Pub Date : 2026-01-13DOI: 10.1016/j.quaint.2026.110129
Kristina Krklec , Dražen Perica , Aleksandra Bensa , David Domínguez-Villar
Studies of denudation rates in carbonate areas are an important step to understand rates of karst landscape development. Weathering of carbonate rocks is an essential process in soil formation and has a significant role in the global CO2 budget. We studied short-term weathering and denudation rates at a location in the Dinaric karst using the rock tablet method while monitoring surficial and soil environmental parameters. We exposed “standard” rock tablets and those from local lithologies to the natural environment at the surface and buried them at two depths (20 and 50 cm) in the soil profile. Our results show that the average actual denudation rate measured at this site is 2.28 μm/a (for rock tablets exposed at the surface and buried in the soil). Furthermore, this rate is higher at the surface (2.95 μm/a) than those recorded in the soil (1.46 μm/a and 1.99 μm/a at 20 and 50 cm depth, respectively) and is dominated by physical weathering processes driven by diurnal temperature cycles. On the other hand, weathering of rock tablets buried in the soil profile is dominated by chemical weathering processes strongly dependent on the availability of CO2 in the soil, resulting in higher denudation rates deeper in the soil profile. Furthermore, the denudation rate strongly depends on lithology; thus, local lithologies should be used to obtain actual denudation rates.
{"title":"Investigations of short-term denudation rates on the North Dalmatian Plain (Croatia)","authors":"Kristina Krklec , Dražen Perica , Aleksandra Bensa , David Domínguez-Villar","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2026.110129","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2026.110129","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Studies of denudation rates in carbonate areas are an important step to understand rates of karst landscape development. Weathering of carbonate rocks is an essential process in soil formation and has a significant role in the global CO<sub>2</sub> budget. We studied short-term weathering and denudation rates at a location in the Dinaric karst using the rock tablet method while monitoring surficial and soil environmental parameters. We exposed “standard” rock tablets and those from local lithologies to the natural environment at the surface and buried them at two depths (20 and 50 cm) in the soil profile. Our results show that the average actual denudation rate measured at this site is 2.28 μm/a (for rock tablets exposed at the surface and buried in the soil). Furthermore, this rate is higher at the surface (2.95 μm/a) than those recorded in the soil (1.46 μm/a and 1.99 μm/a at 20 and 50 cm depth, respectively) and is dominated by physical weathering processes driven by diurnal temperature cycles. On the other hand, weathering of rock tablets buried in the soil profile is dominated by chemical weathering processes strongly dependent on the availability of CO<sub>2</sub> in the soil, resulting in higher denudation rates deeper in the soil profile. Furthermore, the denudation rate strongly depends on lithology; thus, local lithologies should be used to obtain actual denudation rates.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"759 ","pages":"Article 110129"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145957813","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-12DOI: 10.1016/j.quaint.2026.110127
Rafał Sikora , Mirosław Masojć , Antoni Wójcik , Patrycja Wójcik-Tabol , Andrzej Gałaś , Dominik Pawłowski , Grzegorz Michalec , Piotr Moska , Mirosław Makohonienko , Józef Szykulski , Jin Cheul Kim , Jieun Kwon , Byambaa Gunchinsuren
We describe the sedimentological properties of four palaeolake basins located in the Tsakhiurtyn Hundi Lakeland, situated at the southern edge of the Arts Bogd massif in the Gobi Desert, Mongolia.
The palaeolakes – Talingaryn Shal, Chavgantsyn Shal, Zuun Khuree, and Luulityn Toirom – are part of the endorheic Shereegiin Gashuun Basin. In this study, we reconstruct the local palaeogeographic and palaeoclimatic conditions from the Pleistocene to the Holocene through integrated field surveys, sedimentological profiling, and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating.
The sedimentation patterns reflect alternating fluvial, lacustrine and aeolian conditions that correspond to climatic oscillations and hydrological changes. OSL dating indicates that lakes in the region began to form during MIS-6 (138.3 ± 7.5 ka), and markedly expanded during MIS-5, particularly between 104 and 72 ka. The Holocene record shows evidence of episodic aridification, with dry phases dated to approximately 10.6 and 8.6 ka. In the Late Holocene, wetter conditions returned, lasting about 3.6 ka.
