glacial epoch

2 definitions found

glacial epoch - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Glacial \Gla"cial\, a. [L. glacialis, from glacies ice: cf. F.
     glacial.]
     1. Pertaining to ice or to its action; consisting of ice;
        frozen; icy; esp., pertaining to glaciers; as, glacial
        phenomena. --Lyell.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Chem.) Resembling ice; having the appearance and
        consistency of ice; -- said of certain solid compounds;
        as, glacial phosphoric or acetic acids.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Glacial acid (Chem.), an acid of such strength or purity as
        to crystallize at an ordinary temperature, in an icelike
        form; as acetic or carbolic acid.
  
     Glacial drift (Geol.), earth and rocks which have been
        transported by moving ice, land ice, or icebergs; bowlder
        drift.
  
     Glacial epoch or Glacial period (Geol.), a period during
        which the climate of the modern temperate regions was
        polar, and ice covered large portions of the northern
        hemisphere to the mountain tops.
  
     Glacial theory or Glacial hypothesis. (Geol.) See
        Glacier theory, under Glacier.
        [1913 Webster]

glacial epoch - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  glacial epoch
      n 1: any period of time during which glaciers covered a large
           part of the earth's surface; "the most recent ice age was
           during the Pleistocene" [syn: ice age, glacial period,
           glacial epoch]
      2: from two million to 11 thousand years ago; extensive
         glaciation of the northern hemisphere; the time of human
         evolution [syn: Pleistocene, Pleistocene epoch, Glacial   epoch
         ]