Anthropocene Sediment Network

Empowering community-driven solutions on a changing planet

By “sediment,” we refer to anything that can move on Earth, from sand on a beach to the device you are reading this on. Our network encourages collaboration and dialogue, promoting advances in research across disciplines to tackle the unique dynamics of our changing planet.  

Get Involved

ASN Conference 2026

Click here for more information on how to be involved in our upcoming ASN conference!

The Sedimentarium

Our open-access hub for multidisciplinary sediment related resources.

Projects

Check out the past and active projects of the ASN here!

Noticeboard

The Anthropocene Sediment Network exists to explore the broad world of sediment in an open, collaborative, and cross-disciplinary exchange. Below we list open opportunities to get involved. If you are seeking support for a multi-disciplinary project, feel free to e-mail c.russell@lboro.ac.uk to add something to the list below, and for broader enquiries.

Open Talk Invitation – Anthropogenic deposits as a component of urban geology

The Geological Mapping & Modelling Expert Group would like to invite you to the online-lecture entitled Anthropogenic deposits as a component of urban geology on Thursday, 19 March 2026, 14:00-15:00 (CET) by Cécile LE GUERN.

Link to join online: GMMEG webinar ‘Anthropogenic deposits as a component of urban geology’ |
Meeting-Join | Microsoft Teams

Although widespread, anthropogenic deposits are poorly known, they can represent a risk (such as contamination or instable subsurface) or offer interesting opportunities (critical raw material for example). In urban areas, they are much more present than expected from the geological maps. This lecture will showcase examples of anthropogenic deposits in urban areas and the associated issues, present the typology developed to anticipate pollution issues and its illustration on neighbourhoods of Nantes Metropole (France) (Le Guern, et al., 2018), and the ongoing work on vocabulary within the GSEU project (Asch et al., 2025).

Cécile LE GUERN is an environmental geoscientist working in a regional office of BRGM, the French Geological Survey. Her skills deal with environmental geochemistry, geomapping and geomodelling, as well as interdisciplinarity. She promotes the integration of soil and subsurface knowledge into spatial planning and design. In this frame, she develops knowledge on anthropogenic deposits.

Plastics in the Sedimentary Record of the Anthropocene – DEADLINE 18th March

We invite authors working on plastic debris and sedimentary processes to contribute to a new Special Issue in Anthropocene (Elsevier): “Plastics in the Sedimentary Record of the Anthropocene.” This collection focuses on bridging the gap between static pollution surveys and a mechanistic understanding of plastic transport. We are particularly interested in in situ measurements and observational datasets that track plastics along the “source-to-sink” pathway, from rivers and floodplains to coastal zones. As plastics undergo complex transformations driven by climate change and human activity, we aim to address the uncertainties in how these particles behave under diverse environmental conditions. We prioritize research that explains the “how” and “why” of plastic flux and burial.

To express your interest, please email a tentative title and author details to Maciej Liro (PhD) at liro@iop.krakow.pl

Sand Mining in India

Our first focussed event “Sand Mining in India” will be hosted by Priyank Patel of Presidency University, Kolkata. The event will be on 22nd April, will begin at 7:30pm India Standard Time (IST), which is 3pm London Time (BST). The event will last for 2 hours – program coming soon.

Abstract submission for 2026 is OPEN!

Our 2026 Conference will be on the 27th May and abstract submission is open! Find out more and submit your abstract HERE!

Project Sponsors