Pub Date : 2025-12-01Epub Date: 2025-08-14DOI: 10.1016/j.qsa.2025.100295
John P. Walden , Claire E. Ebert , Scott L. Fedick , Jaime J. Awe , Brett Meyer , Leszek Pawlowicz , Tia B. Watkins , Samuel C.M. Hemsley , Olivia P. Ellis , Igor Chechushkov , Patrick Mullins , Frank K. Tzib , Michael Biggie , Shane Montgomery , George J. Micheletti , Rafael A. Guerra , Julie A. Hoggarth
The upper Belize River Valley of west-central Belize is a complex ecotone where multiple environmental zones converge around the Mopan, Macal, and Belize Rivers. The valley's natural fecundity attracted Preclassic Maya (1200/1100 BCE–CE 300) farmers to the region, fostering population growth and the formation of several Classic (CE 300–900) polities. By the Late Classic (CE 600–900) the valley represented a dense conurbation of settlement focused around four major centers, each of these polities contained numerous intermediate elite headed districts of commoners. Evidence for political disintegration and demographic decline appeared around CE 750, coinciding with increasing drought, culminating in the complete collapse of these polities and a regional demographic crash around CE 1000. In this study, we combine environmental data and agricultural modeling to assess polity- and district-level agrarian productivity in the polities of Baking Pot, Cahal Pech, Lower Dover, and Yaxox. Our agricultural modeling indicates these polities could have generated significant agricultural surpluses under stable climatic conditions and low population density. Increasingly variable climate during the ninth to the eleventh century CE, however, impacted traditional rain fed milpa cultivation on the upland hillslopes in the south of the region, prompting out migration. In contrast, households situated on riverine alluvium appeared to thrive during this period. The case study highlights the importance of understanding environmental factors and agricultural strategies when reconstructing past political dynamics.
{"title":"Classic Maya landscape adaptation, agricultural productivity, and political dynamics in the upper Belize River Valley","authors":"John P. Walden , Claire E. Ebert , Scott L. Fedick , Jaime J. Awe , Brett Meyer , Leszek Pawlowicz , Tia B. Watkins , Samuel C.M. Hemsley , Olivia P. Ellis , Igor Chechushkov , Patrick Mullins , Frank K. Tzib , Michael Biggie , Shane Montgomery , George J. Micheletti , Rafael A. Guerra , Julie A. Hoggarth","doi":"10.1016/j.qsa.2025.100295","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.qsa.2025.100295","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The upper Belize River Valley of west-central Belize is a complex ecotone where multiple environmental zones converge around the Mopan, Macal, and Belize Rivers. The valley's natural fecundity attracted Preclassic Maya (1200/1100 BCE–CE 300) farmers to the region, fostering population growth and the formation of several Classic (CE 300–900) polities. By the Late Classic (CE 600–900) the valley represented a dense conurbation of settlement focused around four major centers, each of these polities contained numerous intermediate elite headed districts of commoners. Evidence for political disintegration and demographic decline appeared around CE 750, coinciding with increasing drought, culminating in the complete collapse of these polities and a regional demographic crash around CE 1000. In this study, we combine environmental data and agricultural modeling to assess polity- and district-level agrarian productivity in the polities of Baking Pot, Cahal Pech, Lower Dover, and Yaxox. Our agricultural modeling indicates these polities could have generated significant agricultural surpluses under stable climatic conditions and low population density. Increasingly variable climate during the ninth to the eleventh century CE, however, impacted traditional rain fed milpa cultivation on the upland hillslopes in the south of the region, prompting out migration. In contrast, households situated on riverine alluvium appeared to thrive during this period. The case study highlights the importance of understanding environmental factors and agricultural strategies when reconstructing past political dynamics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34142,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Advances","volume":"20 ","pages":"Article 100295"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145098162","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-01Epub Date: 2025-11-28DOI: 10.1016/j.qsa.2025.100306
Mauro Brilli , Francesca Giustini , Nicolas Guyennon , Francesca Marchegiani , Stefano Nisi
Endogenous travertines are related to fault deformations and climatic conditions which both exert an important control on their deposition. Their study allows us to show the connections between tectonics and climate. The accumulation rates during the MIS 3 time interval (60-30 ka) of three morphologically different deposits of thermogenic travertines from the western sector of central Italy were compared: two large plateaus, Tivoli and Canino, and a much smaller travertine, named Prima Porta Travertine, unearthed in their vicinity. Their chronology was obtained from literature U-Th data. The accumulation rate of these different travertines seems remarkably comparable showing a maximum during 55–46 ka and a sharp decline after 46 ka, which persisted until the end of MIS 3, indicating that it may have been at least a regional-scale event.
