Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
The Cenozoic (/ ˌ s iː n ə ˈ z oʊ. ɪ k, ˌ s ɛ n-/ SEE-nə-ZOH-ik, SEN-ə-; [1] [2] lit. ' new life ') is Earth's current geological era, representing the last 66 million years of Earth's history. It is characterized by the dominance of insects, mammals, birds and angiosperms (flowering plants).
Throughout Earth's climate history (Paleoclimate) its climate has fluctuated between two primary states: greenhouse and icehouse Earth. [1] Both climate states last for millions of years and should not be confused with the much smaller glacial and interglacial periods, which occur as alternating phases within an icehouse period (known as an ice age) and tend to last less than one million years ...
Tectonic–climatic interaction is the interrelationship between tectonic processes and the climate system. The tectonic processes in question include orogenesis, volcanism, and erosion, while relevant climatic processes include atmospheric circulation, orographic lift, monsoon circulation and the rain shadow effect.
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). There have been five or six major ice ages in the history of
Historical climatology is the study of historical changes in climate and their effect on civilization from the emergence of homininis to the present day. It is concerned with the reconstruction of weather and climate and their effect on historical societies, including a culturally influenced history of science and perception. [1]
The Late Cenozoic Ice Age falls within the Cenozoic Era which started 66 million years ago. The Cenozoic Era is part of the Phanerozoic Eon which started ~538.8 million years ago. ^ a b In standard nomenclature the Pleistocene Epoch lasts from 2.58 Ma to 11.7 ka and the Holocene epoch lasts from 11.7 ka to present.
The Eocene is not only known for containing the warmest period during the Cenozoic; it also marked the decline into an icehouse climate and the rapid expansion of the Antarctic ice sheet. The transition from a warming climate into a cooling climate began at around 49 Ma. Isotopes of carbon and oxygen indicate a shift to a global cooling climate ...
It was only in the 20th century that paleoclimatology became a unified scientific field. Before, different aspects of Earth's climate history were studied by a variety of disciplines. [5] At the end of the 20th century, the empirical research into Earth's ancient climates started to be combined with computer models of increasing complexity.