Introduction to the Holocene glacial landscapes

The onset of the Holocene and the state of European glaciers at that time is mainly understood in the light of the evolution of the last two periods of Termination I, the Bølling-Allerød Interstadial and the Younger Dryas Stadial. However, the concept of the Holocene began to be defined in the mid-19th century, but it is not until later that it was accepted as a epoch distinct from the Pleistocene. Only very recently, its boundaries and divisions have been precisely and formally defined. Although there were not such abrupt and large-amplitude climate changes as during Termination I, the Holocene has still experienced a relatively large climatic variability, which were driven by the interaction between internal and external factors to the planet, and a complex series of chain reactions within the systems of the cryosphere, the atmosphere, the oceans and, increasingly, anthropogenic systems. Indeed, humans are adapting to the major environmental changes in Europe, resulting from climate variability and sea-level rise, but they are also increasingly becoming the agents of these changes. The objectives of this book are planned in this context, where glaciers show a great sensitivity to this climate variability and leave traces of their changes in the landscape of Europe.