The Prima Porta travertine was here sampled for a high resolution chemical and isotope stratigraphy and 87Sr/86Sr ratios. These data partly strengthened previous results, showing that a sharp, well-defined shift in elemental chemistry is connected to the reduction in the accumulation rate. The C and Sr isotopes showed deep carbon provenance but negligible contribution of deep waters in travertine development. It is argued that the elemental change originates from a decrease in the aquifer recharge rates, following the gradual climate transition to an arid and cold stage. This, in turn, had a clear impact on the hydraulic conductivity of faults and fractures and on the upward migration of deep CO2 fluids, thus removing the conditions necessary for the carbonate precipitation.
{"title":"The travertine deposition of central Italy: The accumulation rate reduction under cooling climate during MIS 3","authors":"Mauro Brilli , Francesca Giustini , Nicolas Guyennon , Francesca Marchegiani , Stefano Nisi","doi":"10.1016/j.qsa.2025.100306","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.qsa.2025.100306","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Endogenous travertines are related to fault deformations and climatic conditions which both exert an important control on their deposition. Their study allows us to show the connections between tectonics and climate. The accumulation rates during the MIS 3 time interval (60-30 ka) of three morphologically different deposits of thermogenic travertines from the western sector of central Italy were compared: two large plateaus, Tivoli and Canino, and a much smaller travertine, named Prima Porta Travertine, unearthed in their vicinity. Their chronology was obtained from literature U-Th data. The accumulation rate of these different travertines seems remarkably comparable showing a maximum during 55–46 ka and a sharp decline after 46 ka, which persisted until the end of MIS 3, indicating that it may have been at least a regional-scale event.</div><div>The Prima Porta travertine was here sampled for a high resolution chemical and isotope stratigraphy and <sup>87</sup>Sr/<sup>86</sup>Sr ratios. These data partly strengthened previous results, showing that a sharp, well-defined shift in elemental chemistry is connected to the reduction in the accumulation rate. The C and Sr isotopes showed deep carbon provenance but negligible contribution of deep waters in travertine development. It is argued that the elemental change originates from a decrease in the aquifer recharge rates, following the gradual climate transition to an arid and cold stage. This, in turn, had a clear impact on the hydraulic conductivity of faults and fractures and on the upward migration of deep CO<sub>2</sub> fluids, thus removing the conditions necessary for the carbonate precipitation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34142,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Advances","volume":"20 ","pages":"Article 100306"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145614772","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-01Epub Date: 2025-12-03DOI: 10.1016/j.qsa.2025.100308
Zhichao Huang , Mingshan Wu , Jiangxia Ye , Ruliang Zhou , Wenlong Yang , Shenghao Li , Bingjie Han , Mengting Xue , Shuai He , Xinkun Zhu
Accurate geomorphological classification is essential for understanding complex terrains and their influence on wildfire behavior. However, conventional methods based on arbitrarily scaled Topographic Position Index (TPI) often fail to capture multi-scale topographic heterogeneity, limiting insight into terrain–fire relationships. This study introduces an optimized dual-scale TPI framework to improve geomorphological mapping and better quantify topographic controls on burn severity. Using a 30 m DEM from southwestern China's challenging plateau-mountain region, we identified optimal TPI scale pairs (21, 23) and (53, 55) via the mean change-point method. Three machine learning models—Random Forest (RF), XGBoost, and DNN—were evaluated, with RF achieving superior accuracy (Acc = 87 %, AUC = 0.93). Feature importance analysis highlighted TPI, surface cutting depth, and slope as key factors. The quantitative analysis of burn severity across landform categories shows that mid-slope ridges exhibit the highest median RdNBR values, whereas deeply incised canyons and upland river-source areas remain within the low-severity range. This research provides a scalable method for optimal TPI selection, significantly enhancing landform classification and offering actionable insights for wildfire risk assessment and management in complex terrains.
