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Abstract

The study of the ecosphere, that is, the biosphere-geosphere complex, needs to be complemented by the consideration of the anthroposphere in order to achieve a thorough understanding of its large scale context. The (inter)discipline aiming at achieving this completion is Earth System Science. It is directed at our planet as a whole, with its seemingly endless complexity, weaving together the interacting physical, chemical, biological and not the least human components. It is revolutionary because it again places us, humanity, in a new context: our presence and our activities on Earth have shifted, altered and even destroyed multiple elements of the system or interaction pathways. We are on the verge of triggering large-scale regime shifts, of which climate change is undoubtedly the most dangerous one. In other words: The anthroposphere is now dominating the ecosphere. Science has produced some topical results recently, including on tipping elements of the Earth System, ocean acidification and glacial cycles. Welcome to the Anthropocene!