quaternaires

Quaternaries is the plural term used in geology to refer to the deposits, soils, and landscapes associated with the Quaternary period, the most recent interval of the Cenozoic era. Spanning roughly 2.58 million years ago to the present, the Quaternary is notable for pronounced climatic variability, including repeated glacials and interglacials, as well as significant environmental changes that affected ecosystems and landscapes worldwide.

The Quaternary is divided into two main epochs: the Pleistocene, from about 2.58 million to 11,700 years ago, and the Holocene, from 11,700 years ago to the present. The boundary between these epochs marks the end of the last major Ice Age and the rise of human civilizations in many regions. Quaternary studies focus on climate fluctuations, the advance and retreat of ice sheets, sea-level changes, and their impacts on flora, fauna, and human activity.

Lithologically, quaternary deposits are diverse and widespread. They include glacial till and moraines, outwash plains, loess, river and alluvial sediments, lake and marine sediments, and associated soils. These materials preserve fossil remains, palynological records, and archaeological artifacts, providing crucial evidence for reconstructing past environments and biogeographic patterns.

The quaternaries are globally significant for understanding climate change, landscape evolution, and human prehistory. They form the backbone of paleoenvironmental reconstructions and stratigraphic frameworks used in archaeology, paleontology, and geology across continents.