View source for Timeline of glaciation

{{short description|Chronology of the major ice ages of the Earth}}
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[[File:Phanerozoic Climate Change.png|thumb|350px|Climate history over the past 500 million years, with the last three major ice ages indicated,
[[Andean-Saharan glaciation|Andean-Saharan]] (450 Ma), [[Karoo Ice Age|Karoo]] (300 Ma) and [[Late Cenozoic Ice Age|Late Cenozoic]]. A less severe cold period or ice age is shown during the [[Jurassic]]-[[Cretaceous]] (150 Ma).]]

There have been five or six major [[ice age]]s in the history of Earth over the past 3 billion years. 
The [[Late Cenozoic Ice Age]] began 34 million years ago, its latest phase being the [[Quaternary glaciation]], in progress since 2.58 million years ago.

Within ice ages, there exist periods of more severe glacial conditions and more temperate conditions, referred to as [[glacial period]]s and [[interglacial|interglacial period]]s, respectively.  The Earth is currently in such an interglacial period of the Quaternary glaciation, with the [[Last Glacial Period]] of the Quaternary having ended approximately 11,700 years ago.  The current interglacial is known as the [[Holocene]] epoch.<ref name="Walker, M. 2009. pp. 3">Walker, M., Johnsen, S., Rasmussen, S. O., Popp, T., Steffensen, J.-P., Gibbard, P., Hoek, W., Lowe, J., Andrews, J., Bjo¨ rck, S., Cwynar, L. C., Hughen, K., Kershaw, P., Kromer, B., Litt, T., Lowe, D. J., Nakagawa, T., Newnham, R., and Schwander, J. 2009. [http://www.stratigraphy.org/GSSP/Holocene.pdf Formal definition and dating of the GSSP (Global Stratotype Section and Point) for the base of the Holocene using the Greenland NGRIP ice core, and selected auxiliary records. J. Quaternary Sci., Vol. 24 pp. 3–17.] {{ISSN|0267-8179}}.</ref> 
Based on [[Proxy (climate)|climate proxies]], [[Paleoclimatology|paleoclimatologists]] study the different [[climate state]]s originating from glaciation.

== Known ice ages ==
[[File:GlaciationsinEarthExistancelicenced annotated.jpg|900px|Major known ice ages shown in blue.]]
{| class="wikitable"
! Name of ice age
! Years BP ([[Year#SI prefix multipliers|Ma]])
! Geological period
! Era
|-
| [[Pongola glaciation|Pongola]]
| 2900–2780<ref name="Kopp">{{cite journal |author1=Robert E. Kopp |author2=Joseph L. Kirschvink |author3=Isaac A. Hilburn |author4=Cody Z. Nash  |name-list-style=amp | title=The Paleoproterozoic snowball Earth: A climate disaster triggered by the evolution of oxygenic photosynthesis | journal=Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. | year=2005 | volume=102 | issue=32 | pages=11131–6 | doi=10.1073/pnas.0504878102 | pmid=16061801 | pmc=1183582|bibcode = 2005PNAS..10211131K |doi-access=free }}</ref>
|
| [[Mesoarchean]]
|-
| [[Huronian glaciation|Huronian]]
| 2400–2100
| [[Siderian]]<br/>[[Rhyacian]]
| [[Paleoproterozoic]]
|-
| [[Sturtian glaciation|Sturtian]]<br/>[[Marinoan glaciation|Marinoan]]{{efn|Also known as the Varanger glaciation, and includes the Elatina glaciation.}}<br/>[[Gaskiers glaciation|Gaskiers]]<br/>[[Baykonurian glaciation|Baykonur]]
| 715–680<br/>650–635<br/>580<br/>547
| [[Cryogenian]]<br/><br/>[[Ediacaran]]
| [[Neoproterozoic]]
|-
| [[Andean-Saharan glaciation|Andean-Saharan]]<br/>(incl. [[Hirnantian]] and<br/>[[Late Ordovician glaciation]])
| 450–420
| Late [[Ordovician]]<br/>[[Silurian]]
| [[Paleozoic]]
|-
| [[Karoo Ice Age|Karoo]]
| 360–289
| [[Carboniferous]]<br/>[[Permian]]
| [[Paleozoic]]
|-
| [[Late Cenozoic Ice Age]]<br/> (incl. [[Quaternary glaciation]])
| 34–present
| Late [[Paleogene]]<br/>[[Neogene]]<br/>[[Quaternary]]
| [[Cenozoic]]
|}