准确的地貌分类对于理解复杂地形及其对野火行为的影响至关重要。然而，基于任意比例地形位置指数（TPI）的传统方法往往无法捕捉多尺度地形异质性，限制了对地形-火灾关系的深入了解。本研究引入了一个优化的双比例尺TPI框架，以改进地貌制图和更好地量化地形对烧伤严重程度的控制。利用中国西南高原山区30 m DEM，通过平均变点法确定了最佳TPI尺度对（21,23）和（53,55）。对随机森林（random Forest， RF）、XGBoost和dnn这三种机器学习模型进行了评估，其中RF的准确率更高（Acc = 87%, AUC = 0.93）。特征重要性分析强调TPI、表面切割深度和坡度是关键因素。不同地形类型的烧伤严重程度定量分析表明，中斜坡脊的RdNBR中值最高，而深切口峡谷和高地河源区仍处于低严重程度范围内。该研究为最佳TPI选择提供了一种可扩展的方法，显著增强了地形分类，并为复杂地形的野火风险评估和管理提供了可操作的见解。
{"title":"An optimizing dual-scale TPI framework for enhanced geomorphological classification in plateau and mountainous regions:Gaining deeper insights into topographic effects on forest fires","authors":"Zhichao Huang , Mingshan Wu , Jiangxia Ye , Ruliang Zhou , Wenlong Yang , Shenghao Li , Bingjie Han , Mengting Xue , Shuai He , Xinkun Zhu","doi":"10.1016/j.qsa.2025.100308","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.qsa.2025.100308","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Accurate geomorphological classification is essential for understanding complex terrains and their influence on wildfire behavior. However, conventional methods based on arbitrarily scaled Topographic Position Index (TPI) often fail to capture multi-scale topographic heterogeneity, limiting insight into terrain–fire relationships. This study introduces an optimized dual-scale TPI framework to improve geomorphological mapping and better quantify topographic controls on burn severity. Using a 30 m DEM from southwestern China's challenging plateau-mountain region, we identified optimal TPI scale pairs (21, 23) and (53, 55) via the mean change-point method. Three machine learning models—Random Forest (RF), XGBoost, and DNN—were evaluated, with RF achieving superior accuracy (Acc = 87 %, AUC = 0.93). Feature importance analysis highlighted TPI, surface cutting depth, and slope as key factors. The quantitative analysis of burn severity across landform categories shows that mid-slope ridges exhibit the highest median RdNBR values, whereas deeply incised canyons and upland river-source areas remain within the low-severity range. This research provides a scalable method for optimal TPI selection, significantly enhancing landform classification and offering actionable insights for wildfire risk assessment and management in complex terrains.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34142,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Advances","volume":"20 ","pages":"Article 100308"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145680920","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-01Epub Date: 2025-09-29DOI: 10.1016/j.qsa.2025.100303
Xiaoyan Liu , Sihua Yuan , Li Zhang , Kezhi Zang , Jinshuo Zhang , Chuanyong Wu
Along both the northern and southern flanks of the Tian Shan orogenic belt, a series of foreland thrust systems have been developed to accommodate N – S crustal shortening. The strikes of these foreland thrust systems are roughly parallel to the mountain range and have usually been viewed as a result of outward expansion of the Tian Shan orogenic belt. However, the NW-striking Heya fault (HYF) in the southern Tian Shan piedmont has been identified, but at present, its late Quaternary kinematics, deformation mechanism and role in regional tectonic deformation are still unclear. In this study, based on interpretations of detailed high-resolution remote sensing images, field investigations, surveys of displaced terraces with an unmanned drone, dating of late Quaternary sediments via optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and trench excavation, we quantified the structural geometry and determined the ∼0.85 mm/yr crustal shortening rate of the HYF. A survey of the displaced geomorphic surfaces implies that the HYF obeys a characteristic slip model. We suggest that the low-angle thrust HYF is a contractional horsetail structure located near the easternmost end of the Maidan fault and accommodates its left-lateral strike-slip motion.
{"title":"Late Quaternary thrust faulting along the NW-trending Heya fault in southwestern Tian Shan, NW China","authors":"Xiaoyan Liu , Sihua Yuan , Li Zhang , Kezhi Zang , Jinshuo Zhang , Chuanyong Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.qsa.2025.100303","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.qsa.2025.100303","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Along both the northern and southern flanks of the Tian Shan orogenic belt, a series of foreland thrust systems have been developed to accommodate N – S crustal shortening. The strikes of these foreland thrust systems are roughly parallel to the mountain range and have usually been viewed as a result of outward expansion of the Tian Shan orogenic belt. However, the NW-striking Heya fault (HYF) in the southern Tian Shan piedmont has been identified, but at present, its late Quaternary kinematics, deformation mechanism and role in regional tectonic deformation are still unclear. In this study, based on interpretations of detailed high-resolution remote sensing images, field investigations, surveys of displaced terraces with an unmanned drone, dating of late Quaternary sediments via optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and trench excavation, we quantified the structural geometry and determined the ∼0.85 mm/yr crustal shortening rate of the HYF. A survey of the displaced geomorphic surfaces implies that the HYF obeys a characteristic slip model. We suggest that the low-angle thrust HYF is a contractional horsetail structure located near the easternmost end of the Maidan fault and accommodates its left-lateral strike-slip motion.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34142,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Advances","volume":"20 ","pages":"Article 100303"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145221636","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-01Epub Date: 2025-11-29DOI: 10.1016/j.qsa.2025.100307
Josep Ventura , Marc Oliva , José M. Fernández-Fernández , Marcelo Fernandes , David Palacios , Tancrède Leger , Vincent Jomelli , Aster Team
The transition from glacial to deglacial environments in mid-latitude mountains leaves a wide range of landforms of glacial, periglacial and paraglacial origin, of which the chronology and evolution are still debated. This work provides geomorphological and geochronological evidence for the last phases of deglaciation in the Ratera Valley and cirque (upper Noguera Pallaresa Valley-Central Pyrenees) by applying cosmic-ray exposure (CRE) dating to a set of 19 samples from moraine boulders, rock glaciers and glacially polished surfaces. The results indicate the occurrence of several glacial and periglacial phases between the end of Heinrich 1 (HS-1) event and the Mid-Early Holocene. The deglaciation of the Ratera area occurred between ca. 15.3 and 13.4 ka, interrupted by small glacial advances and/or standstills evidenced by the formation of moraine ridges. The moraine complex closing the Ratera Cirque was formed during the Bølling/Allerød (B-A) – Younger Dryas (YD) transition at ca. 12.6–12.4 ka. Later, during the Early Holocene, this glacier developed into a debris-covered glacier, which stabilised at ca. 9.9 ± 0.9 ka. Subsequently, this debris-covered glacier was partly fossilised by a rock glacier consisting of two differentiated units which stabilised at ca. 8.8 ± 0.8 and 5.8 ± 0.6 ka, respectively. Finally, a small debris-free glacier built a moraine ridge at the foot of the cirque wall. Thus, this spatio-temporal pattern of deglaciation of the Ratera Cirque represents a unique case spanning 10 ka, providing evidence of the major environmental changes that followed the disappearance of glaciers in the Pyrenees and demonstrates the importance of past periglacial and paraglacial dynamics in shaping the present-day mountain landscape in this range.
