Pub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2026-01-03DOI: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109784
Matthew P. Duda , David C. Eickmeyer , John P. Smol , Jules M. Blais
Effective conservation strategies for at-risk animal species greatly benefit from long-term trend data. Yet, most populations lack continuous monitoring beyond 30 years, with many often lacking monitoring altogether. Paleolimnology provides a retrospective method for reconstructing animal populations over thousands of years. Here we critically evaluated the efficacy of sterols and stanols as a supporting proxy to reconstruct seabird colony dynamics of a well-studied colony with distinct peaks in population size over ∼1700 years on Baccalieu Island, Newfoundland and Labrador (Canada). We analyzed sediment from a waterbody adjacent to the world's largest colony of Leach's Storm-Petrel (Hydrobates leucorhous), a nearby reference pond with no colonial seabird influences, and storm-petrel feces to determine the pathway of introduction of sterols and stanols to sediment to better understand their preservation and potential transformation over time. Cholesterol represented over 95 % of sterols/stanols in storm-petrel feces, reflecting the piscivorous and planktivorous invertebrate diet of the bird. In sediment, cholesterol increased over the last ∼200 years, coinciding with the increase in seabird colony size, but did not track the population decline ca. 1980 CE. The diagenetic products of cholesterol, such as cholestanol, 5α-cholestanone, and epi-coprostanol, however, closely tracked both increases and decreases in two known peaks in seabird population size (ca. 500 CE and ca. 1980 CE). Other sterols, such as campesterol, desmosterol, fucosterol, β-sitosterol, and 5α-stigmastanol, may track the indirect environmental impacts of the seabird colony, such as nest formation and fecal-derived nutrient enrichment of the terrestrial environment. Our findings support the use of sterols and stanols as effective and informative proxies for reconstructing long-term animal populations, especially when considered in a multi-proxy framework.
{"title":"Seabird-mediated changes in sedimentary sterols and stanols","authors":"Matthew P. Duda , David C. Eickmeyer , John P. Smol , Jules M. Blais","doi":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109784","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109784","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Effective conservation strategies for at-risk animal species greatly benefit from long-term trend data. Yet, most populations lack continuous monitoring beyond 30 years, with many often lacking monitoring altogether. Paleolimnology provides a retrospective method for reconstructing animal populations over thousands of years. Here we critically evaluated the efficacy of sterols and stanols as a supporting proxy to reconstruct seabird colony dynamics of a well-studied colony with distinct peaks in population size over ∼1700 years on Baccalieu Island, Newfoundland and Labrador (Canada). We analyzed sediment from a waterbody adjacent to the world's largest colony of Leach's Storm-Petrel (<em>Hydrobates leucorhous</em>), a nearby reference pond with no colonial seabird influences, and storm-petrel feces to determine the pathway of introduction of sterols and stanols to sediment to better understand their preservation and potential transformation over time. Cholesterol represented over 95 % of sterols/stanols in storm-petrel feces, reflecting the piscivorous and planktivorous invertebrate diet of the bird. In sediment, cholesterol increased over the last ∼200 years, coinciding with the increase in seabird colony size, but did not track the population decline ca. 1980 CE. The diagenetic products of cholesterol, such as cholestanol, 5α-cholestanone, and epi-coprostanol, however, closely tracked both increases and decreases in two known peaks in seabird population size (ca. 500 CE and ca. 1980 CE). Other sterols, such as campesterol, desmosterol, fucosterol, β-sitosterol, and 5α-stigmastanol, may track the indirect environmental impacts of the seabird colony, such as nest formation and fecal-derived nutrient enrichment of the terrestrial environment. Our findings support the use of sterols and stanols as effective and informative proxies for reconstructing long-term animal populations, especially when considered in a multi-proxy framework.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20926,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Reviews","volume":"375 ","pages":"Article 109784"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145940355","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 : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2026-01-05DOI: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109790
Xinwei Kong , Zhengyu Liu , Mi Yan , Fuxian Xie , Qin Wen , Samantha Bova , Yair Rosenthal , Liang Ning , Jian Liu
The response of sea surface temperature (SST) to orbital-induced insolation is not well understood. Here, using transient climate simulation of the last 200,000 years, we investigate whether mean annual SST (MASST) responds linearly or nonlinearly to orbital forcing. Our results show that the response of SST to insolation is regionally variable. It is nearly linear across most of the tropics and high latitudes, with the MASST dominated by obliquity variability. In the mid-latitude and eastern equatorial Pacific, the response of SST is, however, nonlinear with MASST dominated by precession variability. The nonlinear MASST response can be biased towards winter or summer SST, caused by the rectification of the seasonal insolation forcing by cloud albedo or mixed layer depth depending on the region. Specifically, the MASST in the northwest Pacific is biased towards its winter season SST, which could mainly be attributed to the seasonal cycle of cloud cover. The summer season biased MASST in the mid-latitude south Pacific might be related to the seasonal variation of the oceanic mixed layer. The summer season biased MASST in the northeast Pacific might be a combined effect of atmospheric cloud and oceanic mixed layer. The peculiar seasonal bias of MASST in the eastern equatorial Pacific, however, could be related to the remote transmission signal from the mid-latitude south Pacific. Our study has implications for better interpreting proxy SST records through gaining further insights on the physical mechanisms controlling SST responses to orbital forcing.