==Descriptions==
{{Life timeline}}
The third ice age, and possibly most severe, is estimated to have occurred from 720 to 635&nbsp;[[year|Ma]] (million years) ago,<ref name="SG-20170113">{{cite web|url=http://www.stratigraphy.org/index.php/ics-chart-timescale |title=Chart |publisher=International Commission on Stratigraphy |access-date=2017-02-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170113013553/http://www.stratigraphy.org/index.php/ics-chart-timescale |archive-date=2017-01-13 }}</ref> in the [[Neoproterozoic]] Era, and it has been suggested that it produced a second<ref name="2nd of two">Miracle Planet: Snowball Earth, (2005) documentary, Canadian Film Board, rebroadcast 25 April 2009 on the Science Channel (HD).</ref> "[[Snowball Earth]]", i.e. a period during which Earth was completely covered in ice. It has also been suggested that the end of that second cold period<ref name="2nd of two"/> was responsible for the subsequent [[Cambrian explosion]], a time of rapid diversification of multi-cellular life during the [[Cambrian]] Period. The hypothesis is still controversial,<ref>{{cite book |last=van Andel |first=Tjeerd H. |title=New Views on an Old Planet: A History of Global Change |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge UK |year=1994 |isbn=978-0-521-44755-3 |edition=2nd }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author=Rieu, Ruben|title=Climatic cycles during a Neoproterozoic "snowball" glacial epoch |journal=Geology |volume=35 |issue=4 |pages=299–302 |year=2007 |doi=10.1130/G23400A.1|display-authors=etal|bibcode=2007Geo....35..299R }}</ref> though is gaining credence among researchers, as evidence in its favour has mounted.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Cambrian Period |url=https://ucmp.berkeley.edu/cambrian/cambrian.php |access-date=2024-02-26 |website=ucmp.berkeley.edu}}</ref>

A minor series of [[wiktionary:glaciation|glaciations]] occurred from 460 to 430&nbsp;Ma, and there were extensive glaciations from 350 to 289&nbsp;Ma.

The [[Late Cenozoic Ice Age]] has seen extensive ice sheets in [[Antarctica]] for the last 34&nbsp;Ma. During the last 3&nbsp;Ma, ice sheets have also developed on the northern hemisphere. That phase is known as the [[Quaternary glaciation]], and was marked by more or less extensive glaciation. They first appeared with a dominant frequency of 41,000 years, but after the [[Mid-Pleistocene Transition]] that changed to high-amplitude cycles, with an average period of [[100,000-year problem|100,000 years]].<ref name="Willeit">{{cite journal|title=Mid-Pleistocene transition in glacial cycles explained by declining CO2 and regolith removal &#124; Science Advances|journal=Science Advances|date=April 2019 |volume=5 |issue=4 |article-number=eaav7337 |doi=10.1126/sciadv.aav7337 |last1=Brovkin| first1=V.| last2=Calov| first2=R.|last3=Ganopolski| first3=A. |last4=Willeit |first4=M. |pmid=30949580 |pmc=6447376}}</ref>

== Nomenclature of Quaternary glacial cycles ==
Whereas the first 30 million years of the Late Cenozoic Ice Age mostly involved Antarctica, the [[Quaternary glaciation|Quaternary]] has seen numerous ice sheets extending over parts of Europe and North America that are currently populated and easily accessible. Early geologists therefore named apparent sequences of glacial and interglacial periods of the Quaternary Ice Age after characteristic geological features, and these names varied from region to region. The marine record preserves all the past glaciations; the land-based evidence is less complete because successive glaciations may wipe out evidence of their predecessors. [[Ice cores]] from continental ice accumulations also provide a complete record, but do not go as far back in time as marine data. [[Pollen]] data from lakes and bogs as well as [[loess]] profiles provided important land-based correlation data.<ref name="Davis">{{cite web |author=Davis, Owen K. |title=Non-Marine Records: Correlations with the Marine Sequence |work=Introduction to Quaternary Ecology |publisher=University of Arizona |url=http://www.geo.arizona.edu/palynology/geos462/07nonmarin.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170727164508/http://www.geo.arizona.edu/palynology/geos462/07nonmarin.html |archive-date=2017-07-27 }}</ref> The ''names'' system has mostly been phased out by professionals. It is now more common for researchers to refer to the periods by their [[marine isotopic stage]] number.<ref name="Gibbard">{{cite book |author1=Gibbard, P. |author2=van Kolfschoten, T. |chapter=Chapter 22: The Pleistocene and Holocene Epochs |chapter-url=http://www-qpg.geog.cam.ac.uk/people/gibbard/GTS2004Quat.pdf |editor1=Gradstein, F. M. |editor2=Ogg, James G. |editor3=Smith, A. Gilbert |title=A Geologic Time Scale 2004 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-521-78142-8 }}</ref>  For example, there are five Pleistocene glacial/interglacial cycles recorded in marine sediments during the last half million years, but only three classic glacials were originally recognized on land during that period ([[Kansan glaciation|Mindel]], [[Wolstonian Stage|Riss]] and [[Wisconsin glaciation|Würm]]).<ref>{{cite journal |author=Kukla, George |title=Saalian supercycle, Mindel/Riss interglacial and Milankovitch's dating |journal=Quaternary Science Reviews |volume=24 |issue=14–15 |pages=1573–83 |date=August 2005 |doi=10.1016/j.quascirev.2004.08.023 |bibcode=2005QSRv...24.1573K }}</ref>