Pollen analysis yielded limited results but recovery of cladoceran (water flea) remains in Lake Zuun Khuree indicates likely seasonality of this water body. These findings underscore the interplay of tectonic subsidence and climate-driven processes in shaping lacustrine systems across southern Mongolia. There is evidence too of early human activity, with archaeological traces being documented near the lake basins studied.
{"title":"Sedimentological characteristics of four palaeolakes in the Tsakhiurtyn Hundi Lakeland (Gobi Desert, Mongolia)","authors":"Rafał Sikora , Mirosław Masojć , Antoni Wójcik , Patrycja Wójcik-Tabol , Andrzej Gałaś , Dominik Pawłowski , Grzegorz Michalec , Piotr Moska , Mirosław Makohonienko , Józef Szykulski , Jin Cheul Kim , Jieun Kwon , Byambaa Gunchinsuren","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2026.110127","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2026.110127","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We describe the sedimentological properties of four palaeolake basins located in the Tsakhiurtyn Hundi Lakeland, situated at the southern edge of the Arts Bogd massif in the Gobi Desert, Mongolia.</div><div>The palaeolakes – Talingaryn Shal, Chavgantsyn Shal, Zuun Khuree, and Luulityn Toirom – are part of the endorheic Shereegiin Gashuun Basin. In this study, we reconstruct the local palaeogeographic and palaeoclimatic conditions from the Pleistocene to the Holocene through integrated field surveys, sedimentological profiling, and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating.</div><div>The sedimentation patterns reflect alternating fluvial, lacustrine and aeolian conditions that correspond to climatic oscillations and hydrological changes. OSL dating indicates that lakes in the region began to form during MIS-6 (138.3 ± 7.5 ka), and markedly expanded during MIS-5, particularly between 104 and 72 ka. The Holocene record shows evidence of episodic aridification, with dry phases dated to approximately 10.6 and 8.6 ka. In the Late Holocene, wetter conditions returned, lasting about 3.6 ka.</div><div>Pollen analysis yielded limited results but recovery of cladoceran (water flea) remains in Lake Zuun Khuree indicates likely seasonality of this water body. These findings underscore the interplay of tectonic subsidence and climate-driven processes in shaping lacustrine systems across southern Mongolia. There is evidence too of early human activity, with archaeological traces being documented near the lake basins studied.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"758 ","pages":"Article 110127"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145980474","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-12DOI: 10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110099
Patricia Pillay , Natalie dos Remedios , William S. Pearman , Anna W. Santure , Melinda S. Allen
Molecular techniques offer powerful complementary tools for determining the taxonomic identity of fragmented, morphologically non-diagnostic, or otherwise taxonomically indeterminant bone from archaeological and palaeontological contexts. This study focuses on the recovery and identification of ancient DNA (aDNA) from tropical subfossil bone assemblages. Materials from multiple archaeological sites spread across three valleys on Nuku Hiva (Marquesas Islands) in the cultural historical region of East Polynesia are used as a case study. We illustrate how aDNA sampling strategies, laboratory protocols, PCR primer selection, and sequencing methods can be optimised to improve the recovery and taxonomic identification of aDNA from tropical subfossil samples. Sanger sequencing was initially employed as a preliminary approach to assess the quality of aDNA samples. Subsequently, a high-throughput technique, bulk bone metabarcoding (BBM), was utilised for pooled specimens to recover and sequence taxonomically diagnostic ‘barcoding’ regions of DNA. To ensure robust identifications, we constructed a custom reference database tailored to our genetic markers and developed a novel decision tree framework to assign each aDNA sequence to a well-supported taxonomic level. Our application of rigorous bioinformatic tools enabled us to quantify the ability of our genetic markers to identify taxa, and provided a replicable framework for subsequent taxonomic identifications. Our BBM analyses detected a wide range of vertebrate taxa, including birds, fish, mammals, and reptiles. Here we use the archaeological seabird results to illustrate the efficacy of BBM and the outcomes of our iterative approach to enhance aDNA recovery and taxonomic identification. Our analyses provide the first well-dated pre-Western avifaunal records for Nuku Hiva Island, including three seabird taxa that are new to the wider archaeological record of the Marquesas Islands of Polynesia.