{"title":"Linear and nonlinear responses of annual mean sea surface temperature to orbital forcing","authors":"Xinwei Kong , Zhengyu Liu , Mi Yan , Fuxian Xie , Qin Wen , Samantha Bova , Yair Rosenthal , Liang Ning , Jian Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109790","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109790","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The response of sea surface temperature (SST) to orbital-induced insolation is not well understood. Here, using transient climate simulation of the last 200,000 years, we investigate whether mean annual SST (MASST) responds linearly or nonlinearly to orbital forcing. Our results show that the response of SST to insolation is regionally variable. It is nearly linear across most of the tropics and high latitudes, with the MASST dominated by obliquity variability. In the mid-latitude and eastern equatorial Pacific, the response of SST is, however, nonlinear with MASST dominated by precession variability. The nonlinear MASST response can be biased towards winter or summer SST, caused by the rectification of the seasonal insolation forcing by cloud albedo or mixed layer depth depending on the region. Specifically, the MASST in the northwest Pacific is biased towards its winter season SST, which could mainly be attributed to the seasonal cycle of cloud cover. The summer season biased MASST in the mid-latitude south Pacific might be related to the seasonal variation of the oceanic mixed layer. The summer season biased MASST in the northeast Pacific might be a combined effect of atmospheric cloud and oceanic mixed layer. The peculiar seasonal bias of MASST in the eastern equatorial Pacific, however, could be related to the remote transmission signal from the mid-latitude south Pacific. Our study has implications for better interpreting proxy SST records through gaining further insights on the physical mechanisms controlling SST responses to orbital forcing.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20926,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Reviews","volume":"375 ","pages":"Article 109790"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145940296","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 : 2026-03-01Epub 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":"2026-03-01","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 : 2026-03-01Epub 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":"2026-03-01","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 : 2026-03-01Epub 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":"2026-03-01","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}
Pub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2026-01-02DOI: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109777
Andrea Titolo, Alessio Palmisano
This paper investigates long-term trends in human population and their relationship with climate in two sub-regions of the South Levant (here labelled Samaria and Judah) from the Chalcolithic to the end of Iron Age III (6500-2200 cal yr BP). We aim to reconstruct demographic fluctuations and the sub-regional level, evaluate possible cycles of climate-population relations, to understand if different scales of analyses can reveal more nuanced population variations than what is already known for the whole South Levant, and to tackle a current debate on the Iron Age II dynamics in the region. To do so, we employ a multi-proxy approach with a carefully crafted dataset composed of radiocarbon dates, archaeological sites from published surveys and excavations, and well-known paleoclimate proxies (n = 4), which were analysed through a suite of mature statistical and quantitative techniques. More specifically, we employed probabilistic approaches, entailing SPDs generation, Aoristic techniques, Monte Carlo simulations, and moving-window techniques to answer questions of long-term population changes and their relation to climate. Our results show that a multi-scalar approach can reveal interesting patterns that add significant details to regional reconstructions, with the two regions following similar patterns but each dependent on the geographical, socio-political, and economic context of the area in each period. We highlighted cycles of climate-population nexus, evidence of societal resilience and population overshoot, and larger climatic impact on population in desert fringe areas, although maintaining that climate alone cannot be taken as the sole explanatory factor for population fluctuations. We also provided a more nuanced interpretation of the Iron Age II dynamics beyond the simple juxtaposition of desolation and prosperity related to the Assyrian domination, which can now be evaluated without the risk of misinterpretations due to the partial use of just archaeological excavation data.