Land-based evidence works acceptably well back as far as MIS 6 (see [[Marine isotope stages]], Stages), but it has been difficult to coordinate stages using just land-based evidence before that. Hence, the "names" system is incomplete and the land-based identifications of ice ages previous to that are somewhat conjectural.  Nonetheless, land based data is essentially useful in discussing landforms, and correlating the known marine isotopic stage with them.<ref name="Davis"/>

=== Historical nomenclature in the Alps ===
* [[Biber glaciation|Biber]] (2.6–1.8 Ma, [[Gelasian]])
* [[Biber-Danube interglacial]] (not in use)
* [[Danube glaciation|Danube]] (1.8–1.0 Ma, [[Calabrian (stage)|Calabrian]])
* [[Danube-Gunz interglacial]] (not in use)
* [[Günz glaciation|Günz]] (1.0–0.4 Ma, MIS 21 – MIS 11 ?)
* [[Günz-Haslach interglacial]] (not in use)
* [[Haslach glaciation|Haslach]] (seldom used)
* [[Haslach-Mindel interglacial]] (not in use)
* [[Mindel glaciation|Mindel]] (MIS 12?, MIS 10)
* [[Holstein interglacial|Mindel-Riss interglacial]] (MIS 9)
* [[Riss glaciation|Riss]] (MIS 8-6)
* [[Eemian|Riss-Würm interglacial]] (MIS 5e)
* [[Würm glaciation|Würm]] (MIS 5d-2)

=== Historical nomenclature in Great Britain and Ireland ===
* [[Bramertonian Stage]]
* [[Baventian Stage]]/Pre-Pastonian 
* [[Pastonian Stage]]
* [[Beestonian stage]] 
* [[Cromerian Stage]] (MIS 21-13 ?)
* [[Anglian Stage]] (MIS 12, perhaps also MIS 10 ?)
* [[Hoxnian Stage]] (MIS 11, perhaps also MIS 9 ?)
* [[Wolstonian Stage]] (MIS 8–6, perhaps also MIS 10–9 ?)
* [[Eemian|Ipswichian interglacial]] (MIS 5e)
* [[Devensian glaciation]] (MIS 5d-2)
* [[Flandrian interglacial]] (MIS 1)

=== Historical nomenclature in Northern Europe ===
* [[Pre-Tiglian]]
* [[Tiglian|Tiglian interglacial]]
* [[Eburonian]]
* [[Waalian interglacial]]
* [[Menapian glacial stage]]<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.britannica.com/science/Menapian-Glacial-Stage | title=Menapian Glacial Stage &#124; geology}}</ref>
* Bavelian
* [[Cromerian complex]] (MIS 21-13 ?)
* [[Elster glaciation]] (MIS 10, perhaps also MIS 12 ?)
* [[Holstein interglacial]] (MIS 9 ?)
* [[Saale glaciation]] (ended with MIS 6)
* [[Eemian|Eem interglacial]] (MIS 5e)
* [[Weichsel glaciation]] (MIS 5d-2)

=== Historical nomenclature in North America ===
* [[Nebraskan glaciation]] (replaced by [[Pre-Illinoian]] in modern scientific literature)
* [[Aftonian interglacial]] (replaced by [[Pre-Illinoian]] in modern scientific literature)
* [[Kansan glaciation]] (replaced by [[Pre-Illinoian]] in modern scientific literature)
* [[Yarmouthian (stage)]] (replaced by [[Pre-Illinoian]] in modern scientific literature)
* [[Illinoian (stage)|Illinoian stage]] (MIS 6)
* [[Sangamonian]] (MIS 5e, sometimes also 5d-5a)
* [[Wisconsin glaciation]] (MIS 4-2, sometimes also 5d-5a)

=== Historical nomenclature in South America ===
* Caracoles (Río Frío) glaciation<ref name=Porter81/>
* Río Llico (Colegual) glaciation<ref name=Porter81/> 
* Santa María (Casma) glaciation<ref name=Porter81/>
* [[Eemian|Valdivia interglacial]] (MIS 5e)
* [[Llanquihue glaciation]] (at least MIS 4-2)

