European Glacial Landscapes: Last Deglaciation brings together relevant experts on the history of glaciers and their impact on the landscape of the main European regions. Soon after the Last Glacial Maximum, a rapid process of the glacial retreat began throughout Europe. This was interrupted several times by abrupt climate cooling, which caused rapid, although moderate, re-advance of the glaciers, until the beginning of the Holocene when the 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. As our knowledge of abrupt climate changes since the Last Glacial Maximum progresses, new uncertainties arise. These are critical for understanding how climate changes disseminate through Europe, such as the lag between climate changes and the expansion or contraction of glaciers as well as the role of the large continental ice sheets on the European climate. All these contributions are included in the book, which is an invaluable resource for geographers, geologists, environmental scientists, paleoclimatologists, as well as researchers in physics and earth sciences.

European Glacial Landscapes: Maximum Extent of Glaciations brings together relevant experts on the history of glaciers and their impact on the landscape of the main regions of Europe. In some regions the largest recorded glaciations occurred before the Last Glacial Cycle, in one of the major glacial cycles of the Middle Pleistocene. However, the best-preserved evidence of glaciation in the landscape is from the Last Glacial Cycle (Late Pleistocene). The book also analyses these older glacial landforms that can sometimes still be seen in the landscape today. This analysis provides a better understanding of the succession of Pleistocene glaciations and the intervening interglacial periods, examining their possible continental synchrony or asynchrony of past glacier behaviour. The result of this analysis gives important new insights and information on the origin and effects of climatic and geomorphological variability across Europe. European Glacial Landscapes: Maximum Extent of Glaciations examines the landscapes produced by glaciers throughout Europe, the geomorphological effects of glaciations, as well as the chronology and evolution of the past glaciers, with the aim of understanding the interrelationship between glacial expansion and climate changes on this continent. This book is a valuable tool for geographers, geologist, environmental scientists, researchers in physics and earth sciences.