The Anthropocene: Human Impact on the Environment

Human activities are reshaping our planet in profound ways. The changes that have occurred in the last 50 to 200 years have led scientists to propose a new geologic epoch, called the Anthropocene. Use this interactive to see how human population growth, air pollution, agriculture, mining, water use, and other human activities have impacted the environment and the mark they will leave in the fossil record.

This activity supports independent inquiry and reading and interpreting graphs.