=== Uncertain correlations ===
It has proved difficult to correlate the traditional regional names with the global marine and ice core sequences. The indexes of [[Marine isotope stage|MIS]] often identify several distinct glaciations that overlap in time with a single traditional regional glaciation. Some modern authors use the traditional regional glacial names to identify such a sequence of glaciations, whereas others replace the word "glaciation" with "complex" to refer to a continuous period of time that also includes warmer stages. As shown in the table below, it is only during the last 200-300 thousand years that the time resolution of the traditional nomenclature allow for clear correspondence with MIS indexes. In particular there has been a lot of controversy regarding the glaciations MIS 10 and MIS 12, and their correspondence to the [[Elster glaciation|Elster]] and [[Mindel glaciation]]s of Europe.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Böse|display-authors=etal|year=2012|title=Quaternary Glaciations of Northern Europe|journal=Quaternary Science Reviews|issue=44|page=17|citeseerx=10.1.1.734.1691 }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
! rowspan=2|[[Marine isotope stage|Marine<br/>isotope<br/>stage]]
! rowspan=2|Time ago<br/>([[Year#SI prefix multipliers|ka]])<br/><ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1029/2004PA001071|url=http://www.lorraine-lisiecki.com/LR04_MISboundaries.txt|title=A Pliocene-Pleistocene stack of 57 globally distributed benthic δ18O records|journal=Paleoceanography|volume=20|author1= Lisiecki, Lorraine E.| author2=  Raymo, Maureen E.|issue=1|author-link = Lorraine Lisiecki|author-link2 = Maureen Raymo|year=2005|pages=n/a|bibcode=2005PalOc..20.1003L|hdl=2027.42/149224|s2cid=12788441 |hdl-access=free}}</ref>
! colspan=6|Regional names
! rowspan=2|Global<br/>age /<br/>epoch
|-
! Alpine region
! Great Britain
! N. Europe
! E. Europe
! N. America
! S. America
|-
| MIS 103-64
| 2600–1800
| [[Biber (geology)|Biber]]<ref name="STD 2016"/>
| Pre-Ludham<ref name="Corr 2011"/><br/>Ludham<ref name="Corr 2011"/><br/>Thurnian<ref name="Corr 2011"/><br/>[[Bramertonian Stage|Bramerton]]<ref name="Corr 2011"/><br/>[[Baventian|Bavents]]<ref name="Corr 2011"/><br/>[[Pastonian Stage|Paston]]<ref name="Corr 2011"/>
| [[Pre-Tiglian]]<ref name="Kasse"/><br/>[[Tiglian]] A<ref name="Kasse"/><br/>[[Tiglian]] B<ref name="Kasse"/><br/>[[Tiglian]] C3<ref name="Kasse"/><br/>[[Tiglian]] C4<ref name="Kasse"/><br/>[[Tiglian]] C5<ref name="Kasse">[https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Cornelis_Kees_Kasse/publication/293398429_Periglacial_environments_and_climatic_development_during_the_early_Pleistocene_Tiglian_stage_Beerse_Glacial_in_northern_Belgium/links/5769487e08ae2d7145ba7cb9/Periglacial-environments-and-climatic-development-during-the-early-Pleistocene-Tiglian-stage-Beerse-Glacial-in-northern-Belgium.pdf?origin=publication_detail Kasse (1993), Periglacial environments and climate development during Early Pleistocene Tiglian stage (Beerse Glacial) in northern Belgium, Geologie en Mijnbouw 72, 107–123, Kluwer]</ref>

