Holstein interglacial
The Holstein interglacial (German: Holstein-Warmzeit or Holstein-Interglazial), also called the Mindel-Riss interglacial (Mindel-Riß-Interglazial) in the Alpine region, is the third to last major interglacial before the Holocene, the present warm period. It followed directly after the Elster glaciation and came before the Saale glaciation, during the Middle Pleistocene. The more precise timing is controversial since Holstein is commonly correlated to two different marine isotope stages, MIS 11 (424–374 thousand years ago) and MIS 9 (337–300 thousand years ago). This ambiguity is much related to the correlation problem described in more detail in the article 'Elster glaciation'.
Subdivisions of the Quaternary Period | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
System/ Period |
Series/ Epoch |
Stage/ Age |
Age | |
Quaternary | Holocene | Meghalayan | 0 | 4,200 |
Northgrippian | 4,200 | 8,200 | ||
Greenlandian | 8,200 | 11,700 | ||
Pleistocene | 'Upper' | 11,700 | 129ka | |
Chibanian | 129ka | 774ka | ||
Calabrian | 774ka | 1.80Ma | ||
Gelasian | 1.80Ma | 2.58Ma | ||
Neogene | Pliocene | Piacenzian | 2.58Ma | 3.60Ma |
Notes and references Subdivision of the Quaternary Period according to the ICS, as of January 2020.
For the Holocene, dates are relative to the year 2000 (e.g. Greenlandian began 11,700 years before 2000). For the beginning of the Northgrippian a date of 8,236 years before 2000 has been set. The Meghalayan has been set to begin 4,250 years before 2000. 'Tarantian' is an informal, unofficial name proposed for a stage/age to replace the equally informal, unofficial 'Upper Pleistocene' subseries/subepoch. In Europe and North America, the Holocene is subdivided into Preboreal, Boreal, Atlantic, Subboreal, and Subatlantic stages of the Blytt–Sernander time scale. There are many regional subdivisions for the Upper or Late Pleistocene; usually these represent locally recognized cold (glacial) and warm (interglacial) periods. The last glacial period ends with the cold Younger Dryas substage. | ||||