{"title":"Bones, barcodes, and biodiversity: Optimising bulk bone metabarcoding analysis for tropical subfossil collections from Polynesia","authors":"Patricia Pillay , Natalie dos Remedios , William S. Pearman , Anna W. Santure , Melinda S. Allen","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110099","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110099","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Molecular techniques offer powerful complementary tools for determining the taxonomic identity of fragmented, morphologically non-diagnostic, or otherwise taxonomically indeterminant bone from archaeological and palaeontological contexts. This study focuses on the recovery and identification of ancient DNA (aDNA) from tropical subfossil bone assemblages. Materials from multiple archaeological sites spread across three valleys on Nuku Hiva (Marquesas Islands) in the cultural historical region of East Polynesia are used as a case study. We illustrate how aDNA sampling strategies, laboratory protocols, PCR primer selection, and sequencing methods can be optimised to improve the recovery and taxonomic identification of aDNA from tropical subfossil samples. Sanger sequencing was initially employed as a preliminary approach to assess the quality of aDNA samples. Subsequently, a high-throughput technique, bulk bone metabarcoding (BBM), was utilised for pooled specimens to recover and sequence taxonomically diagnostic ‘barcoding’ regions of DNA. To ensure robust identifications, we constructed a custom reference database tailored to our genetic markers and developed a novel decision tree framework to assign each aDNA sequence to a well-supported taxonomic level. Our application of rigorous bioinformatic tools enabled us to quantify the ability of our genetic markers to identify taxa, and provided a replicable framework for subsequent taxonomic identifications. Our BBM analyses detected a wide range of vertebrate taxa, including birds, fish, mammals, and reptiles. Here we use the archaeological seabird results to illustrate the efficacy of BBM and the outcomes of our iterative approach to enhance aDNA recovery and taxonomic identification. Our analyses provide the first well-dated pre-Western avifaunal records for Nuku Hiva Island, including three seabird taxa that are new to the wider archaeological record of the Marquesas Islands of Polynesia.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"758 ","pages":"Article 110099"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145980473","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-10DOI: 10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110114
Maria João Fernandes Martins , Maria Cristina Cabral , Vitor Hugo Magalhães , Teresa Drago , Francisco Fatela , Anabela Oliveira
Ostracod, geochemical, mineralogical, and sedimentological proxies from a sediment core collected off Sagres (southwestern Portugal) were used to reconstruct Holocene environmental and hydrodynamic changes.
Reduced variability of geochemical elements between ∼4000 and ∼1290 calibrated years before present suggests relatively stable conditions, regularly disturbed by higher-energy events. At ∼1290 cal yrs BP, a transition from arid to wetter conditions is suggested based on enhanced terrestrial/detrital input after this time. Ostracod assemblages further captured fine-scale hydrodynamic variability, offering greater sensitivity to oceanographic changes.
Our results support a broader pattern of middle-to-late Holocene drying conditions in southern Iberia, followed by a shift to wetter conditions during periods of negative North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index. Our study provides new data on offshore ostracods from the western Algarve, underscoring their value for high-resolution paleoenvironmental reconstructions.
