Pub Date : 2026-01-20DOI: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109778
Claudio Berto , Mateusz Baca , Helen Fewlass , Greta Brancaleoni , Hugues-Alexandre Blain , Angel Blanco-Lapaz , Barbara Bujalska , Maciej T. Krajcarz , Aleksandra Kropczyk , Adrian Marciszak , Magdalena Moskal del Hoyo , Andrea Pereswiet Soltan , Marcin Szymanek , Krzysztof Wertz , Aleksandra Żeromska , Małgorzata Kot
Łabajowa Cave, located in the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland (southern Poland), preserves a complex sedimentary sequence that documents environmental and depositional dynamics from the early Late Pleistocene to the Holocene. The cave's infill reflects a non-continuous, multi-phase sedimentary history shaped by both natural and potentially anthropogenic processes. Through an integrated multidisciplinary approach, combining micromorphology, radiocarbon and OSL dating, paleontology, anthracology, and ancient DNA studies on fossil voles, this study reconstructs the chronological, paleoenvironmental, and paleoclimatic framework of the site. The stratigraphic sequence reveals alternating phases of slow accumulation, erosion, and redeposition, with weak anthropogenic inputs in the lower units. Faunal assemblages dominated by small mammals, birds, and molluscs reflect significant climatic oscillations between Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5 and MIS 2/1, with shifts from mainly temperate to cold-adapted taxa. The presence of charcoal may also indicate episodic fire activity, probably of natural origin. The stratigraphic complexity of Łabajowa Cave provides a valuable record for reconstructing the interactions between sedimentary dynamics, climate variability, and faunal changes during the Late Pleistocene in Central Europe.
{"title":"Chronological, paleoclimatic, and paleoenvironmental data from Łabajowa Cave (Kraków-Częstochowa Upland, Poland): a comprehensive approach for investigating a complex Late Pleistocene sequence","authors":"Claudio Berto , Mateusz Baca , Helen Fewlass , Greta Brancaleoni , Hugues-Alexandre Blain , Angel Blanco-Lapaz , Barbara Bujalska , Maciej T. Krajcarz , Aleksandra Kropczyk , Adrian Marciszak , Magdalena Moskal del Hoyo , Andrea Pereswiet Soltan , Marcin Szymanek , Krzysztof Wertz , Aleksandra Żeromska , Małgorzata Kot","doi":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109778","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109778","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Łabajowa Cave, located in the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland (southern Poland), preserves a complex sedimentary sequence that documents environmental and depositional dynamics from the early Late Pleistocene to the Holocene. The cave's infill reflects a non-continuous, multi-phase sedimentary history shaped by both natural and potentially anthropogenic processes. Through an integrated multidisciplinary approach, combining micromorphology, radiocarbon and OSL dating, paleontology, anthracology, and ancient DNA studies on fossil voles, this study reconstructs the chronological, paleoenvironmental, and paleoclimatic framework of the site. The stratigraphic sequence reveals alternating phases of slow accumulation, erosion, and redeposition, with weak anthropogenic inputs in the lower units. Faunal assemblages dominated by small mammals, birds, and molluscs reflect significant climatic oscillations between Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5 and MIS 2/1, with shifts from mainly temperate to cold-adapted taxa. The presence of charcoal may also indicate episodic fire activity, probably of natural origin. The stratigraphic complexity of Łabajowa Cave provides a valuable record for reconstructing the interactions between sedimentary dynamics, climate variability, and faunal changes during the Late Pleistocene in Central Europe.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20926,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Reviews","volume":"376 ","pages":"Article 109778"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-01-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145996168","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-19DOI: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2026.109808
F. Bulian , J. Sevink , L. Alessandri , A. Maurer , G. De Donno , V. Baiocchi , A. Guarnieri
Through an integrated geoarchaeological and palaeoenvironmental approach, we explored the origin, evolution, and anthropogenic modification of the Piscina Torta, a palaeochannel running across a beach ridge complex in the southern Tiber delta, from the inland Ostia palaeolagoon towards the sea. This channel was assumed to have played an important role in the activities at the connected Early Iron Age archaeological site of Piscina Torta, known for its salt production by briquetage. The research combines a range of methods and techniques: transect corings, high-resolution LiDAR mapping, electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), sedimentological and granulometric analyses, microfossil and plant macroremain studies, and AMS radiocarbon dating. These revealed that the base of the channel is in marine sands that form part of the early beach ridges in this area. Its fill consists of 1) highly calcareous marls that were deposited in a fresh water lake/lagoon, with a water level that ultimately reached to at least 1 m a.s.l. and dates from before the period in which the site was occupied (late 8th BCE); 2) peats formed over a long period (5th century BCE till modern times) and in an increasingly aquatic environment after the site was abandoned; 3) anthropogenically reworked sediments of modern age, containing abundant ancient ceramic fragments, likely consisting of surface materials, dumped to improve the drainage and trafficability of the area. During the late 8th to 6th century BCE, the marls in the central part of the channel were excavated, creating an anthropogenic channel (canal), which potentially had a connection with the sea in its lower, most seaward section of which the stratigraphy remained obscure, probably due to later coastal erosion. In the more inland section, which is situated within the large archaeological site, its base was distinctly above the contemporary sea level, implying that the channel/canal did not function as an open hydrological connection between the inland lagoon and the sea during the site’s occupation and more recent times. The period in which the site was occupied corresponds to significant socio-economic transformations in Central Italy and the emergence of Rome as a regional power. The study provides new insights into the interplay between coastal geomorphology, resource exploitation, and early state formation, emphasizing the role of environmental engineering in sustaining specialized production activities in dynamic coastal landscapes.
