The Younger Dryas cold period began about 12,900 years ago and lasted approximately 1,000 years.
Notes on verification
Start date (~12,900 years ago) is consistently confirmed across multiple sources. Duration is slightly understated compared to most commonly cited figures (1,200-1,300 years), but 'approximately 1,000 years' remains a reasonable approximation.
Sources
- Fungi, Feces Show Comet Didn't Kill Ice Age Mammals? (nationalgeographic.com)
- Younger Dryas | Definition, Causes, & Termination (britannica.com)
- https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2007869117 (pnas.org)
- https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/2021-11/3%20The%20Younger%20Dryas%20-FINAL%20NOV%20(1).pdf (ncei.noaa.gov)
- https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.290.5490.285 (science.org)
- https://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2010/07/revisiting-the-younger-dryas/ (realclimate.org)