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Paleoclimatology (thesaurus)

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Tardiglacial  

Definition

  • In paleoclimatology, the Tardiglacial is the last phase of the Pleistocene, preceding the current Holocene epoch. It corresponds to the final subdivision of the last glaciation (known as the "Würm Glaciation" in the Alps), during which the climate became relatively warmer, but was also marked by cold oscillations. It precedes the present-day interglacial (also known as postglacial) period, which is globally warm and known as the Holocene. The Tardiglacial begins at the end of the last glacial maximum, around 18,000 years ago, and ends with the end of the last cold oscillation known as the Recent Dryas, around 11,700 years ago, i.e. around 9,700 years BC. The Tardiglacial encompasses the Dryas, corresponding to the three cold oscillations of the period. The Tardiglacial is a period of relative softening, interspersed with cold spells that appear as sawtooth waves on the general curve. The extent and duration of these fluctuations depend on the hemisphere and region considered. In Europe, palynology has enabled us to pinpoint the paleo-landscapes and paleo-climates of this period, including in France, for example, in the Paris basin. The study of Alpine palynozones has identified five sub-periods or chronozones: Early Dryas or Dryas I (16,500 to 14,700 BP), Bölling (14,700 to 14,100 BP), Middle Dryas or Dryas II (14,100 to 13,900 BP), Alleröd (13,900 to 12,900 BP) and Late Dryas or Dryas III (12,900 to 11,700 BP). (Adapted and translated from: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tardiglaciaire)

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Entry terms

  • last glacial
  • last-glacial
  • late glacial
  • late-glacial

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URI

http://data.loterre.fr/ark:/67375/QX8-J0SB9CGM-R

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