Timeline of glaciation

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/timeline-of-glaciation

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the number of major ice ages?Approximately 5 to 6 major ice ages have occurred in Earth's history
2. What is the start of late cenozoic ice age?Began 34 million years ago
3. When did the most recent ice age start?The Late Cenozoic Ice Age began about 34 million years ago.
4. What is the difference between glacial and interglacial periods?Glacial periods are very cold and have large ice sheets; interglacial periods are warmer and the ice retreats.

Cryosphere: All parts of Earth where water is in solid form, including ice sheets, glaciers, sea ice, and snow.
Paleoclimatology: The scientific study of past climates, using proxy data to reconstruct historical climate conditions.
Climate Proxies: Natural archives (e.g., ice cores, sediment layers, tree rings) that provide indirect evidence of past climate conditions.
Eustasy: Changes in global sea level caused by variations in the volume of water in the oceans.