Evolution of the atmosphere, fire and the Anthropocene climate event horizon
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Bibliographic Information
Evolution of the atmosphere, fire and the Anthropocene climate event horizon
（SpringerBriefs in Earth sciences）
Springer, c2014
- : [pbk]
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Note
Includes bibliographical references and index
Description and Table of Contents
Description
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.
Table of Contents
Preface
Acknowledgements
Prologue
Part A - Early Atmospheres
1. Early atmosphere-biosphere systems
2. Palaeozoic and Mesozoic atmospheres
3. Cenozoic atmospheres and early Hominins
Part B - Mass Extinction of Species
4. 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 biosphere
6. Homo Prometheus - a fire species
7. 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 species
9. An uncharted climate territory
10. Homo Prometheus
Epilogue - The life force
by "Nielsen BookData"