deglaciation

noun

de·​gla·​ci·​a·​tion (ˌ)dē-ˌglā-shē-ˈā-shən How to pronounce deglaciation (audio)
-sē-
: the melting of ice
specifically : the retreat of a glacier or ice sheet
deglaciated adjective

Examples of deglaciation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Star, Dies At 48 Other geologic process cause isostatic crustal rebound? Interestingly, another instigator of isostatic rebound is deglaciation, when glaciers or ice sheets melt. Carly Miller, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024 Crustal rebound from erosion or deglaciation can have a meaningful impact on the landscape and geology in the region. Carly Miller, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024 The modeling predicts that deglaciation will occur at a similar rate until 2040, regardless of the climate scenario, the researchers found. Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2023 In addition to limiting deglaciation, resources and focus should be given to protecting these newly forming ecosystems to secure their future, the researchers argued. Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2023 In North America, where the extinctions that took the mastodons struck during a broader, millennia-long period of deglaciation, this background climate stress—which had proved survivable many times without humans on the landscape—suddenly became lethal. Peter Brannen, The Atlantic, 22 June 2022 The new chart should—among other things—provide greater resolution for the periods in which the last glaciation and deglaciation occurred. IEEE Spectrum, 24 Feb. 2023 There is supporting evidence from continental Europe, North America and Antarctica that volcanic activity also increased after earlier deglaciation cycles. Robin Wylie, Discover Magazine, 26 Sep. 2014 This rise happened from about 17,500 years ago to 11,700 years ago, causing the deglaciation that made Earth more habitable. Anil Ananthaswamy, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Feb. 2020

Word History

First Known Use

1895, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of deglaciation was in 1895

Dictionary Entries Near deglaciation

Cite this Entry

“Deglaciation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deglaciation. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.

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