European Glacial Landscapes: The Role of Glaciers in Shaping the Landscape of Europe During the Last Deglaciation brings together relevant experts on the history of glaciers and their impact on the landscape of the main European regions. The European glaciers ended their maximum expansion of the Last Glacial Cycleapproximately 20,000 years ago, when ice-sheets covered all the Scandinavian countries, Finland, much of the British Isles, the shores of the Baltic Sea and Central-Europe until roughly the present Rhine River. The glaciers covered also large areas of the main European mountains, such as the Urals, the Carpathians, the Alps, the Balkans, the Pyrenees, etc. Glaciers were also present even in the southernmost mountains, sometimes forming remarkable ice caps with cirque glaciers on relatively low mountains bordering the Mediterranean Sea. Soon after the Last Glacial Maximum from around 20,000 years ago a rapid process of glacial retreat began throughout Europe, which was interrupted several times by abrupt cooling of the climate, which caused rapid, though limited, re-advance of the glaciers, until the beginning of the Holocene, 11,700 years ago when climate became relatively stable and warm. These successive glacial advances and retreats during the Last Deglaciation have shaped much of the European landscape, reflecting abrupt climatic fluctuations. The Last deglaciation is especially important for the landscape of Europe because the evidence is so well-preserved since it records the most recent evidence of the Pleistocene ice age. In recent decades, research on the origin and age of the resulting glacial landforms has greatly improved in many regions of Europe. In addition, the evolution of the climate is becoming better known through detailed analysis of lacustrine and marine sediments, and Greenland ice cores.
As our knowledge on abrupt climate changes since the Last Glacial Maximum progresses, new uncertainties arise that are critical for understanding (i) the influence of atmospheric and oceanic currents on palaeoclimates and their spatial representation; (ii) the existence of asynchronies in the timing of occurrence of ice masses expansion and shrinkage; (iii) the time lags between oceanic and atmospheric changes, on one hand, and changes in precipitation and temperature patterns, on the other; (iv) the way in which climate changes disseminate through Europe and, consequently, the lag between climate changes and the expansion or contraction of glaciers; (v) the role of the large continental ice-sheets on the European climate, and particularly on the response of mountain glaciers, with special reference to the Mediterranean mountains. All these contributions are included in this book, in which the reader will find a complete review organized according to the main climatic periods of the so-called Termination 1 the important Late Pleistocene-Holocene transition.
1. Part I: Introduction - p. xx 2. Chapter 1. Introduction - p. 3 3. Chapter 2. The terminations of the glacial cycles - p. 11 4. Chapter 3. Previous synthesis of the Last Deglaciation in Europe - p. 25 5. Part II: Climate changes during the Last Deglaciation in the Eastern North Atlantic region - p. 27 6. Chapter 4. Introduction to the Last Deglaciation climate - p. 33 7. Chapter 5. Heinrich Stadial 1 - p. 37 8. Chapter 6. The Bølling–Allerød Interstadial - p. 45 9. Chapter 7. The Younger Dryas Stadial - p. 51 10. Part III: The European glacial landforms during main deglaciation (18.9-14.6 ka) - p. 55 11. Chapter 8. Concept and global context of the glacial landforms from deglaciation - p. 61 12. Section 1: The European regions that were covered by the European Ice Sheet Complex (EISC) - p. 64 13. Chapter 9. European Ice Sheet Complex evolution during main deglaciation (18.9–14.6 ka) - p. 71 14. Chapter 10. Fennoscandia: glacial landforms during initial deglaciation (18.9–14.6 ka) - p. 85 15. Chapter 11. Northern Central Europe: glacial landforms during deglaciation (18.9–14.9 ka) - p. 95 16. Chapter 12. European Russia: glacial landforms during deglaciation - p. 105 17. Chapter 13. The Eurasian Arctic: glacial landforms during main deglaciation (18.9–14.6 ka) - p. 111 18. Chapter 14. The North Sea and Mid-Norwegian continental margin: glacial landforms during deglaciation, the Bølling–Allerød