Fig. 4: Statistical relationships between human population, productivity, and energy, and key environmental indicators. | Communications Earth & Environment

Fig. 4: Statistical relationships between human population, productivity, and energy, and key environmental indicators.

From: Extraordinary human energy consumption and resultant geological impacts beginning around 1950 CE initiated the proposed Anthropocene Epoch

Fig. 4

Correlation-matrix displayed as cross plots for examples of Late Holocene and Anthropocene environmental factors, including ensemble estimates of global human population (millions), global human energy consumption (EJ/y), global GDP (billions, 1990 Int’l $/y), global reservoir capacity (km3; year-end), global number of large dams (year-end), global plastic production (year-end), global cement production (year-end), mixed atmospheric CO2 (mid-year). The value in the lower right corner of each plot identifies the Spearman’s rank-order correlation coefficients. Data references are listed within Supplementary Online Material.

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