利用在葡萄牙西南部Sagres海域采集的介形类、地球化学、矿物学和沉积学指标重建了全新世的环境和水动力变化。地球化学元素在距今~ 4000 ~ ~ 1290校准年间的变异性降低，表明条件相对稳定，经常受到高能事件的干扰。在~ 1290 cal - ybp，基于此之后陆地/碎屑输入的增强，提出了从干旱到湿润的转变。介形虫组合进一步捕获了精细尺度的水动力变异性，对海洋变化提供了更高的敏感性。我们的研究结果支持了全新世中晚期伊比利亚南部干燥条件的更广泛模式，随后在负北大西洋涛动（NAO）指数期间转向湿润条件。我们的研究提供了阿尔加维西部近海介形类的新数据，强调了它们在高分辨率古环境重建中的价值。
{"title":"Environmental change in SW Portugal during the last 3900 years BP: an Ostracoda assessment","authors":"Maria João Fernandes Martins , Maria Cristina Cabral , Vitor Hugo Magalhães , Teresa Drago , Francisco Fatela , Anabela Oliveira","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110114","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110114","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ostracod, geochemical, mineralogical, and sedimentological proxies from a sediment core collected off Sagres (southwestern Portugal) were used to reconstruct Holocene environmental and hydrodynamic changes.</div><div>Reduced variability of geochemical elements between ∼4000 and ∼1290 calibrated years before present suggests relatively stable conditions, regularly disturbed by higher-energy events. At ∼1290 cal yrs BP, a transition from arid to wetter conditions is suggested based on enhanced terrestrial/detrital input after this time. Ostracod assemblages further captured fine-scale hydrodynamic variability, offering greater sensitivity to oceanographic changes.</div><div>Our results support a broader pattern of middle-to-late Holocene drying conditions in southern Iberia, followed by a shift to wetter conditions during periods of negative North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index. Our study provides new data on offshore ostracods from the western Algarve, underscoring their value for high-resolution paleoenvironmental reconstructions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"758 ","pages":"Article 110114"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145941311","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
We investigate the tephra and cryptotephra layers preserved in deep-sea sedimentary records (C9001C cores), collected off the Shimokita Peninsula, northeastern Japan, to enhance the accuracy of the timing and dispersal of large explosive eruptions around Japan. The C9001C cores are 365.3 m long and extend to near the Matsuyama-Brunhes geomagnetic polarity boundary. These cores consist of olive-black to dark olive-gray diatomaceous silty clay, with multiple interbedded glassy tephra layers. Previous studies identified more than 50 tephra and cryptotephra layers in the cores, of which 21 had been correlated with source volcanoes. In this study we collected 9 tephra layers (8 visible tephra layers and 1 cryptotephra layer). The newly correlated tephras in C9001C are derived from several regions, including Tohoku (T-6, Hkd-Ku), Hokkaido (Ko-i, C-2, Osr, Mb-1, Kp VIII). Based on similarities in glass composition, two tephra layers are correlated with tephras from the Kyushu region. One of these layers is interpreted as a probable reworked deposit of ACP4, whereas the other is likely derived from a previously undocumented large-magnitude eruption of Aso. Ages constrained by the C9001C age model are estimated as follows: Ko-i (36.8 ± 0.9 ka), reworked ACP4 (39.4 ± 1.0 ka), C-2 (44.6 ± 1.1 ka), undocumented Aso tephra (∼138 ka), T-6 (∼141 ka), Osr (∼189 ka), Mb-1 (∼218 ka), KpVIII (219 ka), Hkd-Ku (724 ka?).
Detailed correlation of tephra layers with their source volcanoes allows a re-evaluation of the frequency and dispersal of tephras from these large-scale eruptions. Using thickness data from the C9001C cores, we assess the eruption magnitude of newly correlated tephras. Estimated magnitudes are ∼ M5.4 for Ko-i and T-6, M4.4–6.9 for Osr. For the undocumented Aso tephra, Mb-1, KpVIII, and Hkd-Ku, available thickness data are too limited to estimate reliable eruption magnitudes. However, considering the observed thicknesses in the C9001C cores and distances from their sources, the undocumented Aso tephra and KpVIII likely represent substantially large eruptions, whereas Hkd-Ku may represent a smaller event than previously inferred. These correlations provide new constraints on eruption ages and the extent of tephra dispersal, both of which were previously unquantified. Our results have important implications for understanding ash transport mechanisms, eruption volume estimation, and the development of hazard assessments.
