Late Pleistocene Glaciations in Eurasia

The glacial history of Eurasia during the Late Pleistocene provides valuable insights into how proximity to the oceans influenced the growth and retreat of glaciers and ice sheets. Recent research has significantly altered our understanding of the Last Pleistocene Glaciation in Eurasia. According to recent studies, a significant ice advance occurred in the Russian mainland approximately 80–100 thousand years ago. This advance blocked natural drainage systems, leading to the formation of vast lakes in West Siberia and European Russia. Drainage patterns were redirected towards the Caspian Sea and Black Sea in the south. While this Early Weichselian glaciation was most extensive in the eastern regions, no evidence of this ice sheet has been discovered in the western areas. Around 70 thousand years ago, a mid-Weichselian glaciation covered substantial portions of northern Russia and Siberia. The Late Weichselian glaciation was limited to the shelf regions of the Barents and Kara Sea and did not reach the Russian mainland. In the western regions, the Late Weichselian ice sheet was the most extensive of the Weichselian glaciations. Evidence regarding the extent of any Early Weichselian ice sheets in the Alps and Britain remains limited.