Iron ore is the most mined metal and the second most mined mineral in the world. The mining of iron ore and the processing of iron and steel increased sharply during the 20th century and peaked at the beginning of the 21st century. Associated processes along the iron ore cycle (mining, processing, recycling, weathering) such as the massive displacement of rock, the emission of waste and pollutants, or the weathering of products resulted in long-term environmental and stratigraphic changes. Key findings link the iron ore industry to 170 gigatons of rock overburden, a global share of CO₂ with 7.6%, mercury with 7.4%, and a variety of other metals, pollutants, and residues. These global changes led to physical, chemical, biological, magnetic, and sequential markers, which are used for the justification of the Anthropocene. The potential markers vary significantly regarding their persistence and measurability, but key findings are summarised as TMPs (Technogenic Magnetic Particles), SCPs (Spheroidal Carbonaceous fly ash Particles), POPs (Persistent Organic Particles), heavy metals (vanadium, mercury, etc.), as well as steel input and steel corrosion residues.

铁矿石是世界上开采最多的金属和第二大开采的矿物。铁矿石的开采和钢铁加工在20世纪急剧增加，并在21世纪初达到顶峰。铁矿石循环中的相关过程（采矿，加工，回收，风化），例如岩石的大量移动，废物和污染物的排放或产品的风化，导致长期的环境和地层变化。主要发现将铁矿石行业与170千兆岩石覆盖层（CO ₂的全球份额）联系起来含量为7.6％，汞含量为7.4％，以及其他各种金属，污染物和残留物。这些全局性变化导致了物理，化学，生物，磁性和顺序标记，这些标记用于人类世的辩护。潜在标志物的持久性和可测量性差异很大，但主要发现概括为TMPs（技术性磁性颗粒），SCPs（球状碳粉煤灰颗粒），POPs（持久性有机颗粒），重金属（钒，汞等）。 ，以及钢材输入和钢材腐蚀残留物。