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Temperature variations during the HolocenePaleogeographic reconstruction of theNorth Sea appr. 9000 years ago during the young Holocene and after the end of the last ice age.
TheHolocene is the presentgeological epoch. It started around 11,000 years ago after the lastice age. We are now in a relatively warm climate in Earth's history.
The name wassuggested by the French palaeontologist and entomologistPaul Gervais (d. 1879);[1][2] It is supposed to mean that the the present time is part of the 'entirely new'epoch, or the "Holocene [epoch]".
TheHolocene climatic optimum (HCO) was a warm period from about 9,000 to 5,000 yearsBP. The interesting thing about this is, despite recentglobal warming, we are still below this warm period (see diagram).
The warm period was followed by a gradual decline until about twomillennia ago.
The Holocene is also called theRecent epoch. It is the second stage in theQuaternary period.
The Holocene marks the end of the previous series ofice ages in thePleistocene. About 11,700 years ago the temperatures rose quickly from the previous level.
At this time the Bering bridge connectingRussia andAlaska melted. Also the land bridge betweenChina andJapan melted (starting theJomon period), as well as many land bridges between islands inSoutheast Asia.
