Kvartär

Kvartär, in geology, is the Swedish term for the Quaternary, the most recent major division of the Cenozoic Era. It spans from about 2.58 million years ago to the present and is distinguished by climate oscillations and the development of humans. The name derives from Latin quaternarius, meaning four-part, reflecting its place as the fourth major unit of geological time.

The period is subdivided into the Pleistocene and the Holocene. The Pleistocene (≈2.58 Mya to ~11,700 years ago) features repeated glaciations, large ice sheets, and shifts in sea level. The Holocene begins around 11,700 years ago and continues to today, characterized by relatively warm and stable climate, the rise of agriculture, and rapid human expansion.

Kvartär deposits record glaciation, deglaciation, aeolian processes, and marine and lacustrine sediments. Typical materials include glacial till, outwash, loess, gravels, and soils. The kvartär record provides crucial information on climate variability, sea-level changes, and biological responses, including the spread of ecosystems and human populations.

Dating and correlation methods used for Kvartär materials include radiocarbon dating for recent deposits, luminescence dating, magnetostratigraphy, tephrochronology, and palynology (pollen analysis). Kvartär geology integrates stratigraphy, paleoclimatology, archaeology, and palaeoecology.

See also: Quaternary, Pleistocene, Holocene, Quaternary extinction event.