| Verkhodon<ref name="Corr 2011"/><br/><br/>Khapry<ref name="Corr 2011"/>
| [[Pre-Illinoian|Pre-illinois]] K<ref name="Corr 2011"/><br/><br/>[[Pre-Illinoian|Pre-illinois]] J<ref name="Corr 2011"/>
| 
| BGCOLOR="#aaffff" | [[Gelasian]]
|-
| MIS 63-23
| 1800–900
| [[Danube (geology)|Danube]]<ref name="STD 2016"/>
| [[Beestonian stage|Beeston]]<ref name="Corr 2011">[http://quaternary.stratigraphy.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/POSTERSTRAT_v2011.jpg Subcommission on Quaternary Stratigraphy, Global chronostratigraphical correlation table for the last 2.7 million years, v. 2011]</ref>
| [[Eburonian|Eburon]]<ref name="STD 2016"/><br/>[[Waalian interglacial|Waal]]<ref name="STD 2016"/><br/>[[Menapian|Menap]]<ref name="STD 2016"/><br/>[[Bavelian|Bavel]]<ref name="STD 2016"/>
| Tolucheevka<ref name="Corr 2011"/><br/><br/>Krinitsa<ref name="Corr 2011"/>
| [[Pre-Illinoian|Pre-illinois]] I<ref name="Corr 2011"/><br/>[[Pre-Illinoian|Pre-illinois]] H<ref name="Corr 2011"/><br/>[[Pre-Illinoian|Pre-illinois]] G<ref name="Corr 2011"/>
| 
| rowspan=4 BGCOLOR="#aaffff" | [[Calabrian (stage)|Calabrian]]
|- BGCOLOR="#ddffdd" style="border-top: 5px solid grey;"
| MIS 22 
| 900–866
| [[Gunz glaciation|Günz]]
| [[Cromerian Stage|Cromer]]<ref name="Lee 2011">[http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/16048/1/16048.pdf Lee et al. (2011), The Glacial History of the British Isles during the early and Middle Pleistocene: Implications for the long-term development of the British Ice Sheet, Quaternary Glaciations-Extent and Chronology, pages 59-74, Elsevier.]</ref>
| [[Cromerian Stage|Cromer]]
| 
| [[Pre-Illinoian|Pre-illinois]] F<ref name="Corr 2011"/>
|
|- BGCOLOR="#aaffaa"
| MIS 21 
| 866–814
| [[Gunz glaciation|Günz]]
| [[Cromerian Stage|Cromer]]<ref name="Lee 2011"/>
| [[Cromerian Stage|Cromer]]
| 
| [[Pre-Illinoian|Pre-illinois]] 
|
|- BGCOLOR="#ddffdd" 
| MIS 20 
| 814–790
| [[Gunz glaciation|Günz]]
| [[Cromerian Stage|Cromer]]<ref name="Lee 2011"/>
| [[Cromerian Stage|Cromer]]
| 
| [[Pre-Illinoian|Pre-illinois]] E ?
|
|- BGCOLOR="#aaffaa"
| MIS 19 
| 790–761
| [[Gunz glaciation|Günz]]<ref name="STD 2016">[http://www.stratigraphie.de/std/Bilder/5_2.pdf German Stratigraphic Commission: Stratigraphische Tabelle von Deutschland 2016]</ref>
| [[Cromerian Stage|Cromer]]<ref name="Lee 2011"/>
| [[Cromerian Stage|Cromer]]<ref name="STD 2016"/>
| 
| [[Pre-Illinoian|Pre-illinois]] 
|
| rowspan=14 BGCOLOR="#aaffff" | [[Chibanian]]
|- BGCOLOR="#ddffdd" 
| MIS 18 
| 761-712
| [[Gunz glaciation|Günz]]<ref name="STD 2016"/>
| [[Cromerian Stage|Cromer]]<ref name="Lee 2011"/>
| [[Cromerian Stage|Cromer]]<ref name="STD 2016"/>
| 
| [[Pre-Illinoian|Pre-illinois]] E ?
|
|- BGCOLOR="#aaffaa" 
| MIS 17 
| 712-676
| [[Gunz glaciation|Günz]]<ref name="STD 2016"/>
| [[Cromerian Stage|Cromer]]<ref name="Lee 2011"/>
| [[Cromerian Stage|Cromer]]<ref name="STD 2016"/>
| 
| [[Pre-Illinoian|Pre-illinois]] 
|
|- BGCOLOR="#ffffff" 
| MIS 16 
| 676–621
| [[Gunz glaciation|Günz]]<ref name="STD 2016"/>
| [[Cromerian Stage|Cromer]]<ref name="Lee 2011"/>
| [[Cromerian Stage|Cromer]]/[[Don Glaciation|Don]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.qpg.geog.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/nweurorivers/donglaciation.html|publisher=University of Cambridge: Quaternary Palaeoenvironments Group|title=North West European Rivers 3: Don Glaciation (Donian Stage)}}</ref>
| [[Don Glaciation|Don]]<ref name="Böse 2012">{{cite journal|author=Böse|display-authors=etal|year=2012|title=Quaternary Glaciations of Northern Europe|journal=Quaternary Science Reviews|volume=44 |issue=44|pages=1–25|doi=10.1016/j.quascirev.2012.04.017 |bibcode=2012QSRv...44....1B |citeseerx=10.1.1.734.1691 }}</ref>
| [[Pre-Illinoian|Pre-illinois]] D<ref name="Corr 2011"/>
|
|- BGCOLOR="#aaffaa" 
| MIS 15 
| 621–563
| [[Gunz glaciation|Günz]]<ref name="STD 2016"/>
| [[Cromerian Stage|Cromer]]<ref name="Lee 2011"/>
| [[Cromerian Stage|Cromer]]<ref name="STD 2016"/>
| Muchkap<ref name="Velichko 2004">{{cite book|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rKsL8CFcdAoC&pg=PA343|author=Velichko|display-authors=etal|year=2004|chapter=Glaciations of the East European Plain – distribution and chronology|title=Quaternary Glaciations – Extent and Chronology|editor1-first=J.|editor1-last=Ehlers|editor2-first=P.L.|editor2-last=Gibbard|publisher=Elsevier|pages=337–354|isbn=978-0-08-054014-6 }}</ref>
