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
Würm glacial stage
geology
Würm glacial stage, major division of late Pleistocene deposits and time in Alpine Europe (the Pleistocene epoch began about 2.6 million years ago and ended about 11,700 years ago). The Würm glacial stage followed the Riss-Würm interglacial and is correlated with the Weichsel glacial stage of northern Europe and the Wisconsin glacial stage of North America. The Alpine glaciations of the Pleistocene were early recognized and formed the basis of modern Pleistocene glacial theory. The Würm glacial stage began about 70,000 years ago and is divided into early, middle, and late phases. The end of the Würm and the retreat of the final glaciers was a complex of minor retreats and advances.
This article was most recently revised and updated by Richard Pallardy.
Discover how ordinary objects work, and expand your understanding of the familiar.
" height="20" alt="HEW Logo">
By clicking "Sign Up", you consent to the Britannica Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.