Talk:Weichselian glaciation

The WF and the MIS - and their countless cousins: A terminological quagmire for the uninitiated.
I was so happy to find the various MIS stages briefly explained in Wikipedia (handily grouped together on the page "MIS"). Now, reading about the Weichelian glaciation, I find to my dismay that the MIS's overlap (or are synonymous?) with something called WF's (also stages, I guess), which I am unable to find explained in Wikipedia or anywhere else on the net. Could someone please explain what the various "WF" stages are, their relative chronology, how they relate to the Marine Isotope Stages (MIS, or, in British, it seems, "O.I. Stages"), and - preferably - to absolute chronology (ka / kyr)? While you are at it, why not add the stadials / interstadials (Brörup, St. Germain 1 and 2, Melisey, Herning, Allerup, Odderaade, Rederstall, the AHP's etc. etc.), as well as the names and aliases of the various glacials and interglacials (from Holocene and Eemian to the Lower, Middle and Upper Pleniglacial, the Early, Middle and Late Devensian, the Wurmian, Ipswichian, Holsteinian, Vistulan, Wisconsin, etc. etc.)? Oh yes, and not to forget H4, DS-26, GS-9, D-O, HS-7b and all their friends? (What, for example, is the difference - if any - between a Heinrich Event (H) and a Heinrich Stadial (HS)?)

The best solution of all would be if it were possible to compile a new Wikipedia page, where all of these terms were collected and correlated, e.g. in a single table. Such a compilation could be built up gradually, but I'm sure that a specialist would be able to put together a pretty good early version within a couple of hours. Scholarly article authors certainly most often take them for granted and very rarely explain them. I'm aware that there exist variations in the usage and absolute chronology of many of these terms, but these could be indicated in the compilation. For a non-specialist, the terminology is dauntingly complex and a major cause of confusion and obstruction when trying to understand the prehistory of various parts of the world. It would be a great resource for students as well (maybe some college professor out there already has done the job and could share it with us all?).

With many hopeful thanks!

Filursiax (talk) 18:35, 24 July 2019 (UTC)


 * You're quite right, it is a daunting field to enter. I'd been unaware of the WF/WP naming but taking a look at https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weichsel-Kaltzeit I deduce that the WF refers to the German 'Weichsel-Fruehglazial' (or early-glacial) whilst WP refers to the Weichsel-Pleniglazial (another name for the Weichsel-Hochglazial or LGM or main-glacial). cheers Geopersona (talk) 04:53, 25 July 2019 (UTC)

Latin annus
The plural is "annī". Sorry.2A02:8108:9640:AC3:1466:101B:5BF0:389B (talk) 08:17, 6 February 2022 (UTC)

Date missing
"The growth of the ice sheet to its Last Glacial Maximum extent began after the Ålesund interstadial." is not helpfull at all!2A02:8108:9640:1A68:A8B6:E690:EC6E:FEA7 (talk) 08:01, 26 September 2022 (UTC)
 * Moreover, this is a pure Norwegian "definition" if at all. We need the correct number of the Grönanian interstadial".2A02:8108:9640:1A68:4DF8:A0AF:4F2D:BE71 (talk) 14:36, 31 October 2022 (UTC)