How the world looked during the last ice age: The incredible map that reveals just how much our planet has changed in 14,000 years



Map shows globe as it would have looked during the the last ice age

Sea levels were about 110 meters lower when compared to today

Massive land bridges were exposed, most notably Beringia, Sundaland and Sahul


It is an incredible view of how the world looked during the ice age.

An online mapmaker has revealed a unique map showing the world as it would have looked 14,000 years ago, when the last ice age was at its harshest.

Designers worked with geologists to accurately map the massive landbridges and ice sheets that made the world a very different place.

The unique map shows the world as it would have looked 14,000 years ago, when the ice age was at its harshest. Designers worked with geologists to accurately map the massive landbridges and ice sheets that made the world a very different place.

The world as it looks today: This modern map shows the incredible differences since the ice age

The map was created by Martin Vargic, an amateur graphic designer from Slovakia.

'I t is the first map of its kind on such a scale and level of complexity, and depicts our planet as it looked during the late glacial maximum of the last ice age, 14,000 years BCE ,' he told MailOnline.

'If I include time devoted to proper research, the map took about a month and a half to be fully finished,'.

'I contacted several university geologists and climatologists who provided me the needed scientific data about the various prehistoric lakes, extent of sea levels, actual size of ice sheets, late pleistocene hydrology, climate and even sea currents in year 14.000 B.C (at the end of the Last Glacial Period, about 2-3 thousand years before the late glacial maximum and massive meltdown).



The Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) refers to that period in earth's history when the glaciers were at their thickest and the sea levels at their lowest.



Martin Vargic, an amateur graphic designer from Slovakia spent six weeks making the map.

He worked with university geologists and climatologists, and included data about prehistoric lakes, extent of sea levels, actual size of ice sheets, late pleistocene hydrology, climate and even sea currents in year 14.000 B.C

The maps also show how the climate has changed, using the most accurate records available.

The image, which can also be bought as a poster, includes one full large detailed map of the world, 2 major maps showcasing northern and southern polar regions and 2 detailed minimaps comparing present day climate to that during the late glacial maximum.

'I included present day-countries and cities on the map, to help people understand the geography of the Ice Age world and compare it to present more accurately.

'Because of the massive decline of sea levels(caused by the accumulation of water in massive ice sheets), boundaries were extended according to exclusive economic zones and official maritime boundaries. 'I was genuinely surprised about how the climate and geography of the world has changed in only about 16 thousand years(only a fraction of time when compared to Earth's history). 'I plan to make some similarly-themed maps in future, showing the world 65 million and 150 million years ago. THE PLEISTOCENE ICE AGE

At the time of the Pleistocene, the continents had moved to their current positions.

At one point during the Ice Age, sheets of ice covered all of Antarctica, large parts of Europe, North America, and South America, and small areas in Asia.

In North America they stretched over Greenland and Canada and parts of the northern United States.

The remains of glaciers of the Ice Age can still be seen in parts of the world, including Greenland and Antarctica. There was a lot of movement over time, and there were about 20 cycles when the glaciers would advance and retreat as they thawed and refroze.

The major effects of the ice age are erosion and deposition of material over large parts of the continents, modification of river systems, creation of millions of lakes, changes in sea level, development of pluvial lakes far from the ice margins, isostatic adjustment of the crust, and abnormal winds.

It affects oceans, flooding, and biological communities

Scientists identified the Pleistocene Epoch’s four key stages, or ages — Gelasian, Calabrian, Ionian and Tarantian. The name Pleistocene is the combination of two Greek words: pleistos (meaning “most”) and kainos (meaning “new” or “recent”). It was first used in 1839 by Sir Charles Lyell, a British geologist and lawyer.

The world 16,000 years ago was in many ways radically different to the present; because large amounts of water were concentrated in the massive ice sheets covering the majority of North America and western Eurasia, sea levels were about 110 meters lower when compared to today.

This exposed massive land bridges, most notably Beringia, Sundaland and Sahul. Northern hemisphere was covered by two main ice sheets; the Wechselian Ice Sheet, covering the much of northern Europe and western Siberia, reaching as far south as Berlin, and the Laurentine&Cordilleran Ice Sheet complex, which covered almost entire Canada and portions of northern USA. Major ice sheets were also present in mountainous areas, most notably in the Himalayas, Rocky Mountains, Alps and Patagonian Andes. The Northern hemisphere was covered by two main ice sheets; the Wechselian Ice Sheet, covering the much of northern Europe and western Siberia, reaching as far south as Berlin, and the Laurentine&Cordilleran Ice Sheet complex, which covered almost entire Canada and portions of northern USA.