{"title":"Before Rome: Salt, settlement, and human–environment dynamics at the Early Iron Age site of Piscina Torta (Tyrrhenian coast)","authors":"F. Bulian , J. Sevink , L. Alessandri , A. Maurer , G. De Donno , V. Baiocchi , A. Guarnieri","doi":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2026.109808","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2026.109808","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Through an integrated geoarchaeological and palaeoenvironmental approach, we explored the origin, evolution, and anthropogenic modification of the Piscina Torta, a palaeochannel running across a beach ridge complex in the southern Tiber delta, from the inland Ostia palaeolagoon towards the sea. This channel was assumed to have played an important role in the activities at the connected Early Iron Age archaeological site of Piscina Torta, known for its salt production by briquetage. The research combines a range of methods and techniques: transect corings, high-resolution LiDAR mapping, electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), sedimentological and granulometric analyses, microfossil and plant macroremain studies, and AMS radiocarbon dating. These revealed that the base of the channel is in marine sands that form part of the early beach ridges in this area. Its fill consists of 1) highly calcareous marls that were deposited in a fresh water lake/lagoon, with a water level that ultimately reached to at least 1 m a.s.l. and dates from before the period in which the site was occupied (late 8th BCE); 2) peats formed over a long period (5th century BCE till modern times) and in an increasingly aquatic environment after the site was abandoned; 3) anthropogenically reworked sediments of modern age, containing abundant ancient ceramic fragments, likely consisting of surface materials, dumped to improve the drainage and trafficability of the area. During the late 8th to 6th century BCE, the marls in the central part of the channel were excavated, creating an anthropogenic channel (canal), which potentially had a connection with the sea in its lower, most seaward section of which the stratigraphy remained obscure, probably due to later coastal erosion. In the more inland section, which is situated within the large archaeological site, its base was distinctly above the contemporary sea level, implying that the channel/canal did not function as an open hydrological connection between the inland lagoon and the sea during the site’s occupation and more recent times. The period in which the site was occupied corresponds to significant socio-economic transformations in Central Italy and the emergence of Rome as a regional power. The study provides new insights into the interplay between coastal geomorphology, resource exploitation, and early state formation, emphasizing the role of environmental engineering in sustaining specialized production activities in dynamic coastal landscapes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20926,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Reviews","volume":"375 ","pages":"Article 109808"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-01-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146038627","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-18DOI: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2026.109811
Aleksandra Osika , Jacek Jania , Natalia Piotrowska , Dmitry Tikhomirov , Joanna Ewa Szafraniec , Dhanushka Devendra , Marcus Christl , Markus Egli , Andreas Vieli
Climate change affects the extent of glaciers in Svalbard, and warmer periods of the Holocene may serve as analogues for predicting their future decay. While the Holocene glacial history of central, western and northern Svalbard is relatively well-studied, knowledge of glacier fluctuations in southern Spitsbergen remains limited. We reconstruct the Holocene glacier dynamics in Hornsund and adjacent areas, using geomorphological, geochronological, and historical data. New and published radiocarbon (14C) and cosmogenic nuclide (10Be) dates were combined with historical maps dating back to the 1600s and photographs from 1872 to 1936. The ages of mollusc shells from till deposits and Little Ice Age (LIA) moraines suggest glacier retreat in the Early Holocene, enabling colonisation of glacier-free branches of Hornsund. During the first half of the Late Holocene, the extent of tidewater glaciers remained reduced compared to their LIA maxima. Their limited advance was likely constrained by increasing sea-surface temperatures and atmospheric warming between c. 2.2–1.8 and 1.5–0.7 cal ka BP. The maximum Late Holocene glacier extents were associated with surges, probably preceded by ice mass accumulation due to climatic cooling and increased precipitation. However, many surges may also have occurred under warmer conditions. Most glaciers in southern Spitsbergen are highly sensitive to climatic changes, both through mass balance and surging, due to their specific topographic settings (low-elevation, gently sloping, long, multi-branched glaciers with overdeepenings in the bedrock). The interaction between climate variability and glacier surging played a crucial role in glacier evolution throughout the Holocene.
