| Term: | Pleistocene |
| Definition: |
The epoch of geologic time, informally called the 'The Great Ice Age' or the 'Glacial Epoch', that began ~1.8 million years ago and ended ~8,000 years ago (see the CVO's Geologic Time Scale). During this interval continental glaciers repeatedly formed and covered significant parts of the Earth's surface. Together, the Holocene and Pleistocene epochs comprise the Quaternary Period. |