{"title":"Glacial - periglacial transition in the Ratera Cirque (Central Pyrenees) from the Younger Dryas to the Holocene","authors":"Josep Ventura , Marc Oliva , José M. Fernández-Fernández , Marcelo Fernandes , David Palacios , Tancrède Leger , Vincent Jomelli , Aster Team","doi":"10.1016/j.qsa.2025.100307","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.qsa.2025.100307","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The transition from glacial to deglacial environments in mid-latitude mountains leaves a wide range of landforms of glacial, periglacial and paraglacial origin, of which the chronology and evolution are still debated. This work provides geomorphological and geochronological evidence for the last phases of deglaciation in the Ratera Valley and cirque (upper Noguera Pallaresa Valley-Central Pyrenees) by applying cosmic-ray exposure (CRE) dating to a set of 19 samples from moraine boulders, rock glaciers and glacially polished surfaces. The results indicate the occurrence of several glacial and periglacial phases between the end of Heinrich 1 (HS-1) event and the Mid-Early Holocene. The deglaciation of the Ratera area occurred between ca. 15.3 and 13.4 ka, interrupted by small glacial advances and/or standstills evidenced by the formation of moraine ridges. The moraine complex closing the Ratera Cirque was formed during the Bølling/Allerød (B-A) – Younger Dryas (YD) transition at ca. 12.6–12.4 ka. Later, during the Early Holocene, this glacier developed into a debris-covered glacier, which stabilised at ca. 9.9 ± 0.9 ka. Subsequently, this debris-covered glacier was partly fossilised by a rock glacier consisting of two differentiated units which stabilised at ca. 8.8 ± 0.8 and 5.8 ± 0.6 ka, respectively. Finally, a small debris-free glacier built a moraine ridge at the foot of the cirque wall. Thus, this spatio-temporal pattern of deglaciation of the Ratera Cirque represents a unique case spanning 10 ka, providing evidence of the major environmental changes that followed the disappearance of glaciers in the Pyrenees and demonstrates the importance of past periglacial and paraglacial dynamics in shaping the present-day mountain landscape in this range.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34142,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Advances","volume":"20 ","pages":"Article 100307"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145680923","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-01Epub Date: 2025-09-04DOI: 10.1016/j.qsa.2025.100299
Christian Leipe , David Handfried , Tengwen Long , Ingo Heinrich , Philipp Hoelzmann , Jens Mingram , Rik Tjallingii , Johannes C. Vrijmoed , Mayke Wagner , Pavel E. Tarasov
Here, we present the first fully varve-based chronology for the deposits of the deep-water Lake Shira (Chulym-Yenisei Basin, South Siberia), derived from a new sediment core. The very well-preserved varves show typical properties of the clastic-biogenic and endogenic types that can be subdivided into four sublayers representing winter–early spring, late spring, early summer and late summer–autumn. The analysed sediment section of 147 cm length comprises 2491 varve years with a total counting error of 1.6 % (i.e. ±40 years), making the new sediment core from Lake Shira a unique high-resolution archive for multi-proxy studies of past climate/environmental change and human-environment interactions. Direct comparison of nine AMS radiocarbon (14C) dates based on sediment bulk organic fractions with an age-depth model based on varve counting made it possible to examine the 14C reservoir effect in the lake. The reservoir effect is a common issue when estimating the age of environmental proxies from lacustrine sedimentary archives in Inner Asia. Although a constant reservoir effect is commonly used to correct the 14C dates from a single core or lake basin, our results from Lake Shira demonstrate that it varies significantly over the last 2500 years, ranging from 240 ± 30 to 1045 ± 30 years. The spatiotemporal variability of the reservoir effect can considerably reduce the accuracy of age-depth models based solely on the bulk organic sediment fraction. Where varved sediment is unavailable, as is usually the case, lignin phenols, terrestrial plant remains and purified pollen concentrates should be considered as alternative dating materials.