气候变化影响了斯瓦尔巴群岛冰川的范围，全新世的温暖时期可以作为预测其未来衰退的类似物。虽然斯瓦尔巴中部、西部和北部的全新世冰川历史研究相对较好，但对斯匹次卑尔根南部冰川波动的了解仍然有限。我们利用地貌、地质年代学和历史资料重建了霍恩松德及其邻近地区的全新世冰川动态。新的和公布的放射性碳（14C）和宇宙核素（10Be）日期与可追溯到17世纪的历史地图和1872年至1936年的照片相结合。从沉积物和小冰河期冰碛中发现的软体动物壳的年代表明，全新世早期冰川退缩，使霍恩松岛无冰川分支得以殖民。在晚全新世的前半期，潮汐冰川的范围与它们的LIA最大值相比仍然缩小。它们有限的进展可能受到海面温度升高和大气变暖的限制，温度升高介于2.2-1.8和1.5-0.7 cal ka BP之间。最大的晚全新世冰川范围与涌浪有关，可能在此之前，由于气候变冷和降水增加，冰块积累。然而，许多波浪也可能发生在较温暖的条件下。斯匹次卑尔根南部的大多数冰川由于其特殊的地形环境（低海拔、缓坡、长、多分支的冰川，基岩过深），对气候变化高度敏感，既通过物质平衡，也通过汹涌而来。气候变率与冰川涌动之间的相互作用在整个全新世的冰川演化中起着至关重要的作用。
{"title":"Holocene glacial history of southern Spitsbergen","authors":"Aleksandra Osika , Jacek Jania , Natalia Piotrowska , Dmitry Tikhomirov , Joanna Ewa Szafraniec , Dhanushka Devendra , Marcus Christl , Markus Egli , Andreas Vieli","doi":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2026.109811","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2026.109811","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Climate change affects the extent of glaciers in Svalbard, and warmer periods of the Holocene may serve as analogues for predicting their future decay. While the Holocene glacial history of central, western and northern Svalbard is relatively well-studied, knowledge of glacier fluctuations in southern Spitsbergen remains limited. We reconstruct the Holocene glacier dynamics in Hornsund and adjacent areas, using geomorphological, geochronological, and historical data. New and published radiocarbon (<sup>14</sup>C) and cosmogenic nuclide (<sup>10</sup>Be) dates were combined with historical maps dating back to the 1600s and photographs from 1872 to 1936. The ages of mollusc shells from till deposits and Little Ice Age (LIA) moraines suggest glacier retreat in the Early Holocene, enabling colonisation of glacier-free branches of Hornsund. During the first half of the Late Holocene, the extent of tidewater glaciers remained reduced compared to their LIA maxima. Their limited advance was likely constrained by increasing sea-surface temperatures and atmospheric warming between c. 2.2–1.8 and 1.5–0.7 cal ka BP. The maximum Late Holocene glacier extents were associated with surges, probably preceded by ice mass accumulation due to climatic cooling and increased precipitation. However, many surges may also have occurred under warmer conditions. Most glaciers in southern Spitsbergen are highly sensitive to climatic changes, both through mass balance and surging, due to their specific topographic settings (low-elevation, gently sloping, long, multi-branched glaciers with overdeepenings in the bedrock). The interaction between climate variability and glacier surging played a crucial role in glacier evolution throughout the Holocene.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20926,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Reviews","volume":"375 ","pages":"Article 109811"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-01-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146038626","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-14DOI: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109769
S. Dean , N. Georgiou , R. Poirier , W.R. Doar III , D. Brill , D. Chauveau , C. Cerrone , J. Austermann , A. Rovere
The peak of the Last Interglacial (Marine Isotope Stage 5e; ∼128–117 ky) provides a valuable analogue for understanding sea level rise under future warming scenarios. Relative sea-level (RSL) indicators from passive margins are essential for constraining past sea levels and refining glacio-hydro-isostatic adjustment (GIA) models, thereby enhancing projections of future sea-level change and associated regional impacts. In this study, we present new luminescence ages from 17 sediment samples in outcrops along the Intracoastal Waterway near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (USA). The sampling sites lie between a series of paleo beach ridges preserved as successive off-lapping deposits, the scarp toes of which have been previously identified as indicators of the maximum sea level during each associated sea-level highstand. Our results include ages corresponding with Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 7 (∼200 ka), 5e (∼125 ka), 5c (∼105 ka), and the last deglacial period (∼14–12 ky). These new sea-level indicators, supplemented by the existing scarp elevation data, suggest that relative sea level in this region reached similar levels during MIS 5e and MIS 5c/5a. Comparison with GIA model outputs shows that more models fit our observations (from all time periods) when a peak GMSL of less than 5 m above present during MIS 5e is assumed, which makes those scenarios more likely.
{"title":"Last interglacial relative sea-level changes at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina","authors":"S. Dean , N. Georgiou , R. Poirier , W.R. Doar III , D. Brill , D. Chauveau , C. Cerrone , J. Austermann , A. Rovere","doi":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109769","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109769","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The peak of the Last Interglacial (Marine Isotope Stage 5e; ∼128–117 ky) provides a valuable analogue for understanding sea level rise under future warming scenarios. Relative sea-level (RSL) indicators from passive margins are essential for constraining past sea levels and refining glacio-hydro-isostatic adjustment (GIA) models, thereby enhancing projections of future sea-level change and associated regional impacts. In this study, we present new luminescence ages from 17 sediment samples in outcrops along the Intracoastal Waterway near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (USA). The sampling sites lie between a series of paleo beach ridges preserved as successive off-lapping deposits, the scarp toes of which have been previously identified as indicators of the maximum sea level during each associated sea-level highstand. Our results include ages corresponding with Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 7 (∼200 ka), 5e (∼125 ka), 5c (∼105 ka), and the last deglacial period (∼14–12 ky). These new sea-level indicators, supplemented by the existing scarp elevation data, suggest that relative sea level in this region reached similar levels during MIS 5e and MIS 5c/5a. Comparison with GIA model outputs shows that more models fit our observations (from all time periods) when a peak GMSL of less than 5 m above present during MIS 5e is assumed, which makes those scenarios more likely.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20926,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Reviews","volume":"375 ","pages":"Article 109769"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-01-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145978996","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-14DOI: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2026.109807
Yanpeng Li , Shengrui Li , Hai Xu , Keliang Zhao , Guanhan Chen , Yaping Zhang , Jiacheng Ma , Junchi Liu , Yong Ge , Yan Zheng , Xinying Zhou , Xiaoqiang Li
Since the Holocene, marked transformations have occurred in patterns of human activity and modes of subsistence, with agriculture progressively becoming the principal means by which human societies modified and adapted to natural environments and sustained social development. The North China Plain (NCP) serves as the core region for the origin of millet agriculture in northern China and remains a pivotal area for understanding the genesis and evolution of Chinese civilization. By analyzing plant macrofossils from three sites—Zhujia, Dalaidian, and Wangzhuang—in the Qihe River basin (QRB), and integrating with crop assemblages from 54 representative sites across the North China Plain, this study systematically examines the synchrony between the evolution of Neolithic agricultural structures and climatic change in the region. The results demonstrate that multiple drought events had varying impacts on millet and rice agricultural systems in the NCP throughout the Neolithic period. Early communities responded to abrupt climatic perturbations by strategically adjusting agricultural structures to secure stable food supplies, thereby ensuring the sustained development of their societies. Furthermore, confronted with recurrent Neolithic drought events, prehistoric communities adopted diverse adaptive strategies, with their adaptive capacity progressively strengthening over time.
