Germany During the Glacial Periods

Abstract

The Earth is currently experiencing a warm phase within a glacial period. The last glaciation phase, which occurred about 10,000–15,000 years ago, formed a thick ice sheet that covered north Germany and parts of the Alps. The northern area was affected by the large bodies of inland ice that extended down from the North Pole. Such ice advancements occurred several times across the area during the last 400,000 years and some glaciations reached as far as the edge of the German low mountains of the Rheinisches Schiefergebirge. The remains of the glacial and periglacial sediments now characterize these landscapes. The evolution of the Baltic Sea and its present was much linked to the melting of the ice sheets, whereby the various stages of development were accompanied by an isostatic readjustment of the Scandinavian continental shelf during glacial retreat.