Milton’s Crawford Lake could lead to declaration of new geologic time period

Crawford Lake, Photo: Brock University

Conservation Halton and a Milton lake have made international news!

Crawford Lake is at the forefront of scientific research. For decades, experts have been analyzing and studying the local body of water. What makes Crawford Lake so special? Here’s what Conservation Halton had to say on their website regarding this news:

“This small body of water formed over 10,000 years ago as a rare meromictic lake, which is a type of deep lake with two layers of water that never intermix. The physical qualities of this tiny lake and its strict management as a protected area have contributed to well-preserved annual sediment layers in the lakebed. Researchers from around the world are now proposing that we look to these layers and the stories they reveal about human-caused planetary change to help determine a new geologic epoch: the Anthropocene.”

It adds that its unique physical features, importance to Indigenous community members, and international scientific significance have all tallied up to make Crawford Lake one of the most remarkable lakes in the world.

Declaring a new interval of geologic time would conclude the Holocene Epoch. For almost 12,000 years, humans have lived in this interval since the previous ice age.

The decision on adding the Anthropocene Epoch to the geologic time scale is still underway. It will be determined by the International Commission on Stratigraphy. Conservation Halton says this decision could be significant point in time for humans and our planet as a whole.

“Official recognition of the Anthropocene would be a defining moment for humanity where we acknowledge our ability to significantly alter natural systems. Research into the Anthropocene creates opportunities for conversations about how we can change the path that began in the mid-twentieth century, to avoid climactic and biodiversity collapse.”

You can read up on the news here.

The project is also being led by two Brock University professors and a Carleton University professor. You can learn more about their experience here.

Here are the mainstream articles written about Milton and Crawford Lake covering this story:

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