{"title":"Synchrony of prehistoric agricultural evolution and drought events in the North China Plain","authors":"Yanpeng Li , Shengrui Li , Hai Xu , Keliang Zhao , Guanhan Chen , Yaping Zhang , Jiacheng Ma , Junchi Liu , Yong Ge , Yan Zheng , Xinying Zhou , Xiaoqiang Li","doi":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2026.109807","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2026.109807","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Since the Holocene, marked transformations have occurred in patterns of human activity and modes of subsistence, with agriculture progressively becoming the principal means by which human societies modified and adapted to natural environments and sustained social development. The North China Plain (NCP) serves as the core region for the origin of millet agriculture in northern China and remains a pivotal area for understanding the genesis and evolution of Chinese civilization. By analyzing plant macrofossils from three sites—Zhujia, Dalaidian, and Wangzhuang—in the Qihe River basin (QRB), and integrating with crop assemblages from 54 representative sites across the North China Plain, this study systematically examines the synchrony between the evolution of Neolithic agricultural structures and climatic change in the region. The results demonstrate that multiple drought events had varying impacts on millet and rice agricultural systems in the NCP throughout the Neolithic period. Early communities responded to abrupt climatic perturbations by strategically adjusting agricultural structures to secure stable food supplies, thereby ensuring the sustained development of their societies. Furthermore, confronted with recurrent Neolithic drought events, prehistoric communities adopted diverse adaptive strategies, with their adaptive capacity progressively strengthening over time.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20926,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Reviews","volume":"375 ","pages":"Article 109807"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-01-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145978994","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-14DOI: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2026.109801
Vincenzo De Santis , Alessia Logrieco , Paolo Montagna , Giovanni Scicchitano , Giuseppe Mastronuzzi , Ernesto Mesto , Edwige Pons-Branchu , Giovanni Scardino , José E. Ortiz , Yolanda Sánchez-Palencia , Trinidad Torres , Massimo Caldara
Through the integration of new geomorphological, geological and chronological data from the Taranto area in southern Italy with existing literature information from the nearby Lizzano area, two terraced units and associated paleoshorelines dating back to the Last Interglacial (LIG) have been recognised: i) Unit 1 (U1LIG), further subdivided into lower/inner and upper/outer, associated with a paleoshoreline at +30 ± 2 m (PS1LIG), and ii) Unit 2 (U2LIG), associated with a paleoshoreline at +20 ± 2 m (PS2LIG).
U1LIG-lower/inner, dated between ca. 135 and ca. 128 ka, exhibits stratal geometry, lithofacies distribution, and stratigraphic relationship with the U1LIG-upper/outer that together point to the transgression (sea level-rise) toward the first highstand of MIS 5.5.
U1LIG-upper/outer, dated to ca. 127 ka, shows stratal geometry, lithofacies distribution, and stratigraphic relationship with U1LIG-lower/inner, that together identify the MIS 5.5 highstand.
The lower U2LIG unit, which gives a broad chronological range of 127-122 ka, and its associated lower paleoshoreline PS2LIG, record a second, lower sea-level stillstand/slow sea-level lowering during MIS 5.5, occurred after a rapid drop in sea level of ca. 9 m.
Drawing on these constraints, and assuming that the paleoshorelines represent past sea-levels, a constant regional uplift rate and a sea-level within a range of +2 to +9 m at the first and highest MIS 5.5 highstand, we reconstruct, for the study areas, that: i) the first highstand of MIS 5.5 peaked at ca. 127 ka BP; ii) thereafter, an intra-LIG sea-level drop of ca. 9.4 ± 4.1 m occurred; iii) the rapid drop was followed by a second stillstand/slow sea-level lowering (represented by PS2LIG in our study area). The rapid sea-level drop and the following second stillstand/slow sea-level lowering can be assumed in the interval of ca. 127-122 ka. This intra-LIG sea-level pattern observed in our study areas is very similar to that recently reported in other areas of the central Mediterranean and worldwide, as well as in some global sea-level curves. The post-127 ka sea-level fall and the following second stillstand/slow sea-level lowering coincide with the time of deposition of the Sapropel S5. The large amount of eluvial and colluvial material in U2LIG, together with its deltaic facies, are the local signal of the Sapropel S5 event. This implies that, during the deposition period of U2LIG that coincides with the S5 event, southern Italy experienced intensified rainfall. Our data refine and extend previous findings that warm interglacial periods, marked by enhanced freshwater flux by the monsoonal Nile (and wadi-systems) floods, were characterized by increased precipitation in the NW Mediterranean.
