glacial cycles
Planetary freeze-thaw patterns
Glacial cycles are the recurring pattern of ice ages and warmer interglacial periods that have shaped Earth's climate over millions of years.
These cycles, driven by variations in Earth's orbit and axial tilt, cause massive ice sheets to advance and retreat across continents.
The term appears in climate science and geology: We're currently in an interglacial period within a larger glacial cycle.
- ice sheetsMassive land-covering glaciers
- polar ice capsFrozen regions at Earth's extremes
- morainesGlacial sediment accumulations
- greenhouse gasesEmissions that trap heat
- drumlinsStreamlined glacial landforms
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