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Ice Age

Gaiacene, episode of glaciation on Old Earth (also known as the New Ice Age)
Image from Steve Bowers (using a texture by Don Edwards)">Ice Age Earth
Image from Steve Bowers (using a texture by Don Edwards)
The recent, or Gaiacene, episode of glaciation on Old Earth (also known as the New Ice Age)

Any period of prolonged and widespread glaciation on a terrestrial world.
Often used to refer specifically to the five major ice ages of Old Earth, traditionally known as the Gunz, Mindel, Riss, Wurm and New Ice ages, although the most detailed surviving data indicates that the pattern of glaciation during this period was in fact quite complex, and many interglacial and interstadial periods occurred to divide the traditional ice ages still further.

The causes of ice ages on Earth and other terrestrial planets are complex. Quite often small, temporary or permanent variations in CO2 content of the atmosphere or minor variations in the eccentricity of the orbit are sufficient to cause an ice age event. Sometimes the star is variable on a long term basis, and a lower level of insolation is the cause, but most stars gradually increase in luminosity over time due to the buildup of helium in their cores so this cause of glacial events is comparatively rare.

The New Ice age on Earth started in approximately 8600 AT, after the effects of Anthropogenic Global Warming finally disappeared.

Worlds currently undergoing ice ages are generally classified under the GaianTundral, TundralPelagic or TundralXeric Subtypes, and include Arcadia, Ihikkk, and Remagar.

 
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Development Notes
Text by Steve Bowers
Initially published on 09 April 2010.

 
 
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