stadial
1
9.9
- noun
- /ˈsteɪdiəl/
- Specialized
- The last glacial cycle was characterized by rapid alternations between cold (stadial) and warmer (interstadial) conditions, cycles known as Dansgaard-Oeschger (D-O) oscillations.
Examples
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The ice age, which started 2.5-3 million years ago, has had many stadials and as many interstadials, with more to come.
Blog text (33) -
During the last ice age, the Earth experienced several stadials that caused significant drops in temperature.
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I would much rather "paradise" than another stadial!
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Scientists study past stadials to better understand glacial cycles and climate change.
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The stadials in Earth's history have shown how the planet can switch between cold and warm periods.
How Cold
Surface Forms
Morphology
stadial = stadium (opaque) = stad + ial
Although it is historically related to the stage/stadium family, the geological meaning is a specialized technical sense that is not predictable from the parts.
Etymology
Stadial comes from an old word meaning 'stage', like stadium or stage. A stadial is a short cold 'stage' during an ice age, a period that interrupts warmer times.