本文研究了从铜石器时代到铁器时代III（距今6500-2200 cal yr BP）末期，南黎凡特两个次区域（这里称为撒玛利亚和犹大）人口的长期趋势及其与气候的关系。我们的目标是重建人口波动和次区域水平，评估气候-人口关系的可能周期，了解不同规模的分析是否可以揭示比整个南黎凡特已知的更细微的人口变化，并解决当前关于该地区铁器时代II动态的辩论。为此，我们采用了一种多代理方法，使用精心制作的数据集，该数据集由放射性碳测年、公布的调查和发掘的考古遗址以及知名的古气候代理（n = 4）组成，并通过一套成熟的统计和定量技术对其进行了分析。更具体地说，我们采用了概率方法，包括spd生成、主动脉技术、蒙特卡罗模拟和移动窗口技术来回答长期人口变化及其与气候关系的问题。我们的研究结果表明，多标量方法可以揭示有趣的模式，为区域重建增加重要的细节，两个地区遵循相似的模式，但每个地区都依赖于每个时期该地区的地理、社会政治和经济背景。我们强调了气候-人口联系的周期、社会恢复力和人口超调的证据，以及沙漠边缘地区更大的气候对人口的影响，尽管坚持认为气候本身不能作为人口波动的唯一解释因素。我们还提供了铁器时代II动态的更细致的解释，而不仅仅是与亚述统治相关的荒凉和繁荣的简单并列，现在可以评估，而不会因为部分使用考古挖掘数据而产生误解的风险。
{"title":"A tale of two regions: Cyclical human-climate interactions in the South Levant from the Chalcolithic to the Iron Age (6500–2200 BP)","authors":"Andrea Titolo, Alessio Palmisano","doi":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109777","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109777","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper investigates long-term trends in human population and their relationship with climate in two sub-regions of the South Levant (here labelled Samaria and Judah) from the Chalcolithic to the end of Iron Age III (6500-2200 cal yr BP). We aim to reconstruct demographic fluctuations and the sub-regional level, evaluate possible cycles of climate-population relations, to understand if different scales of analyses can reveal more nuanced population variations than what is already known for the whole South Levant, and to tackle a current debate on the Iron Age II dynamics in the region. To do so, we employ a multi-proxy approach with a carefully crafted dataset composed of radiocarbon dates, archaeological sites from published surveys and excavations, and well-known paleoclimate proxies (n = 4), which were analysed through a suite of mature statistical and quantitative techniques. More specifically, we employed probabilistic approaches, entailing SPDs generation, Aoristic techniques, Monte Carlo simulations, and moving-window techniques to answer questions of long-term population changes and their relation to climate. Our results show that a multi-scalar approach can reveal interesting patterns that add significant details to regional reconstructions, with the two regions following similar patterns but each dependent on the geographical, socio-political, and economic context of the area in each period. We highlighted cycles of climate-population nexus, evidence of societal resilience and population overshoot, and larger climatic impact on population in desert fringe areas, although maintaining that climate alone cannot be taken as the sole explanatory factor for population fluctuations. We also provided a more nuanced interpretation of the Iron Age II dynamics beyond the simple juxtaposition of desolation and prosperity related to the Assyrian domination, which can now be evaluated without the risk of misinterpretations due to the partial use of just archaeological excavation data.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20926,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Reviews","volume":"375 ","pages":"Article 109777"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145886123","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 : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2026-01-08DOI: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109789
Marco Cisternas , Bladimir Saldaña , Lisa L. Ely , Robert L. Wesson , Mario Guerra , Dominik Brill , Daniel Melnick , Allison Espinoza , Tina Dura , Jessica Pilarczyk
We report the first paleoseismic evidence jointly documenting coseismic subsidence and tsunami inundation from the 1730 Chile earthquake (Mw ≥ 9) and its trans-Pacific tsunami. At Campiche, a former coastal lagoon in Chile's Metropolitan Region, multiproxy stratigraphic, sedimentological, and microfossil data reveal a laterally continuous tsunami sand sheet that extends ∼2 km inland, sharply disrupts lagoonal mud, and shows an erosional lower contact, rip-up clasts, and mud drapes from waning flow. Accompanying shifts from freshwater to brackish–marine diatom assemblages and the sudden appearance of salt-tolerant plant remains record a persistent increase in tidal influence, indicating coseismic subsidence. Radiocarbon and luminescence ages constrain its deposition to 1698–1782 CE, consistent with historical accounts of the 1730 tsunami and the absence of any other comparable event in the written record. Campiche thus complements previously reported uplift-dominated mid-Holocene records by showing that infrequent, subsidence-generating shallow ruptures—not just deeper, uplift-producing earthquakes—are an integral component of central Chile's megathrust behavior. Remarkably, this paleoseismic archive, formed during a brief window within a ∼4000-year marine-to-terrestrial transition and preserved in an emergent, semiarid, preservation-limited margin, suggests that similar evidence may exist in other unfavorable settings. Integration of the Campiche record with historical, geophysical, and geodetic data indicates that a shallow slip deficit of ∼20 m may have accumulated since 1730, consistent with highly coupled shallow asperities, the recent shift from coastal stability to gradual subsidence, and proposed 200–650 yr recurrence intervals for large tsunamis. Taken together, these lines of evidence suggest that Chile's Metropolitan Region now lies within a plausible near-term window for another large tsunamigenic rupture. These findings underscore the need to integrate paleoseismic records and deep–shallow rupture interplay—including infrequent shallow Mw ≥ 9 events superimposed on more frequent Mw ∼8 deeper earthquakes—into tsunami-hazard models for Chile and the wider Pacific.
