Anthropocene, the geological epoch marking the significant influence of humans as the third division of the Quaternary period, is a contested idea. One of the reasons for this may be uncertainty of whether we are in the beginning of the Anthropocene, towards the end of it or transitioning. This is so because all the geological epochs have been marked after these were over which is definitely not the case with Anthropocene. This idea essentially entails that the human (Homo sapiens) activities have overtaken the control of geological processes. Antarctica along with other stores of ‘old’ ice such as Greenland is very important in this context. This is so because these icesheets are not only very sensitive but preserve the best imprints of human activities in form of aerosols (e.g. overground nuclear bomb tests from 1950-1986 resulting in a spike of beta radioactivity; CH 4 , CO 2 , industrial sulphur activity taking over the natural sulphur cycle in Greenland; increased nitrate concentrations etc.) and atmosphere of the past. Also concentrations of lead increased by a factor of over 200 over the Holocene base level in Greenland icesheet. Besides these, a range of non-natural chemicals including POP also preserve strong human imprints in the recent past in the ice cores retrieved from the icesheets. The Antarctic icesheet being too remote displays only some of these marking the Anthropocene epoch. However, it is extremely relevant in defining this third sub-division of the Quaternary period as well as crucial for the survival of Homo-sapiens. However, it would be premature to describe fully developed Anthropocene as the icesheet records suggests at best the transition stage for the Anthropocene.
