plastiglomerate
thumb|The melting of plastic waste from campfires or high temperatures on beaches (1) is resulting in the formation of a new type of rock known as plastiglomerate (2). Formed plastiglomerate merges with surrounding sediment to create a compositionally different sediment layer (3).The emergence of this new layer is being used as physical evidence of a marker horizon for an Anthropocene Epoch (4). Plastiglomerate is a rock made of a mixture of sedimentary grains, and other natural debris (e.g. shells, wood) that is held together by plastic. It has been considered a potential marker of the Anthro
Article
6 sectionsContents
- Origin
- Depositional environment
- History
- See also
- References
- Further reading
thumb|The melting of plastic waste from campfires or high temperatures on beaches (1) is resulting in the formation of a new type of rock known as plastiglomerate (2). Formed plastiglomerate merges with surrounding sediment to create a compositionally different sediment layer (3).The emergence of this new layer is being used as physical evidence of a marker horizon for an Anthropocene Epoch (4). Plastiglomerate is a rock made of a mixture of sedimentary grains, and other natural debris (e.g. shells, wood) that is held together by plastic. It has been considered a potential marker of the Anthropocene, an informal epoch of the Quaternary proposed by some social scientists, environmentalists, and geologists.
==Origin== Plastiglomerates form along shorelines where natural sedimentary grains and organic debris are agglutinated by melted plastic. They can be created during campfire burning, as has been reported from Kamilo Beach on the island of Hawaii, or during hot weather, as is the case on Trindade Island.