Younger Dryas: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

Oct. 30, 2026

News •

Discovery suggests a global cataclysm triggered an abrupt and devastating ice age just 12,800 years ago • Oct. 26, 2026, 7:18 PM ET (Earth.com)

Facts

Also Known As	Younger Dryas stadial • Younger Dryas climate interval

Photos

Line graph showing changes in ice accumulation and temperature in central Greenland over the past 20,000 years, with the Younger Dryas period highlighted. The blue line represents ice accumulation (meters per year) and the red line represents temperature (degrees Celsius), both showing significant shifts during the Younger Dryas interval.

See All Images →

Topics

global cooling volcanic winter Nuclear winter