Timeline of glaciation

[10] 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 (Mindel, Riss and Würm).

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.

[9] It has proved difficult to correlate the traditional regional names with the global marine and ice core sequences.

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.

The dictionary definition of glaciation at Wiktionary Hypothetical runaway greenhouse state Tropical temperatures may reach poles Global climate during an ice age Earth's surface entirely or nearly frozen over

Climate history over the past 500 million years, with the last three major ice ages indicated, Andean-Saharan (450 Ma), Karoo (300 Ma) and Late Cenozoic . A less severe cold period or ice age is shown during the Jurassic - Cretaceous (150 Ma).