Interstadial and the Younger Dryas Stadial - p. 119 19. Chapter 15. Britain and Ireland: glacial landforms during deglaciation - p. 129 20. Section 2: European regions that were not covered by the EISC - p. 137 21. Chapter 16. The Polar Ural Mountains: deglaciation history - p. 143 22. Chapter 17. Iceland: glacial landforms during deglaciation - p. 149 23. Chapter 18. The evolution of glacial landforms in the Tatra Mountains during the deglaciation - p. 157 24. Chapter 19. The Romanian Carpathians: glacial landforms during deglaciation (18.9–14.6 ka) - p. 165 25. Chapter 20. The Alps: glacial landforms during the deglaciation (18.9–14.6 ka) - p. 175 26. Chapter 21. The Pyrenees: environments and landforms in the aftermath of the LGM (18.9–14.6 ka) - p. 185 27. Chapter 22. The evolution of glacial landforms in the Iberian Mountains during the deglaciation - p. 201 28. Chapter 23. The Italian Mountains: glacial landforms during deglaciation (18.9–14.6 ka) - p. 209 29. Chapter 24. The Balkans: glacial landforms during deglaciation - p. 221 30. Chapter 25. The Anatolian Mountains: glacial landforms during deglaciation (18.9–14.6 ka) - p. 233 31. Section 3: Synthesis of Part III - p. 239 32. Chapter 26. The European glacial landscapes from the main deglaciation - p. 243 33. Part IV: The European glacial landforms from the Bølling–Allerød Interstadial (14.6–12.9 ka) - p. 255 34. Chapter 27. Concept and global context of the glacial landforms from the Bølling–Allerød Interstadial - p. 263 35. Section 1: European regions that were covered by the European Ice Sheet Complex (EISC) - p. 266 36. Chapter 28. European Ice Sheet Complex evolution during the Bølling–Allerød Interstadial (14.6–12.9 ka) - p. 273 37. Chapter 29. Fennoscandia: glacial landforms during the Bølling–Allerød Interstadial (14.6–12.9 ka) - p. 287 38. Chapter 30. Northern Central Europe: glacial landforms from the Bølling–Allerød Interstadial - p. 297 39. Chapter 31. European Russia: glacial landforms from the Bølling–Allerød Interstadial - p. 305 40. Chapter 32. The Eurasian Arctic: glacial landforms from the Bølling–Allerød Interstadial (14.6–12.9 ka) - p. 311 41. Chapter 33. Britain and Ireland: glacial landforms during the Bølling–Allerød Interstadial - p. 319 42. Section 2: European regions that were not covered by the EISC - p. 326 43. Chapter 34. Iceland: glacial landforms and raised shorelines from the Bølling–Allerød interstadial - p. 331 44. Chapter 35. The evolution of glacial landforms in the Tatra Mountains during the Bølling–Allerød Interstadial - p. 341 45. Chapter 36. The Romanian Carpathians: glacial landforms during Bølling–Allerød Interstadial (14.6–12.9 ka) - p. 347 46. Chapter 37. The Alps: glacial landforms from the Bølling–Allerød Interstadial - p. 355 47. Chapter 38. The Pyrenees: glacial landforms from the Bølling–Allerød Interstadial (14.6–12.9 ka) - p. 361 48. Chapter 39. The evolution of glacial landforms in the Iberian Mountains during the Bølling–Allerød Interstadial - p. 369 49. Chapter 40. The Italian Mountains: glacial landforms from the Bølling–Allerød Interstadial (14.6–12.9 ka) - p. 379 50. Chapter 41. The Balkans: glacial landforms from the Bølling–Allerød Interstadial - p. 387 51. Chapter 42. The Anatolian Mountains: glacial landforms during the Bølling–Allerød Interstadial - p. 395 52. Section 3: Synthesis of the Part IV - p. 396 53. Chapter 43. European glacial landscapes from the Bølling–Allerød Interstadial - p. 399 54. Part V: The European glacial landforms from the Younger Dryas Stadial (12.9–11.7 ka) - p. 410 55. Chapter 44. Concept and global context of the glacial landforms from the Younger Dryas Stadial - p. 415 56. Section 1: European regions that were covered by the European Ice Sheet Complex (EISC) - p. 418 57. Chapter 45. The glacial legacy of the EISC during the Younger Dryas Stadial - p. 425 58. Chapter 46. The Fennoscandian Ice Sheet during the Younger Dryas Stadial - p. 437 59. Chapter 47. Younger Dryas Stadial (YD) local moraines in western and northern Norway - p. 453 60. Chapter 48. Northern Central Europe: glacial landforms from the Younger Dryas Stadial - p. 459 61. Chapter 49. European Russia: glacial landforms from the Younger Dryas Stadial - p. 467 62. Chapter 50. The Eurasian Arctic: glacial landforms from the Younger Dryas (12.9–11.7 