{"title":"Highstand, drop and stillstand: reconstructing MIS 5.5 sea-level changes in the central Mediterranean","authors":"Vincenzo De Santis , Alessia Logrieco , Paolo Montagna , Giovanni Scicchitano , Giuseppe Mastronuzzi , Ernesto Mesto , Edwige Pons-Branchu , Giovanni Scardino , José E. Ortiz , Yolanda Sánchez-Palencia , Trinidad Torres , Massimo Caldara","doi":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2026.109801","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2026.109801","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Through the integration of new geomorphological, geological and chronological data from the Taranto area in southern Italy with existing literature information from the nearby Lizzano area, two terraced units and associated paleoshorelines dating back to the Last Interglacial (LIG) have been recognised: i) Unit 1 (U1LIG), further subdivided into lower/inner and upper/outer, associated with a paleoshoreline at +30 ± 2 m (PS1LIG), and ii) Unit 2 (U2LIG), associated with a paleoshoreline at +20 ± 2 m (PS2LIG).</div><div>U1LIG-lower/inner, dated between ca. 135 and ca. 128 ka, exhibits stratal geometry, lithofacies distribution, and stratigraphic relationship with the U1LIG-upper/outer that together point to the transgression (sea level-rise) toward the first highstand of MIS 5.5.</div><div>U1LIG-upper/outer, dated to ca. 127 ka, shows stratal geometry, lithofacies distribution, and stratigraphic relationship with U1LIG-lower/inner, that together identify the MIS 5.5 highstand.</div><div>The lower U2LIG unit, which gives a broad chronological range of 127-122 ka, and its associated lower paleoshoreline PS2LIG, record a second, lower sea-level stillstand/slow sea-level lowering during MIS 5.5, occurred after a rapid drop in sea level of ca. 9 m.</div><div>Drawing on these constraints, and assuming that the paleoshorelines represent past sea-levels, a constant regional uplift rate and a sea-level within a range of +2 to +9 m at the first and highest MIS 5.5 highstand, we reconstruct, for the study areas, that: i) the first highstand of MIS 5.5 peaked at ca. 127 ka BP; ii) thereafter, an intra-LIG sea-level drop of ca. 9.4 ± 4.1 m occurred; iii) the rapid drop was followed by a second stillstand/slow sea-level lowering (represented by PS2LIG in our study area). The rapid sea-level drop and the following second stillstand/slow sea-level lowering can be assumed in the interval of ca. 127-122 ka. This intra-LIG sea-level pattern observed in our study areas is very similar to that recently reported in other areas of the central Mediterranean and worldwide, as well as in some global sea-level curves. The post-127 ka sea-level fall and the following second stillstand/slow sea-level lowering coincide with the time of deposition of the Sapropel S5. The large amount of eluvial and colluvial material in U2LIG, together with its deltaic facies, are the local signal of the Sapropel S5 event. This implies that, during the deposition period of U2LIG that coincides with the S5 event, southern Italy experienced intensified rainfall. Our data refine and extend previous findings that warm interglacial periods, marked by enhanced freshwater flux by the monsoonal Nile (and wadi-systems) floods, were characterized by increased precipitation in the NW Mediterranean.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20926,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Reviews","volume":"375 ","pages":"Article 109801"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-01-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145978951","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-13DOI: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109785
Paweł Sydor
The problem of relative sea-level (RSL) changes is one of the main issues in Baltic Sea research. The aim of the study is to reconstruct Holocene RSL changes in the middle part of the Polish coast. To develop the RSL curve for the study area, 290 RSL data points were used. From these, 184 data points (32.7 %) are terrestrial limiting points (TLP), and 106 data points (18.8 %) are marine limiting points (MLP). The data allow for reconstructing water-level changes for the last 10.5 ka b2k, i.e., for the stages of Ancylus Lake and Littorina Sea, starting from an elevation of ca. 28 m below present sea level (b.s.l.).
In the period 10.5–10.2 ky b2k, a fast water level rise (Ancylus transgression) occurred with an average rate of ca. 30 mm/yr. About 10.2 ky b2k, the water level reached ca. 19 m b.s.l. The formation of a drainage channel in the area of the present Belt Sea resulted in a regression of the water level of Ancylus Lake to 24 m b.s.l., with an average rate of ca. 12.5 mm/yr, in the period 10.2–9.8 ky b2k. After the connection of the Baltic with the ocean 9.8 ky b2k, during the period 9.8–8.0 ky b2k, a fast sea level rise (Littorina transgression) occurred in the study area. An average rate of water level rise during the Littorina transgression was ca. 9.4 mm/yr. The period 8.0–6.0 ky b2k is characterized by gradual decrease of the rate of sea level rise. Between 8.0 and 7.0 ky b2k sea level rose with average rate ca. 3 mm/yr, and ca. 1 mm/yr between 7.0 and 6.0 ky b2k. Over the last 6.0 ky, the rate of sea-level rise has been slower, and it was ca. 0.5 mm/yr. Taking into account similarities to other regions of the Baltic Sea and the world ocean, it can be concluded that sea-level changes in the study area in the last 9.8 ky have been eustatic in nature.
