Britannica
Sources used in this answer
How did the last Ice Age affect the Carpathian Mountains?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Carpathian Mountains
Regional division of the Carpathian Mountains (top) and a geologic cross section of the Western Carpathians (bottom). The location of the cross section is shown by the line N–S on the map.
During the last Ice Age, the Carpathian Mountains were affected only in their highest regions, a contrast to the Alps, where glaciation shaped nearly all mountain valleys.12
In the Carpathians, glaciers were limited in size, never exceeding approximately 10 miles in length, even within the Tatras, where the permanent snow line was situated at 5,500 feet above sea level. Consequently, while some high-mountain lakes are of glacial origin, the modern relief of the Carpathian range has been shaped primarily by the action of running water rather than widespread glaciation.123