ka) - p. 473 63. Chapter 51. Britain and Ireland: glacial landforms during the Younger Dryas Stadial - p. 481 64. Section 2: European regions that were not covered by the EISC - p. 489 65. Chapter 52. Iceland: glacial landforms from the Younger Dryas Stadial - p. 497 66. Chapter 53. The evolution of glacial landforms in the Tatra Mountains during the Younger Dryas - p. 509 67. Chapter 54. The Romanian Carpathians: glacial landforms from the Younger Dryas - p. 517 68. Chapter 55. The Alps: glacial landforms from the Younger Dryas Stadial - p. 525 69. Chapter 56. The Pyrenees: glacial landforms from the Younger Dryas (12.9–11.7 ka) - p. 541 70. Chapter 57. The evolution of glacial landforms in the Iberian Mountains during the Younger Dryas Stadial - p. 553 71. Chapter 58. The Italian Mountains: Glacial landforms from the Younger Dryas Stadial (12.9–11.7 ka) - p. 563 72. Chapter 59. The Balkans: glacial landforms during the Younger Dryas Stadial - p. 571 73. Chapter 60. The Anatolian Mountains: glacial landforms from the Younger Dryas stadial - p. 581 74. Section 3: Synthesis of Part V - p. 585 75. Chapter 61. European glacial landscapes from the Younger Dryas Stadial - p. 589 76. Part VI: The Synthesis of the European Landscapes from Last Deglaciation - p. 600 77. Chapter 62. The importance of European glacial landscapes in a context of great climatic variability - p. 607 78. Index - p. 619
European Glacial Landscapes: The Role of Glaciers in Shaping the Landscape of Europe During the Last Deglaciation brings together relevant experts on the history of glaciers and their impact on the landscape of the main European regions. The European glaciers ended their maximum expansion of the Last Glacial Cycleapproximately 20,000 years ago, when ice-sheets covered all the Scandinavian countries, Finland, much of the British Isles, the shores of the Baltic Sea and Central-Europe until roughly the present Rhine River. The glaciers covered also large areas of the main European mountains, such as the Urals, the Carpathians, the Alps, the Balkans, the Pyrenees, etc. Glaciers were also present even in the southernmost mountains, sometimes forming remarkable ice caps with cirque glaciers on relatively low mountains bordering the Mediterranean Sea. Soon after the Last Glacial Maximum from around 20,000 years ago a rapid process of glacial retreat began throughout Europe, which was interrupted several times by abrupt cooling of the climate, which caused rapid, though limited, re-advance of the glaciers, until the beginning of the Holocene, 11,700 years ago when climate became relatively stable and warm. These successive glacial advances and retreats during the Last Deglaciation have shaped much of the European landscape, reflecting abrupt climatic fluctuations. The Last deglaciation is especially important for the landscape of Europe because the evidence is so well-preserved since it records the most recent evidence of the Pleistocene ice age. In recent decades, research on the origin and age of the resulting glacial landforms has greatly improved in many regions of Europe. In addition, the evolution of the climate is becoming better known through detailed analysis of lacustrine and marine sediments, and Greenland ice cores.
As our knowledge on abrupt climate changes since the Last Glacial Maximum progresses, new uncertainties arise that are critical for understanding (i) the influence of atmospheric and oceanic currents on palaeoclimates and their spatial representation; (ii) the existence of asynchronies in the timing of occurrence of ice masses expansion and shrinkage; (iii) the time lags between oceanic and atmospheric changes, on one hand, and changes in precipitation and temperature patterns, on the other; (iv) the way in which climate changes disseminate through Europe and, consequently, the lag between climate changes and the expansion or contraction of glaciers; (v) the role of the large continental ice-sheets on the European climate, and particularly on the response of mountain glaciers, with special reference to the Mediterranean mountains. All these contributions are included in this book, in which the reader will find a complete review organized according to the main climatic periods of the so-called Termination 1 the important Late Pleistocene-Holocene transition.