相对海平面变化问题是波罗的海研究的主要问题之一。研究的目的是重建波兰中部海岸全新世RSL的变化。为了绘制研究区域的RSL曲线，使用了290个RSL数据点。其中，184个数据点（32.7%）为陆地极限点（TLP）， 106个数据点（18.8%）为海洋极限点（MLP）。这些数据允许重建最近10.5 ka b2k的水位变化，即Ancylus湖和Littorina海阶段，从目前海平面（b.s.l）以下约28 m的高度开始。在10.5 ~ 10.2 ky b2k期间，发生了一次快速的水位上升（Ancylus海侵），平均速度约为30 mm/yr。10.2 ky - 9.8 ky - b2k期间，安丘勒斯湖水位下降至24 m b.s.l，平均下降速率约为12.5 mm/年。在波罗的海与海洋连接9.8 ky b2k后，9.8 - 8.0 ky b2k期间，研究区发生了一次快速的海平面上升（Littorina海侵）。在Littorina海侵期间，平均水位上升速率约为9.4 mm/yr。8.0 ~ 6.0 kb2k期间，海平面上升速率呈逐渐下降的趋势。在8.0 ~ 7.0 kb2k期间，海平面平均上升速率约为3 mm/年，在7.0 ~ 6.0 kb2k期间，海平面平均上升速率约为1 mm/年。在过去的6.0天里，海平面上升的速度变慢了，大约为0.5毫米/年。考虑到与波罗的海其他地区和世界海洋的相似之处，可以得出结论，在过去的9.8天里，研究区域的海平面变化本质上是上升的。
{"title":"Holocene relative sea-level changes in the middle part of the Polish coast, southern Baltic Sea","authors":"Paweł Sydor","doi":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109785","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109785","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The problem of relative sea-level (RSL) changes is one of the main issues in Baltic Sea research. The aim of the study is to reconstruct Holocene RSL changes in the middle part of the Polish coast. To develop the RSL curve for the study area, 290 RSL data points were used. From these, 184 data points (32.7 %) are terrestrial limiting points (TLP), and 106 data points (18.8 %) are marine limiting points (MLP). The data allow for reconstructing water-level changes for the last 10.5 ka b2k, i.e., for the stages of Ancylus Lake and Littorina Sea, starting from an elevation of ca. 28 m below present sea level (b.s.l.).</div><div>In the period 10.5–10.2 ky b2k, a fast water level rise (Ancylus transgression) occurred with an average rate of ca. 30 mm/yr. About 10.2 ky b2k, the water level reached ca. 19 m b.s.l. The formation of a drainage channel in the area of the present Belt Sea resulted in a regression of the water level of Ancylus Lake to 24 m b.s.l., with an average rate of ca. 12.5 mm/yr, in the period 10.2–9.8 ky b2k. After the connection of the Baltic with the ocean 9.8 ky b2k, during the period 9.8–8.0 ky b2k, a fast sea level rise (Littorina transgression) occurred in the study area. An average rate of water level rise during the Littorina transgression was ca. 9.4 mm/yr. The period 8.0–6.0 ky b2k is characterized by gradual decrease of the rate of sea level rise. Between 8.0 and 7.0 ky b2k sea level rose with average rate ca. 3 mm/yr, and ca. 1 mm/yr between 7.0 and 6.0 ky b2k. Over the last 6.0 ky, the rate of sea-level rise has been slower, and it was ca. 0.5 mm/yr. Taking into account similarities to other regions of the Baltic Sea and the world ocean, it can be concluded that sea-level changes in the study area in the last 9.8 ky have been eustatic in nature.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20926,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Reviews","volume":"375 ","pages":"Article 109785"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-01-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145978950","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-13DOI: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109752
Aram Fathian , Hemin Koyi , Stefan Back , Hamid Nazari , Dan H. Shugar , Mohammad Ali Shokri , Klaus Reicherter
The Zagros Mountains in southwest Iran are a young orogen displaying the geodynamic evolution in an active continental collision zone. We combine the analysis of geomorphology, remote sensing, geochronology, and seismic-reflection data to investigate the current kinematics of the Zagros foreland in SW Iran and identify tectonically active structures associated with the propagation of the deformation front of the Zagros fold-and-thrust belt. Seismic-reflection data in the Persian Gulf show evidence of syndepositional folding since at least >300 ka BP. These data define the propagating deformation front of the Zagros fold-and-thrust belt by outlining actively growing, modern folds in the Persian Gulf several tens of kilometers off the coast. RTK GNSS surveying and geochronological dating were used to estimate the uplift rate of terraces on the southwestern limb of an onshore anticline. The uplift of such terraces and the development of new folds in the Persian Gulf indicate that shortening in the Zagros is accommodated within a wide zone (∼40–50 km) rather than along a linear deformation front. Congruent dextral bending of the northern hinges of fold axes, both on- and offshore, is interpreted to be linked to ongoing shortening accompanied by slip partitioning along the N-trending basement faults. This study demonstrates the benefit of analyzing contemporaneous incipient deformation and syn-kinematic sedimentation to outline a progressive deformation front in an active fold-and-thrust belt.
