Termination, as used by Quaternary geologists, oceanographers, and paleoclimatologists is the period of time during a glacial cycle when there is a relatively rapid transition from full glacial climates to full interglacial climates.
[1][2] During the Quaternary, global climate experienced a recurring pattern of ice-sheet growth and decay.
The typical Late Quaternary glacial cycle was asymmetric having a long cooling interval that was characterized by an oscillating buildup of ice sheets to maximum volume.
During this warming period, called a termination,[3] huge Northern hemisphere ice sheets melted away; sea level rose about 120 meters (390 ft); and interglacial climate emerged across the planet in a few thousand years.
In case of the termination of the last glacial cycle, the retreat of continental ice sheets in the Northern hemisphere began about 20,000 calendar years ago.