We are currently – since about 11,700 years ago – between glacial periods and therefore in an interglacial period.
Back in 1978, researches at Exxon described the greenhouse effect of CO2 in the atmosphere and described the already-then result as a Carbon Dioxide Induced “Super-interglacial”:
The author of the report underestimated the duration of the super-interglacial.
—
I just found out that “greenhouse effect” is a misnomer as an atmosphere reduces radiative heat loss while a greenhouse blocks convective heat loss. Still, the term works for me.
—
Ice Ages and Glacial Periods are mixed up for us laymen. We are, in fact, in an Ice Age at the moment as there are polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Interglacial implies that there should be a coming glacial period and if we hadn’t started the anthropogenic climate change one would be expected in about 50,000 years.
Henning's blog 