| [[Pre-Illinoian|Pre-illinois]] 
|
|- BGCOLOR="#ddffdd" 
| MIS 14 
| 563–533
| [[Gunz glaciation|Günz]]<ref name="STD 2016"/>
| [[Cromerian Stage|Cromer]]<ref name="Lee 2011"/>
| [[Cromerian Stage|Cromer]]<ref name="STD 2016"/>
| Oka?<ref name="Böse 2012"/>
| [[Pre-Illinoian|Pre-illinois]] C<ref name="Corr 2011"/>
|
|- BGCOLOR="#ccffcc" 
| MIS 13 
| 533–478
| [[Gunz glaciation|Günz]]<ref name="STD 2016"/>
| [[Cromerian Stage|Cromer]]<ref name="Lee 2011"/>
| [[Cromerian Stage|Cromer]]<ref name="STD 2016"/>
| Oka?<ref name="Böse 2012"/>
| [[Pre-Illinoian|Pre-illinois]] 
|
|- BGCOLOR="#ffffff" 
| MIS 12
| 478–424
| [[Gunz glaciation|Günz]]<ref name="STD 2016"/> [[Mindel glaciation|Mindel]]?<ref name="BGR 2016">[https://web.archive.org/web/20160301101706/http://www.lgb-rlp.de/fileadmin/extern/stratigraphie/bay/litho/quart/all-strat.html ''Stratigraphische Tabellen des Bayerischen Geologischen Landesamtes.''] Ad hoc AG Geologie der Staatlichen Geologischen Dienste (SGD) and the BGR</ref>
| [[Anglian Stage|Anglia]]<ref name="Lee 2011"/>
| [[Elster glaciation|Elster]]<ref name="Böse 2012"/> [[Cromerian Stage|Cromer]]?<ref name="STD 2016"/>
| Oka<ref name="Böse 2012"/>
| [[Pre-Illinoian|Pre-illinois]] B<ref name="Corr 2011"/>
| Caracoles<ref name=Porter81/> Río Frío?<ref name=Porter81/>
|- BGCOLOR="#44ff44"
| [[Marine Isotope Stage 11|MIS 11]] 
| 424–374
| [[Gunz glaciation|Günz]]?<ref name="STD 2016"/>
| [[Hoxnian Stage|Hoxne]]<ref name="Corr 2011"/> 
| [[Holstein interglacial|Holstein]]<ref name="Corr 2011"/> [[Cromerian Stage|Cromer]]/Rhume?<ref name="STD 2016"/>
| Likhvin<ref name="Velichko 2005">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k-TzWT7sSNMC&pg=PA53|first1=A. A.|last1=Velichko|first2=Herbert Edgar|last2=Wright|publisher=Geological Society of America|year=2005|title=Cenozoic Climatic and Environmental Changes in Russia|isbn=978-0-8137-2382-2|page=53}}</ref>
| [[Pre-Illinoian|Pre-illinois]] 
|
|- BGCOLOR="#ffffff" 
| MIS 10 
| 374–337
| [[Mindel glaciation|Mindel]]?<ref name="STD 2016"/>
| [[Wolstonian Stage|Wolston]]<ref name="Corr 2011"/> 
| [[Elster glaciation|Elster]]?<ref name="STD 2016"/><ref name="Böse 2012"/>
| Likhvin?<ref name="Velichko 2005"/>
| [[Pre-Illinoian|Pre-illinois]] A ?
| Río Llico<ref name=Porter81/> Colegual?<ref name=Porter81/> 
|- BGCOLOR="#44ff44" 
| MIS 9 
| 337–300
| [[Holstein interglacial|Mindel-Riss]]?<ref name="STD 2016"/>
| [[Wolstonian Stage|Wolston]]<ref name="Corr 2011"/> [[Purfleet Interglacial|Purfleet]]<ref name="Essex">{{cite web|url=http://www.geoessex.org.uk/files/timescale_of_the_ice_age_in_essex.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402141806/http://www.geoessex.org.uk/files/timescale_of_the_ice_age_in_essex.pdf|archive-date=2 April 2019|website=GeoEssex|title=Timescale of the Ice Age in Essex}}</ref>
| [[Holstein interglacial|Holstein]]?<ref name="STD 2016"/>
| Likhvin<ref name="Velichko 2005"/>
| [[Pre-Illinoian|Pre-illinois]]
|
|- BGCOLOR="#ddffdd" 
| MIS 8 
| 300–243
| [[Riss glaciation|Riss]]<ref name="STD 2016"/>
| [[Wolstonian Stage|Wolston]]<ref name="Corr 2011"/>
| [[Saale glaciation|Saale]]/Fuhne<ref name="STD 2016"/>
| AC
| [[Pre-Illinoian|Pre-illinois]] A ?
|
|- BGCOLOR="#aaffaa" 
| MIS 7 
| 243–191
| [[Riss glaciation|Riss]]<ref name="STD 2016"/>
| [[Wolstonian Stage|Wolston]]<ref name="Corr 2011"/> Aveley<ref name="Essex"/>
| [[Saale glaciation|Saale]]/Dömnitz<ref name="STD 2016"/> Belvedere<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://scholarlypublications.universiteitleiden.nl/access/item%3A2716996/view|first1=Thijs van|last1=Kolfschoten|first2=W.|last2=Roebroeks|first3=J.|last3=Vandenberghe|title=The middle and late Pleistocene and climate sequence at Maastricht-Belvedere - the type locality of the Belvedere interglacial|date=January 1993|journal=Mededelingen Rijks Geologische Dienst|issue=47|pages=81–91}}</ref>
| AC
| [[Pre-Illinoian|Pre-illinois]] 
| 
|- BGCOLOR="#ffffff" 
| MIS 6 
| 191–130
| [[Riss glaciation|Riss]]<ref name="STD 2016"/>
| [[Wolstonian Stage|Wolston]]<ref name="Corr 2011"/>
| [[Saale glaciation|Saale]]/Drenthe, Warthe<ref name="STD 2016"/>
