• TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    This is kind of interesting to me because there are several absolutely a clear mineralogical change that meets this requirement:

    But to merit inclusion on the geological scale, any time interval needs to meet certain criteria, such as having a clear, objective starting point in the mineral record.

    With maybe the undoubted introduction of plastics into the earths crust as a mineral. Future scientists will absolutely be able to time this change globally because in geological terms, plastics will have been introduced ‘everywhere’ at about the same time. It will be a distinct marker that can be used to effectively time mass extinctions and a massive change to the atmospheric concentration of CO2.

    • naeap@sopuli.xyz
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      8 months ago

      Just because I have no clue about the definition:
      Does plastic count as a mineral?

        • naeap@sopuli.xyz
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          8 months ago

          I don’t know the definition
          I was of the opinion that some specific chemical properties must be met.

          And that was the reason why I asked in this humble way

          • TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world
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            8 months ago

            I’m not trying to push back against the humility, but I asked it that way to try and get you to consider some underlying assumptions you might have. Its more of a rhetorical approach, not meant in rudeness. Imagine it to have a /c or ‘casual’ or curious tone.

            • Deebster@programming.dev
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              8 months ago

              I like the idea of having more “intent” markers; /s seems to be the only one people recognise (and I’ve seen some on here push back against it as a Reddit thing).

        • zout@fedia.io
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          8 months ago

          Because it is made from organic compounds, not minerals?

          • TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world
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            8 months ago

            https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_mineral

            Mississippian

            The Mississippian was proposed by Alexander Winchell in 1870 named after the extensive exposure of lower Carboniferous limestone in the upper Mississippi River valley. During the Mississippian, there was a marine connection between the Paleo-Tethys and Panthalassa through the Rheic Ocean resulting in the near worldwide distribution of marine faunas and so allowing widespread correlations using marine biostratigraphy. However, there are few Mississippian volcanic rocks, and so obtaining radiometric dates is difficult.

            Mississippian

            The carboniferous Mississippian is defined by a strata of what is effectively of organic origin.