Holocene
Sign in to saveThe Holocene () is the current geological epoch, beginning approximately 11,700 years ago. It follows the Last Glacial Period, which concluded with the Holocene glacial retreat. The Holocene and the preceding Pleistocene together form the Quaternary period. The Holocene is an interglacial period within the ongoing glacial cycles of the Quaternary, and is equivalent to Marine Isotope Stage 1.
AI overview
The Holocene is the current geological epoch that began roughly 11,700 years ago after the last ice age ended. It matters because it represents the relatively warm and stable climate period in which all of human civilization has developed, and it continues to shape Earth's environment today.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Key facts
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- Holocene
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- 0.0117
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- File:Mollweide.jpg
- Geologic timespan.caption_map
- Map of Earth as it appears during the current Holocene Epoch, Meghalayan Age
- Geologic timespan.timeline
- Holocene
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- ICS Time Scale
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Article
23 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Overview
- Geology
- Europe
- Africa
- Middle East
- Central Asia
- South Asia
- East Asia
- Southeast Asia
- North America
- South America
- Australia
- New Zealand
- Pacific
- Ecological developments
- Human developments
- Extinction event
- Gallery
- See also
- References
- Further reading
- External links
The Holocene () is the current geological epoch, beginning approximately 11,700 years ago. It follows the Last Glacial Period, which concluded with the Holocene glacial retreat. The Holocene and the preceding Pleistocene together form the Quaternary period. The Holocene is an interglacial period within the ongoing glacial cycles of the Quaternary, and is equivalent to Marine Isotope Stage 1.
The Holocene correlates with the last maximum axial tilt towards the Sun of the Earth's obliquity. The Holocene corresponds with the rapid proliferation, growth, and impacts of the human species worldwide, hence the Holocene is often commonly referred to as the Age of Humans, including all of its written history, technological revolutions, development of major civilizations, and overall significant transition towards urban living in the present. The human impact on modern-era Earth and its ecosystems may be considered of global significance for the future evolution of living species, including approximately synchronous lithospheric evidence, or more recently hydrospheric and atmospheric evidence of the human impact.