The Astrobiology of the Anthropocene

TL;DR

This paper explores the impact of human activity on Earth's biosphere, the concept of the Anthropocene as a geological epoch, and how astrobiology can inform understanding of planetary habitability and the future of civilizations.

Contribution

It introduces a transdisciplinary approach linking astrobiology with Anthropocene studies to assess planetary habitability and civilization longevity.

Findings

Earth's habitability is affected by climate change as a planetary process.

Energy limits constrain the growth and longevity of civilizations.

Future missions like LUVOIR and HabEx are crucial for understanding life's evolution on Earth and beyond.

Abstract

Human influence on the biosphere has been evident at least since the development of widespread agriculture, and some stratigraphers have suggested that the activities of modern civilization indicate a geological epoch transition. The study of the anthropocene as a geological epoch, and its implication for the future of energy-intensive civilizations, is an emerging transdisciplinary field in which astrobiology can play a leading role. Habitability research of Earth, Mars, and exoplanets examines extreme cases relevant for understanding climate change as a planetary process. Energy-intensive civilizations will also face thermodynamic limits to growth, which provides an important constraint for estimating the longevity of human civilization and guiding the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. We recommend that missions concepts such as LUVOIR, HabEx, and OST be pursued in order to make significant progress toward understanding the future evolution of life on our planet and the possible evolution of technological, energy-intensive life elsewhere in the universe.