Britannica AI Icon
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites

Eemian Sea, former body of water that flooded much of northern Europe and essentially made an island of Scandinavia. This marine transgression occurred during the Eemian Interglacial Stage (130,000 to 115,000 years ago) of the Pleistocene Epoch (approximately 2.6 million to 11,700 years ago). The sea deposited a thick sequence of sediments containing fossils that indicate water temperatures at least as warm as those of the region today. Late in the history of the Eemian Sea, climatic conditions became colder, as indicated by a change to cooler water animals.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Richard Pallardy.
Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors.
By clicking “Sign Up”, you consent to the Britannica Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.