1. Part I: Introduction - p. xx 2. Chapter 1. Introduction - p. 3 3. Chapter 2. The terminations of the glacial cycles - p. 11 4. Chapter 3. Previous synthesis of the Last Deglaciation in Europe - p. 25 5. Part II: Climate changes during the Last Deglaciation in the Eastern North Atlantic region - p. 27 6. Chapter 4. Introduction to the Last Deglaciation climate - p. 33 7. Chapter 5. Heinrich Stadial 1 - p. 37 8. Chapter 6. The Bølling–Allerød Interstadial - p. 45 9. Chapter 7. The Younger Dryas Stadial - p. 51 10. Part III: The European glacial landforms during main deglaciation (18.9-14.6 ka) - p. 55 11. Chapter 8. Concept and global context of the glacial landforms from deglaciation - p. 61 12. Section 1: The European regions that were covered by the European Ice Sheet Complex (EISC) - p. 64 13. Chapter 9. European Ice Sheet Complex evolution during main deglaciation (18.9–14.6 ka) - p. 71 14. Chapter 10. Fennoscandia: glacial landforms during initial deglaciation (18.9–14.6 ka) - p. 85 15. Chapter 11. Northern Central Europe: glacial landforms during deglaciation (18.9–14.9 ka) - p. 95 16. Chapter 12. European Russia: glacial landforms during deglaciation - p. 105 17. Chapter 13. The Eurasian Arctic: glacial landforms during main deglaciation (18.9–14.6 ka) - p. 111 18. Chapter 14. The North Sea and Mid-Norwegian continental margin: glacial landforms during deglaciation, the Bølling–Allerød Interstadial and the Younger Dryas Stadial - p. 119 19. Chapter 15. Britain and Ireland: glacial landforms during deglaciation - p. 129 20. Section 2: European regions that were not covered by the EISC - p. 137 21. Chapter 16. The Polar Ural Mountains: deglaciation history - p. 143 22. Chapter 17. Iceland: glacial landforms during deglaciation - p. 149 23. Chapter 18. The evolution of glacial landforms in the Tatra Mountains during the deglaciation - p. 157 24. Chapter 19. The Romanian Carpathians: glacial landforms during deglaciation (18.9–14.6 ka) - p. 165 25. Chapter 20. The Alps: glacial landforms during the deglaciation (18.9–14.6 ka) - p. 175 26. Chapter 21. The Pyrenees: environments and landforms in the aftermath of the LGM (18.9–14.6 ka) - p. 185 27. Chapter 22. The evolution of glacial landforms in the Iberian Mountains during the deglaciation - p. 201 28. Chapter 23. The Italian Mountains: glacial landforms during deglaciation (18.9–14.6 ka) - p. 209 29. Chapter 24. The Balkans: glacial landforms during deglaciation - p. 221 30. Chapter 25. The Anatolian Mountains: glacial landforms during deglaciation (18.9–14.6 ka) - p. 233 31. Section 3: Synthesis of Part III - p. 239 32. Chapter 26. The European glacial landscapes from the main deglaciation - p. 243 33. Part IV: The European glacial landforms from the Bølling–Allerød Interstadial (14.6–12.9 ka) - p. 255 34. Chapter 27. Concept and global context of the glacial landforms from the Bølling–Allerød Interstadial - p. 263 35. Section 1: European regions that were covered by the European Ice Sheet Complex (EISC) - p. 266 36. Chapter 28. European Ice Sheet Complex evolution during the Bølling–Allerød Interstadial (14.6–12.9 ka) - p. 273 37. Chapter 29. Fennoscandia: glacial landforms during the Bølling–Allerød Interstadial (14.6–12.9 ka) - p. 287 38. Chapter 30. Northern Central Europe: glacial landforms from the Bølling–Allerød Interstadial - p. 297 39. Chapter 31. European Russia: glacial landforms from the Bølling–Allerød Interstadial - p. 305 40. Chapter 32. The Eurasian Arctic: glacial landforms from the Bølling–Allerød Interstadial (14.6–12.9 ka) - p. 311 41. Chapter 