伊朗西南部的扎格罗斯山脉是一个年轻的造山带，在一个活跃的大陆碰撞带中显示出地球动力学演化。结合地形学、遥感、年代学和地震反射数据分析，研究了伊朗西南部扎格罗斯前陆的当前运动学，并识别了与扎格罗斯褶皱冲断带变形前沿传播相关的构造活动构造。波斯湾的地震反射资料显示至少自300 ka BP以来同沉积褶皱的证据。这些数据通过描绘波斯湾离海岸几十公里处活跃生长的现代褶皱，定义了扎格罗斯褶皱冲断带的传播变形前沿。采用RTK GNSS测量和年代学方法估算了陆缘背斜西南缘阶地的隆升速率。这些阶地的隆起和波斯湾新褶皱的发育表明，扎格罗斯的缩短是在一个宽的区域内（~ 40-50公里）进行的，而不是沿着一条线性变形前沿。在陆上和海上，褶皱轴北部铰链的同向右弯曲被解释为与沿n向基底断层的滑动分割伴随的持续缩短有关。该研究表明，分析同时期的早期变形和同运动沉积有利于勾勒出活动褶皱冲断带中的渐进变形前沿。
{"title":"Onshore-offshore evidence for active tectonics and the propagation of the Zagros deformation front into the Persian Gulf","authors":"Aram Fathian , Hemin Koyi , Stefan Back , Hamid Nazari , Dan H. Shugar , Mohammad Ali Shokri , Klaus Reicherter","doi":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109752","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109752","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Zagros Mountains in southwest Iran are a young orogen displaying the geodynamic evolution in an active continental collision zone. We combine the analysis of geomorphology, remote sensing, geochronology, and seismic-reflection data to investigate the current kinematics of the Zagros foreland in SW Iran and identify tectonically active structures associated with the propagation of the deformation front of the Zagros fold-and-thrust belt. Seismic-reflection data in the Persian Gulf show evidence of syndepositional folding since at least >300 ka BP. These data define the propagating deformation front of the Zagros fold-and-thrust belt by outlining actively growing, modern folds in the Persian Gulf several tens of kilometers off the coast. RTK GNSS surveying and geochronological dating were used to estimate the uplift rate of terraces on the southwestern limb of an onshore anticline. The uplift of such terraces and the development of new folds in the Persian Gulf indicate that shortening in the Zagros is accommodated within a wide zone (∼40–50 km) rather than along a linear deformation front. Congruent dextral bending of the northern hinges of fold axes, both on- and offshore, is interpreted to be linked to ongoing shortening accompanied by slip partitioning along the N-trending basement faults. This study demonstrates the benefit of analyzing contemporaneous incipient deformation and syn-kinematic sedimentation to outline a progressive deformation front in an active fold-and-thrust belt.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20926,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Reviews","volume":"375 ","pages":"Article 109752"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-01-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145978993","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-13DOI: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2026.109800
Mar Selvaggi , Isabel Cacho , José N. Pérez-Asensio , Dimitris Evangelinos , Pierluigi Martinelli , Laura Bronzo , Albert Català , Leopoldo D. Pena , Jaime Frigola , Rocco Gennari , Sergio Bonomo , Antonio Cascella , Fabrizio Lirer , Letizia Di Bella
In this study, we combine analyses of benthic foraminiferal assemblages, grain-size distributions, and elemental composition (X-ray fluorescence) with geochemical measurements of foraminiferal coatings (U/Mnfc) and stable oxygen isotopes (δ18O) from sediment core NDT_22_2016 (432 m water depth) to reconstruct oceanographic variability over the past ∼18 kyr. Our findings reveal a significant influx of shelf-derived benthic foraminiferal assemblages during Heinrich Stadial 1 (HS1), which we attribute to enhanced melting of Northern Apennines glaciers, particularly during HS1b (∼17-16 kyr). These observations support the occurrence of warm summers despite the overall regional cooling linked to HS1. At the same time, micropaleontological and geochemical data record an abrupt decline in mid-depth oxygen conditions, potentially reflecting HS1-driven changes in the properties of intermediate waters originating from the eastern Mediterranean Sea. During the formation of Sapropel 1 (S1) in the eastern basin, the presence of well-oxygenated waters and the formation of a sandy condensed layer are interpreted to reflect intense sediment winnowing associated with episodes of dense shelf-water formation in the study region. We argue that these conditions may have facilitated the development of a western-sourced intermediate water mass, which would have occupied the pathway of weakened eastern-sourced Mediterranean waters during S1 deposition. We further propose that the modern Mediterranean circulation pattern was established at ∼6 kyr, marked by notable changes in both sedimentary and benthic ecosystem records. Lastly, a significant shift in sediment supply over the last ∼2 kyr is linked to pronounced anthropogenic impacts.
{"title":"Deglacial and Holocene variability of intermediate water masses in the Ligurian Sea based on a multi-proxy approach","authors":"Mar Selvaggi , Isabel Cacho , José N. Pérez-Asensio , Dimitris Evangelinos , Pierluigi Martinelli , Laura Bronzo , Albert Català , Leopoldo D. Pena , Jaime Frigola , Rocco Gennari , Sergio Bonomo , Antonio Cascella , Fabrizio Lirer , Letizia Di Bella","doi":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2026.109800","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2026.109800","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this study, we combine analyses of benthic foraminiferal assemblages, grain-size distributions, and elemental composition (X-ray fluorescence) with geochemical measurements of foraminiferal coatings (U/Mn<sub>fc</sub>) and stable oxygen isotopes (δ<sup>18</sup>O) from sediment core NDT_22_2016 (432 m water depth) to reconstruct oceanographic variability over the past ∼18 kyr. Our findings reveal a significant influx of shelf-derived benthic foraminiferal assemblages during Heinrich Stadial 1 (HS1), which we attribute to enhanced melting of Northern Apennines glaciers, particularly during HS1b (∼17-16 kyr). These observations support the occurrence of warm summers despite the overall regional cooling linked to HS1. At the same time, micropaleontological and geochemical data record an abrupt decline in mid-depth oxygen conditions, potentially reflecting HS1-driven changes in the properties of intermediate waters originating from the eastern Mediterranean Sea. During the formation of Sapropel 1 (S1) in the eastern basin, the presence of well-oxygenated waters and the formation of a sandy condensed layer are interpreted to reflect intense sediment winnowing associated with episodes of dense shelf-water formation in the study region. We argue that these conditions may have facilitated the development of a western-sourced intermediate water mass, which would have occupied the pathway of weakened eastern-sourced Mediterranean waters during S1 deposition. We further propose that the modern Mediterranean circulation pattern was established at ∼6 kyr, marked by notable changes in both sedimentary and benthic ecosystem records. Lastly, a significant shift in sediment supply over the last ∼2 kyr is linked to pronounced anthropogenic impacts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20926,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Reviews","volume":"375 ","pages":"Article 109800"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-01-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145978995","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-13DOI: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2026.109804
Stan J. Schouten , Martin Grosjean , Paul D. Zander , Noé R.M.M. Schmidhauser , Luyao Tu , Andrea Lami , Hendrik Vogel , Jacqueline van Leeuwen , Petra Zahajská
Combined effects of climate warming and anthropogenic nutrient loadings lead to lake eutrophication and anoxia globally. Because of chemical feedbacks, lakes under multiple stressors often respond in non-linear ways. However, it remains unclear whether climate change alone can lead to non-linear lake responses in the absence of anthropogenic nutrient disturbances. Here, we investigate the interactions between climate variability, nutrient cycling and trophic state changes, mixing regimes, anoxia and related chemical feedback in a small kettle-hole lake in Switzerland during Late Glacial times (15.2–12.6 cal ka BP), a period known for high-amplitude climate change in pre-anthropogenic times.
