Holocene glacial retreat

The Holocene glacial retreat is a geographical phenomenon that involved the global retreat of glaciers (deglaciation) that previously had advanced during the Last Glacial Maximum. Ice sheet retreat began around 19,000 years ago and accelerated around 15,000 years ago. The Holocene, starting with abrupt warming around 9700 BC, resulted in rapid melting of the remaining ice sheets in North America and Europe.