33. Britain and Ireland: glacial landforms during the Bølling–Allerød Interstadial - p. 319 42. Section 2: European regions that were not covered by the EISC - p. 326 43. Chapter 34. Iceland: glacial landforms and raised shorelines from the Bølling–Allerød interstadial - p. 331 44. Chapter 35. The evolution of glacial landforms in the Tatra Mountains during the Bølling–Allerød Interstadial - p. 341 45. Chapter 36. The Romanian Carpathians: glacial landforms during Bølling–Allerød Interstadial (14.6–12.9 ka) - p. 347 46. Chapter 37. The Alps: glacial landforms from the Bølling–Allerød Interstadial - p. 355 47. Chapter 38. The Pyrenees: glacial landforms from the Bølling–Allerød Interstadial (14.6–12.9 ka) - p. 361 48. Chapter 39. The evolution of glacial landforms in the Iberian Mountains during the Bølling–Allerød Interstadial - p. 369 49. Chapter 40. The Italian Mountains: glacial landforms from the Bølling–Allerød Interstadial (14.6–12.9 ka) - p. 379 50. Chapter 41. The Balkans: glacial landforms from the Bølling–Allerød Interstadial - p. 387 51. Chapter 42. The Anatolian Mountains: glacial landforms during the Bølling–Allerød Interstadial - p. 395 52. Section 3: Synthesis of the Part IV - p. 396 53. Chapter 43. European glacial landscapes from the Bølling–Allerød Interstadial - p. 399 54. Part V: The European glacial landforms from the Younger Dryas Stadial (12.9–11.7 ka) - p. 410 55. Chapter 44. Concept and global context of the glacial landforms from the Younger Dryas Stadial - p. 415 56. Section 1: European regions that were covered by the European Ice Sheet Complex (EISC) - p. 418 57. Chapter 45. The glacial legacy of the EISC during the Younger Dryas Stadial - p. 425 58. Chapter 46. The Fennoscandian Ice Sheet during the Younger Dryas Stadial - p. 437 59. Chapter 47. Younger Dryas Stadial (YD) local moraines in western and northern Norway - p. 453 60. Chapter 48. Northern Central Europe: glacial landforms from the Younger Dryas Stadial - p. 459 61. Chapter 49. European Russia: glacial landforms from the Younger Dryas Stadial - p. 467 62. Chapter 50. The Eurasian Arctic: glacial landforms from the Younger Dryas (12.9–11.7 ka) - p. 473 63. Chapter 51. Britain and Ireland: glacial landforms during the Younger Dryas Stadial - p. 481 64. Section 2: European regions that were not covered by the EISC - p. 489 65. Chapter 52. Iceland: glacial landforms from the Younger Dryas Stadial - p. 497 66. Chapter 53. The evolution of glacial landforms in the Tatra Mountains during the Younger Dryas - p. 509 67. Chapter 54. The Romanian Carpathians: glacial landforms from the Younger Dryas - p. 517 68. Chapter 55. The Alps: glacial landforms from the Younger Dryas Stadial - p. 525 69. Chapter 56. The Pyrenees: glacial landforms from the Younger Dryas (12.9–11.7 ka) - p. 541 70. Chapter 57. The evolution of glacial landforms in the Iberian Mountains during the Younger Dryas Stadial - p. 553 71. Chapter 58. The Italian Mountains: Glacial landforms from the Younger Dryas Stadial (12.9–11.7 ka) - p. 563 72. Chapter 59. The Balkans: glacial landforms during the Younger Dryas Stadial - p. 571 73. Chapter 60. The Anatolian Mountains: glacial landforms from the Younger Dryas stadial - p. 581 74. Section 3: Synthesis of Part V - p. 585 75. Chapter 61. European glacial landscapes from the Younger Dryas Stadial - p. 589 76. Part VI: The Synthesis of the European Landscapes from Last Deglaciation - p. 600 77. Chapter 62. The importance of European glacial landscapes in a context of great climatic variability - p. 607 78. Index - p. 619
