of, belonging to, or designating a period within a glacial epoch when the climate becomes temporarily warmer. [AHDOS
The lengthy period of warm temperatures between ice ages. Some geologists suspect that we may, in our time, be living in the interstadial which will precede the fifth ice age.
A brief (1000 years), relatively warm period within a glacial, during which climate, glaciers, and sea levels are between glacial and interglacial extremes. A period of glacier retreat as opposed to a "stadial" period of glacier advance.