American Meteorological Society - Glossary of Meteorology

glaciation

  1. Alteration of any part of the earth’s surface by passage of a glacier, chiefly by glacial erosion or deposition; distinguish from glacierization.
  2. As used in many texts, particularly with respect to the ice ages, same as glacierization, for example, “Pleistocene glaciation.”
  3. The transformation of cloud particles from supercooled water drops to ice crystals.
    Thus, a cumulonimbus cloud is said to have a glaciated upper portion.