{"title":"Paleoseismic evidence for the 1730 Mw ≥9 Chile earthquake in a former coastal lagoon: an infrequent, shallow, tsunamigenic rupture with plausible near-term recurrence","authors":"Marco Cisternas , Bladimir Saldaña , Lisa L. Ely , Robert L. Wesson , Mario Guerra , Dominik Brill , Daniel Melnick , Allison Espinoza , Tina Dura , Jessica Pilarczyk","doi":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109789","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109789","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We report the first paleoseismic evidence jointly documenting coseismic subsidence and tsunami inundation from the 1730 Chile earthquake (Mw ≥ 9) and its trans-Pacific tsunami. At Campiche, a former coastal lagoon in Chile's Metropolitan Region, multiproxy stratigraphic, sedimentological, and microfossil data reveal a laterally continuous tsunami sand sheet that extends ∼2 km inland, sharply disrupts lagoonal mud, and shows an erosional lower contact, rip-up clasts, and mud drapes from waning flow. Accompanying shifts from freshwater to brackish–marine diatom assemblages and the sudden appearance of salt-tolerant plant remains record a persistent increase in tidal influence, indicating coseismic subsidence. Radiocarbon and luminescence ages constrain its deposition to 1698–1782 CE, consistent with historical accounts of the 1730 tsunami and the absence of any other comparable event in the written record. Campiche thus complements previously reported uplift-dominated mid-Holocene records by showing that infrequent, subsidence-generating shallow ruptures—not just deeper, uplift-producing earthquakes—are an integral component of central Chile's megathrust behavior. Remarkably, this paleoseismic archive, formed during a brief window within a ∼4000-year marine-to-terrestrial transition and preserved in an emergent, semiarid, preservation-limited margin, suggests that similar evidence may exist in other unfavorable settings. Integration of the Campiche record with historical, geophysical, and geodetic data indicates that a shallow slip deficit of ∼20 m may have accumulated since 1730, consistent with highly coupled shallow asperities, the recent shift from coastal stability to gradual subsidence, and proposed 200–650 yr recurrence intervals for large tsunamis. Taken together, these lines of evidence suggest that Chile's Metropolitan Region now lies within a plausible near-term window for another large tsunamigenic rupture. These findings underscore the need to integrate paleoseismic records and deep–shallow rupture interplay—including infrequent shallow Mw ≥ 9 events superimposed on more frequent Mw ∼8 deeper earthquakes—into tsunami-hazard models for Chile and the wider Pacific.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20926,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Reviews","volume":"375 ","pages":"Article 109789"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145940357","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 : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2026-01-10DOI: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109783
Run Zhang , Laifeng Li , David William Hedding , Dejun Wan
Human activities have substantially altered the transfer of surface material and sedimentary source-to-sink processes, particularly since the 1950s, thereby influencing global sediment flux. Surface erosion has profound effects on the Earth Critical Zone, wherein human activities significantly change erosion processes by intensifying both erosion flux and depth. While previous research has predominantly focused on erosion flux dynamics, variations in erosion depth remain poorly constrained due to the inherent limitations of conventional proxies (e.g., Sr-Nd isotopes, sedimentation rates), which typically fail to detect depth-related changes. The 234U/238U activity ratio, conventionally denoted as (234U/238U), can quantify sediment comminution age, which provides a qualitative indicator of changes in sediment sourcing or residence time. In this study, we utilize (234U/238U) derived from fine silicate fractions (<50 μm) of Gonghai Lake sediments, located in the northeastern Chinese Loess Plateau, to reconstruct historical variations in erosion depth and assess anthropogenic impacts. Sr-Nd isotopic data confirm the local and upwind loess deposits as the primary sedimentary source, while uranium isotope records reveal multiple-stage comminution age shifts since the 1900s, reflecting human-driven erosion depth changes. Notably, mass sedimentation rates (sediment flux, indicative of erosion flux) exhibit relatively little variation in the last century, demonstrating an inconsistency between erosion flux and depth. This work establishes lacustrine sedimentary records of uranium isotopes as a novel proxy for quantifying source-area erosion depth and demonstrates that beyond affecting erosion flux, human activities profoundly influence erosion depth—an essential factor for designing effective soil system conservation strategies.