{"title":"Microfacies analysis and varve-based chronology reveal a variable 14C reservoir effect in Lake Shira, northern Inner Asia, over the past 2500 years","authors":"Christian Leipe , David Handfried , Tengwen Long , Ingo Heinrich , Philipp Hoelzmann , Jens Mingram , Rik Tjallingii , Johannes C. Vrijmoed , Mayke Wagner , Pavel E. Tarasov","doi":"10.1016/j.qsa.2025.100299","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.qsa.2025.100299","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Here, we present the first fully varve-based chronology for the deposits of the deep-water Lake Shira (Chulym-Yenisei Basin, South Siberia), derived from a new sediment core. The very well-preserved varves show typical properties of the clastic-biogenic and endogenic types that can be subdivided into four sublayers representing winter–early spring, late spring, early summer and late summer–autumn. The analysed sediment section of 147 cm length comprises 2491 varve years with a total counting error of 1.6 % (i.e. ±40 years), making the new sediment core from Lake Shira a unique high-resolution archive for multi-proxy studies of past climate/environmental change and human-environment interactions. Direct comparison of nine AMS radiocarbon (<sup>14</sup>C) dates based on sediment bulk organic fractions with an age-depth model based on varve counting made it possible to examine the <sup>14</sup>C reservoir effect in the lake. The reservoir effect is a common issue when estimating the age of environmental proxies from lacustrine sedimentary archives in Inner Asia. Although a constant reservoir effect is commonly used to correct the <sup>14</sup>C dates from a single core or lake basin, our results from Lake Shira demonstrate that it varies significantly over the last 2500 years, ranging from 240 ± 30 to 1045 ± 30 years. The spatiotemporal variability of the reservoir effect can considerably reduce the accuracy of age-depth models based solely on the bulk organic sediment fraction. Where varved sediment is unavailable, as is usually the case, lignin phenols, terrestrial plant remains and purified pollen concentrates should be considered as alternative dating materials.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34142,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Advances","volume":"19 ","pages":"Article 100299"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144988474","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-01Epub Date: 2025-07-07DOI: 10.1016/j.qsa.2025.100287
Katarína Adameková , Michaela Prišťáková , Nela Doláková , Petr Dresler , Slavomír Nehyba , Pavel Dlapa , Kristína Majorošová , Ivo Světlík
The development of the Thaya River floodplain has been shaped by interactions between fluvial dynamics, soil formation, and human activity. To better understand these processes, we conducted geoarchaeological research, including sedimentological, micromorphological, geochemical, palynological and chronological analyses of soil-alluvial sequence at Pohansko site spanning from the Late Pleistocene to the present. We identified four distinct soils, each formed during periods of relative landscape stability. Fluvisol 4 developed in the Mesolithic (Early Holocene), when the Thaya River floodplain was dominated by oak-lime-hornbeam forests, showing no evidence of deforestation. Fluvisol 3 formed in the later phase of the Neolithic (Middle Holocene), when the increasing presence of cereals and ruderal taxa suggests agricultural expansion. From the Young/Late Bronze Age to the Early Medieval period (Late Holocene), Fluvisol 2 developed, with a significant reduction of synanthropic plants and an increasing presence of pioneer species during the Bronze Age, indicating limited human activity. A peak in deforestation in the soil corresponds with expansion of the Great Moravian Empire, which is also linked with significant increase in nitrogen-loving herbs. The pollen spectra indicate decline in softwood, pines, ferns, hygrophilous and aquatic plants, while an increase in meadow areas. Geoarchaeological evidence further reveals that the modification of a channel near fortification probably in the same period, potentially serving both as a defensive feature and a source of construction material. While soil development was primarily driven by natural processes outside sandy elevation, further analyses are needed to clarify the relative influence of climate and human activity on floodplain dynamics.
