noun
alluvial epoch; Holocene epoch
Geological term for the current epoch, also known as the Holocene. Often used in older or Japanese-language geological contexts; the modern international term 完新世 (かんしんせい) is more common today.
See also: 完新世
沖積世は約1万年前から現在まで続く地質時代です。
The alluvial epoch is a geological period that has continued from about 10,000 years ago to the present.
完新世 is the modern standard term for the Holocene epoch, while 沖積世 is an older synonym still encountered in some Japanese geological literature.
Composed of 沖積 (alluvial) and 世 (epoch, age). The term reflects the geological concept of recent alluvial deposits characterizing the current epoch.