{"title":"Variable erosion depth in the Chinese Loess Plateau driven by human activities: Evidence from lacustrine uranium comminution ages","authors":"Run Zhang , Laifeng Li , David William Hedding , Dejun Wan","doi":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109783","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109783","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Human activities have substantially altered the transfer of surface material and sedimentary source-to-sink processes, particularly since the 1950s, thereby influencing global sediment flux. Surface erosion has profound effects on the Earth Critical Zone, wherein human activities significantly change erosion processes by intensifying both erosion flux and depth. While previous research has predominantly focused on erosion flux dynamics, variations in erosion depth remain poorly constrained due to the inherent limitations of conventional proxies (e.g., Sr-Nd isotopes, sedimentation rates), which typically fail to detect depth-related changes. The <sup>234</sup>U/<sup>238</sup>U activity ratio, conventionally denoted as (<sup>234</sup>U/<sup>238</sup>U), can quantify sediment comminution age, which provides a qualitative indicator of changes in sediment sourcing or residence time. In this study, we utilize (<sup>234</sup>U/<sup>238</sup>U) derived from fine silicate fractions (<50 μm) of Gonghai Lake sediments, located in the northeastern Chinese Loess Plateau, to reconstruct historical variations in erosion depth and assess anthropogenic impacts. Sr-Nd isotopic data confirm the local and upwind loess deposits as the primary sedimentary source, while uranium isotope records reveal multiple-stage comminution age shifts since the 1900s, reflecting human-driven erosion depth changes. Notably, mass sedimentation rates (sediment flux, indicative of erosion flux) exhibit relatively little variation in the last century, demonstrating an inconsistency between erosion flux and depth. This work establishes lacustrine sedimentary records of uranium isotopes as a novel proxy for quantifying source-area erosion depth and demonstrates that beyond affecting erosion flux, human activities profoundly influence erosion depth—an essential factor for designing effective soil system conservation strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20926,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Reviews","volume":"375 ","pages":"Article 109783"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145940358","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 : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2026-01-02DOI: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109774
L.A. Villacís , J. Videla , E.A. Sepúlveda-Zúñiga , R.P. Villa-Martínez , P. Jara-Arancio , P.I. Moreno
As the only landmass that extends continuously from 52°S to 56°S, the Tierra del Fuego archipelago (TDF) provides a unique opportunity to track the Southern Westerly Winds (SWW) at subantarctic latitudes. Currently, the lack of consensus on centennial-scale SWW evolution during the late Holocene introduces uncertainty in understanding the full range of SWW variability. Here we present bidecadally resolved pollen, macroscopic charcoal, and diatom records spanning the last ∼2800 years from Lago Mitta, a small closed-basin lake located south of the Beagle Channel (55°S). Our aim is to examine terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem dynamics at this site and relate them to SWW variability in TDF. Closed-canopy forests dominated throughout the record, with modest canopy openings between ∼2.5–2.3, ∼2–1.8, ∼1.5–1.3, ∼0.8–0.7, and <0.1 cal ka BP, generally coinciding with local fire episodes. The highly dynamic diatom record transitions from benthic- to planktic-dominated assemblages, marked by abrupt transitions among planktic species (i.e., Aulacoseira ambigua, Discostella pseudostelligera, Asterionella formosa). Increasingly wet and cool conditions drove a millennial-scale lake-level rise, overprinted by centennial-scale shifts in forest structure, local fires, and water-column reorganization. The past millennium was characterized by a rise in Asterionella formosa, a diatom indicator of moderate nutrient enrichment, reflecting enhanced runoff. We infer relatively weak SWW influence between ∼2.8 and 1.6 cal ka BP, followed by an intensification culminating between ∼0.6 and 0.1 cal ka BP. Lago Mitta provides a detailed perspective on SWW variability, consistent with other TDF records that show similar but less temporally resolved trends.
