Taxonomy of glacials and disharmony of glaciations

Authors:

• Wojciech Stankowski

Abstract

The stratigraphic division of the Quaternary is based on its characteristic long-term phases: cold levels ("glacials') and warm levels ("interglacials'). Fairly often the term "glaciations' is used as a synonym of cold levels, but glacierisation of specific areas may persist both during glacials and interglacials. The present state of the Earth is an eloquent example. In the light of latest data, glaciations must be perceived in a particular glacial, and also several optima of the palaeobotanical rank of "interglacials' during a concrete warm level. This does not change the fact that, both during an interglacial and a glacial, various parts of the earth remain glacierised. Both glaciation and deglaciation, which are components of a glacial cycle, exhibit a rhythm of a lower order in the form of glacistadials and interglacistadials. Within the latter, glaciphases and interglaciphases can be distinguished. The lowest taxonomic order might be represented by glacioscillations. -from Author