| Dnieper/Moscow<ref name="Velichko 2004"/>
| [[Illinoian (stage)|Illinois]]<ref name="McKay2007">McKay, E.D., 2007, [http://ilrdss.sws.uiuc.edu/pubs/govconf2007/session2a/DonMcKay.pdf ''Six Rivers, Five Glaciers, and an Outburst Flood: the Considerable Legacy of the Illinois River.''] Proceedings of the 2007 Governor's Conference on the Management of the Illinois River System: Our continuing Commitment, 11th Biennial Conference, Oct. 2-4, 2007, 11 p.</ref>
| Santa María<ref name=Porter81>{{cite journal |last1=Porter |first1=S.C. |date=1981 |title=Pleistocene glaciation in the southern Lake District of Chile |journal=[[Quaternary Research]] |volume=16 |issue=3 |pages=263–292 |doi= 10.1016/0033-5894(81)90013-2|bibcode=1981QuRes..16..263P |s2cid=140544020 }}</ref> Casma?<ref name=Porter81/>
|- BGCOLOR="#44ff44" 
| [[Marine Isotope Stage 5|MIS 5e]] 
| 123 (peak) 
| [[Eemian|Riss-Würm]]<ref name="STD 2016"/>
| [[Eemian|Ipswich]]<ref name="Corr 2011"/>
| [[Eemian|Eem]]
| Mikulino<ref name="Velichko 2004"/>
| [[Sangamonian]]
| [[Eemian|Valdivia]]
| rowspan=8 BGCOLOR="#aaffff" | [[Late Pleistocene|Late<br/>Pleistocene]]<br/><br/>('Tarantian')
|- BGCOLOR="#ccffcc" 
| [[Marine Isotope Stage 5|MIS 5d]] 
| 109 (peak) 
| [[Würm glaciation|Würm]]<ref name="STD 2016"/>
| [[Devensian glaciation|Devens]]/Early D.<ref name="Delaney">{{cite journal | last=Delaney | first=Catherine | title=The Last Glacial Stage (the Devensian) in Northwest England | journal=North West Geography | year=2003 | volume=3 | issue=2 | pages=27–37 | issn=1476-1580 | url=https://www.mangeogsoc.org.uk/pdfs/delaney2.pdf}}</ref> 
| [[Weichsel glaciation|Weichsel]]/Herning<ref name="SGU">{{cite book | url=https://www.skb.se/publication/1200820/TR-06-36.pdf | title=Ice marginal fluctuations during the Weichselian glaciation in Fennoscandia, a literature review (Technical Report TR-06-36) | publisher=Svensk Kärnbränslehantering AB (Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co) | first1=Hanna | last1=Lokrantz | first2=Gustav | last2=Sohlenius | year=2006 | location=Stockholm}}</ref>
| Valdai<ref name="Velichko 2004"/>
| AC 
| AC
|- BGCOLOR="#aaffaa" 
| [[Marine Isotope Stage 5|MIS 5c]] 
| 96 (peak)
| [[Würm glaciation|Würm]]<ref name="STD 2016"/>
| [[Devensian glaciation|Devens]]/Early D.<ref name="Delaney"/>
| [[Weichsel glaciation|Weichsel]]/Brørup<ref name="SGU"/>
| Valdai<ref name="Velichko 2004"/>
| AC
| AC
|- BGCOLOR="#ccffcc" 
| [[Marine Isotope Stage 5|MIS 5b]]
| 87 (peak)
| [[Würm glaciation|Würm]]<ref name="STD 2016"/>
| [[Devensian glaciation|Devens]]/Early D.<ref name="Delaney"/>
| [[Weichsel glaciation|Weichsel]]/Rederstall<ref name="SGU"/>
| Valdai<ref name="Velichko 2004"/>
| AC
| AC
|- BGCOLOR="#aaffaa" 
| [[Marine Isotope Stage 5|MIS 5a]]
| 82 (peak)
| [[Würm glaciation|Würm]]<ref name="STD 2016"/>
| [[Devensian glaciation|Devens]]/Early D.<ref name="Delaney"/>
| [[Weichsel glaciation|Weichsel]]/Odderade<ref name="SGU"/>
| Valdai<ref name="Velichko 2004"/>
| AC
| AC
|- BGCOLOR="#ddffdd" 
| MIS 4 
| 71–57
| [[Würm glaciation|Würm]]<ref name="STD 2016"/>
| [[Devensian glaciation|Devens]]/Middle D.<ref name="Delaney"/>
| [[Weichsel glaciation|Weichsel]]/Middle W.<ref name="SGU"/>
| Valdai<ref name="Velichko 2004"/>
| [[Wisconsin glaciation|Wisconsin]] 
| [[Llanquihue glaciation|Llanquihue]] 
|- BGCOLOR="#ccffcc" 
| MIS 3 
| 57–29
| [[Würm glaciation|Würm]]<ref name="STD 2016"/>
| [[Devensian glaciation|Devens]]/Middle D.<ref name="Delaney"/>
| [[Weichsel glaciation|Weichsel]]/Middle W.<ref name="SGU"/>
| Valdai<ref name="Velichko 2004"/>
| [[Wisconsin glaciation|Wisconsin]] 
| [[Llanquihue glaciation|Llanquihue]] 
|- BGCOLOR="#ffffff" 
| MIS 2 
| 29–14
| [[Würm glaciation|Würm]]/[[Last Glacial Maximum|LGM]]
| [[Devensian glaciation|Devens]]/[[Last Glacial Maximum|Dimlington]]
| [[Weichsel glaciation|Weichsel]]/[[Last Glacial Maximum|LGM]]
| Valdai<ref name="Velichko 2004"/>
| [[Wisconsin glaciation|Wisconsin]]/[[Vashon Glaciation|Vashon]]
| [[Llanquihue glaciation|Llanquihue]]/[[Last Glacial Maximum|LGM]]
|- BGCOLOR="#44ff44" 
| MIS 1 
| 14–present 
| ([[Holocene]])
| [[Flandrian interglacial|Flandria]]
| [[Flandrian interglacial|Flandria]] (Holocene)
| 
| ([[Holocene]])
| ([[Holocene]])
| rowspan=1 BGCOLOR="#aaffff" | [[Holocene]]
|}