火地岛群岛（Tierra del Fuego archipelago， TDF）是唯一一个连续从南纬52°延伸到南纬56°的大陆，为在亚南极纬度追踪南西风（SWW）提供了独特的机会。目前，对全新世晚期百年尺度SWW演化缺乏共识，这给理解SWW的全范围变率带来了不确定性。在这里，我们展示了从Lago Mitta（一个位于Beagle Channel南部（55°S）的小型封闭盆地湖泊）跨越过去~ 2800年的双侧分解花粉、宏观木炭和硅藻记录。我们的目的是研究该地点的陆地和水生生态系统动态，并将它们与TDF的SWW变化联系起来。在整个记录中，封闭冠层森林占主导地位，冠层开口在~ 2.5-2.3、~ 2-1.8、~ 1.5-1.3、~ 0.8-0.7和<；0.1 cal ka BP之间，通常与当地火灾事件一致。高动态硅藻记录从底栖生物为主到浮游生物为主的组合转变，以浮游物种（如Aulacoseira ambigua， disstella pseudostelligera, Asterionella formosa）之间的突变为标志。越来越多的潮湿和凉爽的条件推动了千年尺度的湖泊水位上升，叠加了百年尺度的森林结构变化、当地火灾和水柱重组。过去一千年的特点是福尔摩沙星藻（Asterionella formosa）的增加，这是一种中等营养富集的硅藻指标，反映了径流的增加。我们推断在~ 2.8和1.6 cal ka BP之间SWW的影响相对较弱，随后在~ 0.6和0.1 cal ka BP之间加剧。Lago Mitta提供了SWW变异性的详细视角，与其他TDF记录一致，这些记录显示了类似但时间上不太确定的趋势。
{"title":"Evolution of subantarctic ecosystems during the last ∼2800 years in Lago Mitta (∼55°S), Isla Navarino, Fuegian archipelago","authors":"L.A. Villacís , J. Videla , E.A. Sepúlveda-Zúñiga , R.P. Villa-Martínez , P. Jara-Arancio , P.I. Moreno","doi":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109774","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109774","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As the only landmass that extends continuously from 52°S to 56°S, the Tierra del Fuego archipelago (TDF) provides a unique opportunity to track the Southern Westerly Winds (SWW) at subantarctic latitudes. Currently, the lack of consensus on centennial-scale SWW evolution during the late Holocene introduces uncertainty in understanding the full range of SWW variability. Here we present bidecadally resolved pollen, macroscopic charcoal, and diatom records spanning the last ∼2800 years from Lago Mitta, a small closed-basin lake located south of the Beagle Channel (55°S). Our aim is to examine terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem dynamics at this site and relate them to SWW variability in TDF. Closed-canopy forests dominated throughout the record, with modest canopy openings between ∼2.5–2.3, ∼2–1.8, ∼1.5–1.3, ∼0.8–0.7, and <0.1 cal ka BP, generally coinciding with local fire episodes. The highly dynamic diatom record transitions from benthic- to planktic-dominated assemblages, marked by abrupt transitions among planktic species (i.e., <em>Aulacoseira ambigua</em>, <em>Discostella pseudostelligera</em>, <em>Asterionella formosa</em>). Increasingly wet and cool conditions drove a millennial-scale lake-level rise, overprinted by centennial-scale shifts in forest structure, local fires, and water-column reorganization. The past millennium was characterized by a rise in <em>Asterionella formosa</em>, a diatom indicator of moderate nutrient enrichment, reflecting enhanced runoff. We infer relatively weak SWW influence between ∼2.8 and 1.6 cal ka BP, followed by an intensification culminating between ∼0.6 and 0.1 cal ka BP. Lago Mitta provides a detailed perspective on SWW variability, consistent with other TDF records that show similar but less temporally resolved trends.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20926,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Reviews","volume":"375 ","pages":"Article 109774"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145876963","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 : 2026-03-01Epub 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":"2026-03-01","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}
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