A phase of reduced temperatures and glacial advance in north-west Europe between 11 000 and 10 000 years bp. There is evidence that other regions, such as the Mediterranean, Russia, and North America, also underwent climatic deterioration. During this phase, these non-glaciated areas experienced periglacial conditions. This climatic cooling has been attributed to increased precipitation, and therefore cloudiness, resulting from changes in the locations of the polar and oceanic Atlantic fronts.