{"title":"Soil-alluvial dynamics, landscape evolution and human activity in the Thaya river floodplain (Czech Republic) from the Late Pleistocene to the Holocene","authors":"Katarína Adameková , Michaela Prišťáková , Nela Doláková , Petr Dresler , Slavomír Nehyba , Pavel Dlapa , Kristína Majorošová , Ivo Světlík","doi":"10.1016/j.qsa.2025.100287","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.qsa.2025.100287","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The development of the Thaya River floodplain has been shaped by interactions between fluvial dynamics, soil formation, and human activity. To better understand these processes, we conducted geoarchaeological research, including sedimentological, micromorphological, geochemical, palynological and chronological analyses of soil-alluvial sequence at Pohansko site spanning from the Late Pleistocene to the present. We identified four distinct soils, each formed during periods of relative landscape stability. Fluvisol 4 developed in the Mesolithic (Early Holocene), when the Thaya River floodplain was dominated by oak-lime-hornbeam forests, showing no evidence of deforestation. Fluvisol 3 formed in the later phase of the Neolithic (Middle Holocene), when the increasing presence of cereals and ruderal taxa suggests agricultural expansion. From the Young/Late Bronze Age to the Early Medieval period (Late Holocene), Fluvisol 2 developed, with a significant reduction of synanthropic plants and an increasing presence of pioneer species during the Bronze Age, indicating limited human activity. A peak in deforestation in the soil corresponds with expansion of the Great Moravian Empire, which is also linked with significant increase in nitrogen-loving herbs. The pollen spectra indicate decline in softwood, pines, ferns, hygrophilous and aquatic plants, while an increase in meadow areas. Geoarchaeological evidence further reveals that the modification of a channel near fortification probably in the same period, potentially serving both as a defensive feature and a source of construction material. While soil development was primarily driven by natural processes outside sandy elevation, further analyses are needed to clarify the relative influence of climate and human activity on floodplain dynamics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34142,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Advances","volume":"19 ","pages":"Article 100287"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144654050","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-01Epub Date: 2025-08-12DOI: 10.1016/j.qsa.2025.100291
Bladimir Saldaña , Marco Cisternas , Matías Carvajal , Daniel Melnick , Joaquín Cortés-Aranda , Jean Pierre Francois , Alexandra Carreño , Mario Guerra
Understanding vertical deformation associated with cycles of great megathrust earthquakes is crucial for assessing coastal hazards and advancing in our knowledge of tectonic processes in subduction zones. However, this requires long datasets that extend beyond the era of space geodesy. Here, we use paleoseismological evidence, including lithological and paleoecological data, from a former coastal lagoon in central Chile to reconstruct land-level changes during the 20th century, spanning two great (M ≥ 8) megathrust earthquakes in 1906 and 1985. Diatom and seed assemblages across an abrupt lithological change from mud to peat recorded a sudden relative sea level (RSL) fall in the early 20th century. This environmental shift correlates with the disappearance of the lagoon between 1904 and 1914 as documented in historical maps, revealing an emergence event most likely associated with ∼0.7 m of coseismic uplift in 1906. For the following eight decades, diatoms suggest relatively stable RSL conditions, implying that the coast remained emerged. This is partially supported by the record of a nearby tide gauge showing relatively stable RSL between 1944 and the mid-1980s. Around the time of the 1985 earthquake, both diatoms and tide gauge records suggest the onset of a gradual RSL rise. The inferred long-term trend aligns with modern GPS measurements showing persistent coastal subsidence since 1997 until today. This multiproxy RSL history reveals a more complex vertical deformation pattern than previosuly assumed in the central Chile subduction zone, with subsidence starting eight decades after sustained post-1906 uplift. Our findings provide key insights into the vertical deformation cycles of great subduction zone earthquakes in central Chile and elsewhere.
{"title":"Paleoseismological evidence of a century of coastal deformation in central Chile: lasting emergence and ongoing submergence","authors":"Bladimir Saldaña , Marco Cisternas , Matías Carvajal , Daniel Melnick , Joaquín Cortés-Aranda , Jean Pierre Francois , Alexandra Carreño , Mario Guerra","doi":"10.1016/j.qsa.2025.100291","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.qsa.2025.100291","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding vertical deformation associated with cycles of great megathrust earthquakes is crucial for assessing coastal hazards and advancing in our knowledge of tectonic processes in subduction zones. However, this requires long datasets that extend beyond the era of space geodesy. Here, we use paleoseismological evidence, including lithological and paleoecological data, from a former coastal lagoon in central Chile to reconstruct land-level changes during the 20th century, spanning two great (M ≥ 8) megathrust earthquakes in 1906 and 1985. Diatom and seed assemblages across an abrupt lithological change from mud to peat recorded a sudden relative sea level (RSL) fall in the early 20th century. This environmental shift correlates with the disappearance of the lagoon between 1904 and 1914 as documented in historical maps, revealing an emergence event most likely associated with ∼0.7 m of coseismic uplift in 1906. For the following eight decades, diatoms suggest relatively stable RSL conditions, implying that the coast remained emerged. This is partially supported by the record of a nearby tide gauge showing relatively stable RSL between 1944 and the mid-1980s. Around the time of the 1985 earthquake, both diatoms and tide gauge records suggest the onset of a gradual RSL rise. The inferred long-term trend aligns with modern GPS measurements showing persistent coastal subsidence since 1997 until today. This multiproxy RSL history reveals a more complex vertical deformation pattern than previosuly assumed in the central Chile subduction zone, with subsidence starting eight decades after sustained post-1906 uplift. Our findings provide key insights into the vertical deformation cycles of great subduction zone earthquakes in central Chile and elsewhere.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34142,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Advances","volume":"19 ","pages":"Article 100291"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144865850","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-01Epub Date: 2025-08-19DOI: 10.1016/j.qsa.2025.100297
