Welcome aboard The Bus!
The Stop
Technically known as Global Boundary Stratotype Sections and Points (GSSPs), Golden Spikes are reference points on ‘stratigraphic sections of rock which define the lower boundaries’ of different stages in the geologic evolution of the Earth. Marking the earliest point where a particular geological stage begins, these boundaries - which are ‘coincident with available biological and other markers’ - are identified by the insertion of a spike at an ‘agreed upon reference point …. which defines the lower’ (or earliest) stage on the geologic time scale.1
For a position to qualify for a Golden Spike, several criteria must be met:
The lower boundary of a geologic age must be defined by a primary marker - the first appearance of a fossil species (as in many previous ages), but also markers such as radionuclides (such as plutonium to mark the potential start of the Anthropocene - the ‘new geological epoch caused by humanity’s irreversible impact on Earth’).2
In addition to the primary marker, there should also be secondary markers - other fossils, chemical traces, or evidence of geomagnetic reversal.
The stratigraphic horizon in which the primary marker appears must contain minerals that can be radiometrically dated.
The primary marker must be able to be correlated in similarly-aged outcrops both regionally and globally.
The primary marker should be independent of any specific kind of geological site; in other words, the onset of plutonium - potentially marking the Anthropocene - must be able to be found not only in rocks, but also in ‘coral reefs and estuarine mud.’
The outcrop containing the primary marker must be thick enough to allow for potential future re-measurement.
The outcrop must be accessible to research and free to access. In other words, the outcrop which is spiked must be located where it can be visited quickly (close to an international airport, served by good roads, and in accessible terrain, etc), kept in good condition (ideally a national reserve), extensive enough to allow repeated sampling, and able to be open to researchers of all nationalities.
Once a GSSP boundary has been agreed upon, a 'golden spike' is driven into the geologic section to mark the precise boundary for future geologists to reference.3 Since 1977 the International Commission on Stratigraphy has maintained the official register of the various Golden Spikes found throughout the world.
For further information (and a great interactive map on which you can drill down into various Golden Spikes across the world), see: Golden Spikes.
The Detour
Today’s Detour is to Andrew Telling’s ‘Kiss of the Morning’, a short (2:01) experimental film in which the protagonist awakes from a dream, only to find the real world feels more like the dream world. It’s a lovely work, and worth both minutes.
The Recommendation
Today’s Recommendation is - perhaps unsurprisingly - Goldfinger (1964). Based on the novel by Ian Fleming, directed by Guy Hamilton and starring (my favourite Bond) Sean Connery, Honor Blackman, Shirley Eaton and Gert Frobe in the titular role, it’s probably the best-known of the early Bond films, certainly with regard to its impact on cinema: Bond: ‘Do you expect me to talk?’ Goldfinger: ‘No, Mr Bond. I expect you to die!’
The Sounds
Today’s playlist is composed of five great tracks, all connected - in one way or another - with gold: ‘Golden Brown’ (The Stranglers, 1982), ‘After the Gold Rush’ (Neil Young, 1970), ‘Golden Years’ (David Bowie, 1975), ‘Fools Gold’ (The Stone Roses, 1989) and ‘Gold on the Ceiling’ (The Black Keys, 2012). Enjoy!
The Thought
Today’s Thought is from the British broadcaster, writer and naturalist Sir David Attenborough:4
‘Cherish the natural world, because you’re a part of it and you depend on it.’
If you have a thought on this Thought - or any part of today’s issue - please leave a comment below:
And that’s the end of this Stop - I hope you enjoyed the diversion!
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Until the next Stop …
Sources for today’s Stop include ICSS, Anthropocene Curriculum, GSSP (Wikipedia) and The Independent, Anthropocene (NYTimes) and Anthropocene (National Geographic).
In March, the ‘anthropocene’ was voted down as a definition of a new epoch and so - officially - the current epoch remains the Holocene, which began 11,700 years ago after the last major ice age. However, many scientists continue to use the term ‘Anthropocene Epoch’ as an ‘unofficial unit of geologic time, used to describe the most recent period in Earth’s history when human activity started to have a significant impact on the planet’s climate and ecosystems.’
Despite the name, in practice the 'spike' doesn’t have to be golden or an actual spike. In 1972 the first GSSP boundary (identifying the division between the Silurian and Devonian periods (a point which occurred 419.2 million years ago)) was identified with a bronze plaque at Klonk, Czech Republic.
For more information, see: Sir David Attenborough.
You've given me something to seek out someday... soon. I'm thinking, North of Vegas, Colorado, or Utah... Maybe all three. I'm in Los Angeles, so they make the most sense.
Regarding the Attenborough quote:
We have an orb weaver spider who has set up shop to the left of our front door. Over the past two months, I've spent an inordinate amount of time watching her rebuild her web in the evening. I've even watched her catch prey a few times. Brutal and beautiful. We've named her Agnes.
But more profound is the conversations Deb and I have about how frail a species we are in comparison. If left without our comforts and community, left to build a habitat and provide enough food to live, we'd be sunk.
You know me Bryan, I thought: I’ll go out and visit one of those golden spikes. But there really aren’t many of them, are there? Loved the video too.