Published online by Cambridge University Press: 17 December 2025
The chapter presents the diversity and mechanisms of climate variability during the late Quaternary interglacials. It begins by describing the nomenclature of interglacials and the difficulties associated with accurately defining their durations. The mechanisms of climate variability during interglacials are explored, with particular emphasis on the role of orbital forcing. The rest of the chapter outlines three of the most prominent late Quaternary interglacials – MIS 11, the Eemian interglacial and the Holocene. The cause for the long duration of MIS 11 is described. The patterns of climate change and the cause for the high sea level during the Eemian interglacial are linked to a strong orbital forcing. The climate variability during the Holocene, including the cold 8.2k event and the “green Sahara” phenomenon, is examined. The comparison between several interglacial periods with weak orbital forcing and their differences is explained using the concept of the critical insolation-CO2 relationship.
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