Back in the mid-1980s, the perceived major disruption to the geologic time scale wasn’t climate change, but all-out nuclear war (which still would be, of course, rather disruptive). Geology published a serious and yet somewhat tongue-in-cheek article discussing the effects of nuclear war on stratigraphic nomenclature. Here’s the abstract from Postapocalypse stratigraphy: Some considerations and proposals:

An imminent nuclear apocalypse will be a geologically significant event characterized by widespread extinction and marked by a highly radioactive lower boundary layer. The concept of a fallout-enriched Cenozoic/postapocalypse boundary layer is significant in that such a horizon would constitute an ideal, global isochron that is both readily detectable and correlatable; the only other systemic boundary that appears to be analogous is the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary. New terminology consistent with the established stratigraphic nomenclature is herein proposed for the major anticipated postapocalypse geochronologic units.

Their final suggestion for the post-apocalyptic age: the Weshouldhavecene.

Grace and Peace