drawing on the stratigraphic record, the commission noted that climate change has historically been pervasive, rapid, and frequent. The essay notes that during the last 2.6 million years, there have been at least 104 major fluctuations from global cold to global warmth. Each fluctuation, the report notes, was complex within itself and typically involved global temperature changes spanning 5° Celsius and sea-level changes averaging 130 meters. The report notes that animal populations of the past avoided mass death by migration; however, human populations do not have the available space to which to migrate. The essay says that human population growth and development have coincided with one of the few and infrequent episodes of climate stability (over about ten thousand years) in recent Earth history.
The essay discusses ice core records, global greenhouse gases, and the geological record of climate change in calling for a plan of action on anthropogenic climate change. The essay goes so far as to suggest a program of massive human of carbon dioxide in human-made reservoirs and a switch to alternative fuel sources, including conversion to nuclear power generation as much as possible.
"Stratigraphy Commission." The Geological Society, 2024, www.geolsoc.org.uk/Groups-and-Networks/Commissions/Stratigraphy-Commission. Accessed 20 Dec. 2024.
Turner, Simon. "Defining a New Earth Epoch: Putting the Anthropocene on the Chronostratigraphic Chart." Anthropocene Curriculum, 18 May 2022, www.anthropocene-curriculum.org/the-geological-anthropocene/contribution/defining-a-new-earth-epoch. Accessed 20 Dec. 2024.
Zalasiewicz, Jan, et al. "Are We Now Living in the Anthropocene?" The Geological Society of America, 4 Feb. 2008, rock.geosociety.org/net/gsatoday/archive/18/2/pdf/i1052-5173-18-2-4.pdf. Accessed 20 Dec. 2024.