{| class="wikitable"
! Table explanation
|- BGCOLOR="#44ff44" 
| Extensive interglacial (similar to [[Holocene]])
|- BGCOLOR="#aaffaa" 
| Moderate interglacial
|- BGCOLOR="#ccffcc" 
| Intermediate climate
|- BGCOLOR="#ddffdd" 
| Moderate glaciation
|- BGCOLOR="#ffffff" 
| Extensive glaciation (similar to [[Last Glacial Maximum|LGM]])
|- BGCOLOR="#aaaaaa" 
| AC = Ambiguous correlation
|}

== Sources ==
For sources to the tables, see the individual linked articles.

== See also ==
* {{annotated link|Brunhes–Matuyama reversal}} (about 780,000 years ago)
* {{annotated link|Geologic time scale}}
* {{annotated link|Glacial history of Minnesota}}
* {{annotated link|Glacial period}}
* {{annotated link|Ice age}}
* {{annotated link|Last Glacial Period}}
* {{annotated link|Thermal history of Earth}}
* {{annotated link|Geologic temperature record}}
* {{annotated link|List of periods and events in climate history}}

==Footnotes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Wiktionary-inline|glaciation}}
*{{cite web |author=Aber, J.S. |title=Regional Glaciation of Kansas and Nebraska |date=2006 |publisher=Emporia State University |location=Emporia KS |url=http://academic.emporia.edu/aberjame/ice/lec17/lec17.htm}}
*{{cite web|author=Work Group on Geospatial Analysis of Glaciated Environments (GAGE) |title=Pre-Wisconsin Glaciation of Central North America |date=2000 |publisher=INQUA Commission on Glaciation, Emporia State University |url=http://www.emporia.edu/earthsci/gage/pre-wisc/pre-wisc.htm |location=Emporia KS |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080513181655/http://www.emporia.edu/earthsci/gage/pre-wisc/pre-wisc.htm |archive-date=May 13, 2008 }}
*{{cite web |author=Subcommission on Quaternary Stratigraphy |title=Global correlation tables for the Quaternary |date=2011 |publisher=Department of Geography, University of Cambridge |location=Cambridge UK |url=http://quaternary.stratigraphy.org/charts/}}
*{{cite web |author1=Gibbard, P.L. |author2=Boreham, S. |author3=Cohen, K.M. |author4=Moscariello, A. |title=Global chronostratigraphical correlation table for the last 2.7 million years v. 2011. |publisher=Subcommission on Quaternary Stratigraphy, Department of Geography, University of Cambridge |location=Cambridge UK |year=2011 |url=https://www.academia.edu/3557337}}
*{{cite book|editor1=Hambrey, M.J. |editor2=Harland, W.B. |title=Earth's pre-Pleistocene glacial record |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=1981 |url=http://www.aber.ac.uk/~glawww/epgr.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061011144504/http://www.aber.ac.uk/~glawww/epgr.htm |archive-date=October 11, 2006 }} 1004 + xv pp. (book downloadable as series of PDF files)
*{{cite web |author1=Silva, P.G. |author2=Zazo, C |author3=Bardají, T. |author4=Baena, J. |author5=Lario, J. |author6=Rosas, A. |author7=Van der Made |title=Tabla Cronoestratigráfica del Cuaternario AEQUA V.2 |date=2009 |location=Departamento de Geología, Universidad de Salamanca, Spain |publisher=Asociación Española para el Estudio del Cuaternario (AEQUA) |url=http://tierra.rediris.es/aequa/doc/tabla_aequav2_2009.pdf/. |format=PDF 3.6 [[Megabyte|Mb]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120626140850/http://tierra.rediris.es/aequa/doc/tabla_aequav2_2009.pdf |archive-date=2012-06-26 }} (Correlation Chart of European Quaternary and cultural stages and fossils)

{{Ice Ages}}
{{Greenhouse and Icehouse Earth}}
{{portal bar|Geology|Paleontology}}

[[Category:Ice ages]]
[[Category:Geology timelines|Glaciation]]
[[Category:Glaciology]]
[[Category:Paleoclimatology]]