interstadial
in-ter-STAY-dee-ul
Definition
A relatively warm, short-lived period within a much longer, colder glacial period during which glaciers retreat slightly.
Etymology
Derived from the Latin 'inter-' (between) and 'stadium' (a space or stage), the term was coined in the early 20th century to describe these intermediate climatic warmings between major glacial advances.
In the news
The article uses the term to describe the 'Odderade interstadial' as a mild phase when the Norwegian coast was partially ice-free, allowing for the diverse animal community found in the cave to exist.
In a Norwegian cave in 2025, scientists found 75,000-year-old bones of polar bears, walruses, and bowhead whales — and the remains of a species of lemming now extinct in Europe that had never been found in Scandinavia before
Read the full article ↗ScienceBlog.com