Timeline of glaciationThere have been five or six major ice ages 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 periods and interglacial periods, 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.
PaleosolIn the geosciences, paleosol (palaeosol in Great Britain and Australia) is an ancient soil that formed in the past. The precise definition of the term in geology and paleontology is slightly different from its use in soil science. In geology and paleontology, a paleosol is a former soil preserved by burial underneath either sediments (alluvium or loess) or volcanic deposits (volcanic ash), which in the case of older deposits have lithified into rock.
Isotope analysisIsotope analysis is the identification of isotopic signature, abundance of certain stable isotopes of chemical elements within organic and inorganic compounds. Isotopic analysis can be used to understand the flow of energy through a food web, to reconstruct past environmental and climatic conditions, to investigate human and animal diets, for food authentification, and a variety of other physical, geological, palaeontological and chemical processes.
Science du QuaternaireLa science du Quaternaire est l'étude systématique du Quaternaire communément appelée ère glaciaire. Le Quaternaire est une période géologique qui a commencé vers 2,6 millions d'années et s'étend jusqu'aux temps présents. Elle est composée de deux époques géologiques, le Pléistocène et l'Holocène. La science du Quaternaire a pour objet de comprendre tout ce qui s'est passé durant le Pléistocène et l'Holocène et d'acquérir des connaissances fondamentales sur notre environnement, ses écosystèmes, ses changements climatiques, etc.
Lamination (geology)In geology, lamination () is a small-scale sequence of fine layers (: laminae; : lamina) that occurs in sedimentary rocks. Laminae are normally smaller and less pronounced than bedding. Lamination is often regarded as planar structures one centimetre or less in thickness, whereas bedding layers are greater than one centimetre. However, structures from several millimetres to many centimetres have been described as laminae. A single sedimentary rock can have both laminae and beds.
