Ice Ages and Geological Periods

What is the correct term for a glacial episode during a past geological period?

a) Era
b) Epoch
c) Ice Age
d) Period

Answer:

The correct answer is option: 'c) Ice Age'.

The correct word that corresponds with the definition of a glacial episode during a past geological period is c) Ice Age. An Ice Age is identified by scientists as a significant period of cooling on the planet, which includes multiple glaciation periods where glaciers grew on the land. This differs from era, which is a broader unit of geologic time divided into periods and epochs, such as the Mesoproterozoic or Neoproterozoic. A period is a division of an era and is composed of epochs, such as the Cretaceous period within the Mesozoic era.

During the Quaternary Period, Earth's climate cooled significantly, leading to the series of ice ages where large land ice sheets formed and sea levels dropped. These cooling events have had immense impacts on the geography and biology of the planet, including the migration of species and the extinction of others, such as the woolly mammoths.