Last Glacial Maximum, Late Glacial and Holocene of Patagonia

Abstract

The Patagonian glaciations developed since the latestMiocene (ca. 6Ma)in multiple events, of varied duration and intensity. Most of the present glacial landscapeis the outcome of the glacial modelling during the Pleistocene, since the GreatPatagonian Glaciation (GPG; ca. 1 Ma). The Patagonian Andes were covered bya continuous mountain ice sheet, from 37º S to Cape Horn (56º S) in at least fivemajor glaciations for more than 15 cold events in the last million years. The presentdrainage network was developed after the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM; ca. 24 cal.ka BP), particularly those cases with drainage reversal, when the glaciers began tomelt due to global climatic changes. The environmental impact of Pleistocene glaciationsextended all over Patagonia. The knowledge about the Last Glaciation, the LateGlacial and Holocene glaciations is very important because the human settling ofthe Patagonian landscape as we know it took place during this period. Moreover,the human colonization of Patagonia took place sometime after the Last GlacialMaximum and during the Late Glacial (ca. 18,000 to 10,000 years ago) and it wascompleted along the entire Early Holocene.