Edgar Téllez , Antonio Rodríguez-Hidalgo , Manuel Rodríguez-Almagro , Carmen Núñez-Lahuerta , Andion Arteaga-Brieba , Adrián Pablos , Nohemi Sala
Knowledge of early Anatomically Modern Humans settlements in the interior of the Iberian Peninsula remains limited. Traditional perspectives have long assumed that this region, known as the Iberian Plateau, was abandoned after the disappearance of Neanderthals and remained largely uninhabited until the end of the Last Glacial. In contrast, coastal areas have so far been the primary focus of archeological studies, as they are where the majority of known sites are located and where the most research has been conducted on subsistence practices. The recent discovery of the Abrigo de la Malia rock shelter site (Tamajón, Guadalajara) has challenged this paradigm, providing evidence of occupation in Central Iberia during the Aurignacian and Gravettian periods (36,200–26,260 cal BP). This work is focused on the zooarcheological and taphonomic analysis of the Paleolithic faunal assemblage from the Malia rock shelter, aiming to reconstruct the subsistence strategies of the earliest Anatomically Modern Humans inhabiting central Iberia during the early Upper Paleolithic. The results indicate anthropogenic activities focused on the processing of medium- and large-sized ungulates, with carnivores either playing a marginal role. The combined data suggest that the Malia rock shelter was used for short but recurrent occupations, likely by small groups engaged in hunting expeditions. This study highlights the adaptability of these populations who inhabited this region during MIS-3 as they faced severe climatic conditions while exploiting the available environmental resources.
关于伊比利亚半岛内部早期解剖学意义上的现代人定居点的知识仍然有限。长期以来，传统观点一直认为，这个被称为伊比利亚高原的地区在尼安德特人消失后被遗弃，直到末次冰期结束，大部分地区都无人居住。相比之下，沿海地区迄今为止一直是考古研究的主要焦点，因为它们是大多数已知遗址所在的地方，也是对生存实践进行最多研究的地方。最近发现的Abrigo de la Malia岩石掩体遗址（Tamajón, Guadalajara）挑战了这一范式，提供了在Aurignacian和Gravettian时期（36,200-26,260 cal BP）在伊比利亚中部占领的证据。本研究的重点是对来自玛利亚岩石掩体的旧石器时代动物群进行动物考古学和地学分析，旨在重建旧石器时代早期居住在伊比利亚中部的最早的解剖学上的现代人的生存策略。研究结果表明，人类活动主要集中在对大中型有蹄类动物的加工上，肉食动物的加工则处于次要地位。综合数据表明，马莉娅岩石避难所被用于短期但经常性的活动，可能是从事狩猎探险的小团体。这项研究强调了在MIS-3期间居住在该地区的这些人群在利用现有环境资源的同时面临严峻的气候条件的适应性。
{"title":"Subsistence strategies in the early upper Paleolithic of central Iberia: Evidence from Abrigo de la Malia","authors":"Edgar Téllez , Antonio Rodríguez-Hidalgo , Manuel Rodríguez-Almagro , Carmen Núñez-Lahuerta , Andion Arteaga-Brieba , Adrián Pablos , Nohemi Sala","doi":"10.1016/j.qsa.2025.100297","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.qsa.2025.100297","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Knowledge of early Anatomically Modern Humans settlements in the interior of the Iberian Peninsula remains limited. Traditional perspectives have long assumed that this region, known as the Iberian Plateau, was abandoned after the disappearance of Neanderthals and remained largely uninhabited until the end of the Last Glacial. In contrast, coastal areas have so far been the primary focus of archeological studies, as they are where the majority of known sites are located and where the most research has been conducted on subsistence practices. The recent discovery of the Abrigo de la Malia rock shelter site (Tamajón, Guadalajara) has challenged this paradigm, providing evidence of occupation in Central Iberia during the Aurignacian and Gravettian periods (36,200–26,260 cal BP). This work is focused on the zooarcheological and taphonomic analysis of the Paleolithic faunal assemblage from the Malia rock shelter, aiming to reconstruct the subsistence strategies of the earliest Anatomically Modern Humans inhabiting central Iberia during the early Upper Paleolithic. The results indicate anthropogenic activities focused on the processing of medium- and large-sized ungulates, with carnivores either playing a marginal role. The combined data suggest that the Malia rock shelter was used for short but recurrent occupations, likely by small groups engaged in hunting expeditions. This study highlights the adaptability of these populations who inhabited this region during MIS-3 as they faced severe climatic conditions while exploiting the available environmental resources.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34142,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Advances","volume":"19 ","pages":"Article 100297"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144890314","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-01DOI: 10.1016/j.qsa.2025.100290
Stoil Chapkanski , Gilles Brocard , Franck Lavigne , Tomy Afrizal , Ella Meilianda , Nazli Ismail , Jędrzej Majewski , Patrick Daly , Benjamin Horton , Adam Switzer , Annika Steuer , Bernhard Siemon , Darusman Darusman , Clément Virmoux , Jean-Philippe Goiran
The Aceh River delta, northern Sumatra, is a subject of interest since the coastline was struck, more than any other, by the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, the largest recorded in human history. Thereafter, significant scientific efforts focused on short-term dynamics to address the environmental effects of the tsunami, but the long-term evolution of the delta in this specific context of volcanic eruptions, megathrust earthquakes and tsunami landing, however, remains to be understood.