After its formation during Heinrich Stadial 1 (>15 cal ka BP), Soppensee was oligotrophic and well-mixed. Soppensee became eutrophic and developed anoxia at 14.25 cal ka BP. Phosphorus (P) was released from sediments through the reductive dissolution of Fe-oxyhydroxides, fuelling eutrophication. Eutrophication lagged the Bølling warming (14.65 cal ka BP) by 400 years, suggesting that rising temperatures were not the trigger for eutrophication. Instead, eutrophication responded non-linearly to forest closure (threshold at 76 % arboreal pollen AP), which shielded Soppensee from wind mixing, enhancing lake stratification, anoxia and P release, intensifying eutrophication. These conditions ended during the 200-years cold period of the Aegelsee Oscillation (GI-1d, ca. 14.0 cal ka BP) when the landscape regionally opened (AP<76 %); the lake became well-mixed, oxygenated and P was efficiently sequestered. Throughout the Allerød (13.9–12.8 cal ka BP), enhanced Fe input prompted diagenetic vivianite formation, sequestering P in sediments, naturally remediating lake eutrophication despite closed forests, warm temperatures, lake stratification and anoxia.
气候变暖和人为营养物负荷的共同作用导致全球湖泊富营养化和缺氧。由于化学反馈，湖泊在多重压力下往往以非线性的方式做出反应。然而，目前尚不清楚在没有人为营养物干扰的情况下，气候变化是否会导致非线性湖泊响应。在此，我们研究了瑞士一个小壶洞湖在晚冰期（15.2-12.6 cal ka BP）的气候变率、营养循环和营养状态变化、混合制度、缺氧和相关化学反馈之间的相互作用，这一时期是前人类活动时期已知的高幅度气候变化时期。在Heinrich Stadial 1 （>15 cal ka BP）形成后，Soppensee是寡营养和混合良好的。在14.25 cal ka BP时，水母开始富营养化并出现缺氧。磷(P)通过铁氧氢氧化物的还原性溶解从沉积物中释放出来，促进富营养化。富营养化滞后于b_lling变暖（14.65 cal ka BP） 400年，表明气温上升不是富营养化的触发因素。相反，富营养化对森林封育（阈值为76%）有非线性响应，森林封育屏蔽了风混合，增强了湖泊分层、缺氧和磷释放，加剧了富营养化。这些条件在Aegelsee涛动（GI-1d，约14.0 cal ka BP） 200年冷期结束，景观区域开放（AP< 76%）；湖泊变得混合良好，含氧和磷被有效地隔离。在整个allergo ød （13.9-12.8 cal ka BP）期间，铁输入增强促进了成岩橄榄岩的形成，固存了沉积物中的磷，在森林封闭、温度升高、湖泊分层和缺氧的情况下自然修复了湖泊富营养化。
{"title":"Climate-eutrophication-anoxia interactions in Late Glacial Soppensee, Switzerland: Forcings, non-linear responses and recovery","authors":"Stan J. Schouten , Martin Grosjean , Paul D. Zander , Noé R.M.M. Schmidhauser , Luyao Tu , Andrea Lami , Hendrik Vogel , Jacqueline van Leeuwen , Petra Zahajská","doi":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2026.109804","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2026.109804","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Combined effects of climate warming and anthropogenic nutrient loadings lead to lake eutrophication and anoxia globally. Because of chemical feedbacks, lakes under multiple stressors often respond in non-linear ways. However, it remains unclear whether climate change alone can lead to non-linear lake responses in the absence of anthropogenic nutrient disturbances. Here, we investigate the interactions between climate variability, nutrient cycling and trophic state changes, mixing regimes, anoxia and related chemical feedback in a small kettle-hole lake in Switzerland during Late Glacial times (15.2–12.6 cal ka BP), a period known for high-amplitude climate change in pre-anthropogenic times.</div><div>After its formation during Heinrich Stadial 1 (>15 cal ka BP), Soppensee was oligotrophic and well-mixed. Soppensee became eutrophic and developed anoxia at 14.25 cal ka BP. Phosphorus (P) was released from sediments through the reductive dissolution of Fe-oxyhydroxides, fuelling eutrophication. Eutrophication lagged the Bølling warming (14.65 cal ka BP) by 400 years, suggesting that rising temperatures were not the trigger for eutrophication. Instead, eutrophication responded non-linearly to forest closure (threshold at 76 % arboreal pollen AP), which shielded Soppensee from wind mixing, enhancing lake stratification, anoxia and P release, intensifying eutrophication. These conditions ended during the 200-years cold period of the Aegelsee Oscillation (GI-1d, ca. 14.0 cal ka BP) when the landscape regionally opened (AP<76 %); the lake became well-mixed, oxygenated and P was efficiently sequestered. Throughout the Allerød (13.9–12.8 cal ka BP), enhanced Fe input prompted diagenetic vivianite formation, sequestering P in sediments, naturally remediating lake eutrophication despite closed forests, warm temperatures, lake stratification and anoxia.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20926,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Reviews","volume":"375 ","pages":"Article 109804"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-01-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145978949","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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