Definition
A prolonged period in Earth's history when global temperatures dropped significantly and large ice sheets covered much of the land, occurring multiple times over millions of years. The most recent Ice Age ended approximately 11,700 years ago.
Example Usage
During the last Ice Age, glaciers covered much of North America, Europe, and Asia, dramatically shaping the modern landscape.
Origin
A 19th-century geological term combining 'ice' (from Proto-Germanic *isa-) and 'age' (from Latin aetas), formally adopted by scientists studying glacial evidence.
Fun Fact
There have been at least five major ice ages in Earth's 4.5-billion-year history, and we are technically still living in an interglacial period within the current ice age—meaning another glacial period may eventually return.
Related Terms
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