This study investigates the subaerial delta, based on shallow sediment borehole stratigraphies and C14 ages, in order to provide a partial reconstruction of the western and eastern fluvial and coastal evolution over the past 7 ky. It also benefits from comprehensive resistivity maps produced during recent helicopter-borne electromagnetic (HEM) surveys, and from earlier geomorphological mapping.
By prograding, the delta expanded seaward, exposure to swell increased, and a large strandplain accreted along the eastern delta front from 4 to 1 ky BCE. The delta thus evolved asymmetrically, with higher, tightly-stacked beach ridges in the east, which accreted at ∼6 km2/ky. Meanwhile, the Aceh River remained stable, along the western side of the delta, burying the western strandplain under its floodplain. After 0.5 ky BCE, delta progradation increased to ∼14 km2/ky, generating low-lying and wider spaced beach ridges to the east. A series of river avulsions between 0.2 ky BCE and 1.6 ky CE shifted the river course from the west to the center of the delta. An asymmetric cuspate promontory grew at 23 km2/ky after 0.5 ky in front of the current mouth of the river, projecting 1 km offshore of the current coastline, before undergoing erosion in the past few centuries.
Here, we discuss which combination of global and local factors, including sea level change, sediment supply, wave climate, tectonics, land use and tsunamis may explain the most salient processes during the growth of the Aceh River delta. Beyond its local interest, this study provides clues for a wider understanding of the complexity of subaerial delta development.
{"title":"Mid-to late-Holocene fluvial and coastal evolution in the Aceh River delta, Sumatra: effects of sea-level change, sediment supply, wave climate, tectonics and tsunamis","authors":"Stoil Chapkanski , Gilles Brocard , Franck Lavigne , Tomy Afrizal , Ella Meilianda , Nazli Ismail , Jędrzej Majewski , Patrick Daly , Benjamin Horton , Adam Switzer , Annika Steuer , Bernhard Siemon , Darusman Darusman , Clément Virmoux , Jean-Philippe Goiran","doi":"10.1016/j.qsa.2025.100290","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.qsa.2025.100290","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Aceh River delta, northern Sumatra, is a subject of interest since the coastline was struck, more than any other, by the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, the largest recorded in human history. Thereafter, significant scientific efforts focused on short-term dynamics to address the environmental effects of the tsunami, but the long-term evolution of the delta in this specific context of volcanic eruptions, megathrust earthquakes and tsunami landing, however, remains to be understood.</div><div>This study investigates the subaerial delta, based on shallow sediment borehole stratigraphies and C<sup>14</sup> ages, in order to provide a partial reconstruction of the western and eastern fluvial and coastal evolution over the past 7 ky. It also benefits from comprehensive resistivity maps produced during recent helicopter-borne electromagnetic (HEM) surveys, and from earlier geomorphological mapping.</div><div>By prograding, the delta expanded seaward, exposure to swell increased, and a large strandplain accreted along the eastern delta front from 4 to 1 ky BCE. The delta thus evolved asymmetrically, with higher, tightly-stacked beach ridges in the east, which accreted at ∼6 km<sup>2</sup>/ky. Meanwhile, the Aceh River remained stable, along the western side of the delta, burying the western strandplain under its floodplain. After 0.5 ky BCE, delta progradation increased to ∼14 km<sup>2</sup>/ky, generating low-lying and wider spaced beach ridges to the east. A series of river avulsions between 0.2 ky BCE and 1.6 ky CE shifted the river course from the west to the center of the delta. An asymmetric cuspate promontory grew at 23 km<sup>2</sup>/ky after 0.5 ky in front of the current mouth of the river, projecting 1 km offshore of the current coastline, before undergoing erosion in the past few centuries.</div><div>Here, we discuss which combination of global and local factors, including sea level change, sediment supply, wave climate, tectonics, land use and tsunamis may explain the most salient processes during the growth of the Aceh River delta. Beyond its local interest, this study provides clues for a wider understanding of the complexity of subaerial delta development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34142,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary Science Advances","volume":"19 ","pages":"Article 100290"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144921163","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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