Final answer:
Ice-rafted debris, referred to as Heinrich events, serves as evidence for both repeated ice growth over the North Atlantic and rapid millennial-scale climate change, associated with historical global climate patterns and evidenced by geological findings and Arctic ice cores.
Step-by-step explanation:
Ice-rafted debris, also known as Heinrich events, is evidence of both repeated ice growth over the North Atlantic Ocean and rapid climate change on millennial time scales. These events occur when large numbers of icebergs break off from glaciers and traverse the North Atlantic, carrying with them rocks and sediment that are deposited as debris when the ice melts. This phenomenon has been linked to changes in global climate patterns and provides a historical record of climate change over lengthy periods.
Ice ages have been primarily caused by changes in the tilt of Earth's axis due to gravitational forces from other planets, and at times, Earth's climate has seen extreme changes, such as the theorized snowball Earth events. Moreover, documented climate changes, including those inferred from Antarctic ice cores, help scientists understand past climate fluctuations on Earth, contributing to the recognition of climate change as not only a historical or geological phenomenon but also a current issue.