{"title":"Re-evaluation of the spatiotemporal distribution of large explosive eruptions in Japan during Middle Pleistocene to Holocene: Tephra correlations and accurate age constraints from the deep-sea sedimentary record (Chikyu C9001C cores)","authors":"Yausaki Kaneda , Takeshi Hasegawa , Makoto Okada , Nobutatsu Mochizuki , Festus Tongwa Aka","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110104","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110104","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We investigate the tephra and cryptotephra layers preserved in deep-sea sedimentary records (C9001C cores), collected off the Shimokita Peninsula, northeastern Japan, to enhance the accuracy of the timing and dispersal of large explosive eruptions around Japan. The C9001C cores are 365.3 m long and extend to near the Matsuyama-Brunhes geomagnetic polarity boundary. These cores consist of olive-black to dark olive-gray diatomaceous silty clay, with multiple interbedded glassy tephra layers. Previous studies identified more than 50 tephra and cryptotephra layers in the cores, of which 21 had been correlated with source volcanoes. In this study we collected 9 tephra layers (8 visible tephra layers and 1 cryptotephra layer). The newly correlated tephras in C9001C are derived from several regions, including Tohoku (T-6, Hkd-Ku), Hokkaido (Ko-i, C-2, Osr, Mb-1, Kp VIII). Based on similarities in glass composition, two tephra layers are correlated with tephras from the Kyushu region. One of these layers is interpreted as a probable reworked deposit of ACP4, whereas the other is likely derived from a previously undocumented large-magnitude eruption of Aso. Ages constrained by the C9001C age model are estimated as follows: Ko-i (36.8 ± 0.9 ka), reworked ACP4 (39.4 ± 1.0 ka), C-2 (44.6 ± 1.1 ka), undocumented Aso tephra (∼138 ka), T-6 (∼141 ka), Osr (∼189 ka), Mb-1 (∼218 ka), KpVIII (219 ka), Hkd-Ku (724 ka?).</div><div>Detailed correlation of tephra layers with their source volcanoes allows a re-evaluation of the frequency and dispersal of tephras from these large-scale eruptions. Using thickness data from the C9001C cores, we assess the eruption magnitude of newly correlated tephras. Estimated magnitudes are ∼ M5.4 for Ko-i and T-6, M4.4–6.9 for Osr. For the undocumented Aso tephra, Mb-1, KpVIII, and Hkd-Ku, available thickness data are too limited to estimate reliable eruption magnitudes. However, considering the observed thicknesses in the C9001C cores and distances from their sources, the undocumented Aso tephra and KpVIII likely represent substantially large eruptions, whereas Hkd-Ku may represent a smaller event than previously inferred. These correlations provide new constraints on eruption ages and the extent of tephra dispersal, both of which were previously unquantified. Our results have important implications for understanding ash transport mechanisms, eruption volume estimation, and the development of hazard assessments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"756 ","pages":"Article 110104"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145927347","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-09DOI: 10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110082
Zhen Li , Cooper D. Stacey , Tark S. Hamilton , Robert Kung , J. Vaughn Barrie , Jordan Eamer , John Shaw , Randolph J. Enkin
Queen Charlotte Strait (QCSt), along the glacial Pacific margin of Canada, preserves seabed geomorphological records of past tectonic, glacial, and oceanographic processes, particularly since the Last Glacial Maximum. These records can provide an analogue for predicting future seabed and sediment dynamics in contemporary ice-covered region and their surroundings under global warming. The present study identifies and maps the seabed geomorphology and stratigraphy of QCSt by analyzing extensive multibeam bathymetry data, sub-bottom profiles, seafloor images, surface sediments, sediment cores, and 14C dates. The analysis of seabed morphology, erosional and depositional patterns, and sedimentary lithofacies of the late glacial marine geology and postglacial stratigraphy in QCSt collectively allows interpretation of the sequence of processes that formed, shaped, and filled this region. Four primary stratigraphic units were delineated: bedrock, moraines, glaciomarine deposits, and postglacial deposits, along with their seafloor distributions. Seabed features recognized in specific areas include active or relict sand and gravel bedforms, gas masking in thick hemipelagic muds, fan deltas, landslide-gully-fan systems, channels, iceberg lineations, and glass sponge reefs. A series of NNE–SSW-oriented moraines generally indicate ice-sheet retreat eastward toward the Coast Mountains during the last deglaciation, while arcuate moraines northwest of Malcolm Island, curving approximately southward, reflect valley-glacier retreat toward the northern mountains of Vancouver Island. The unconformity atop the glaciomarine deposits, leveled banks, terraces, and other truncated bedforms may indicate past lower sea levels.
{"title":"Geomorphological features of Queen Charlotte Strait, Pacific coast of Canada, and their implications for ice-sheet retreat and relative sea-level changes during the last deglaciation","authors":"Zhen Li , Cooper D. Stacey , Tark S. Hamilton , Robert Kung , J. Vaughn Barrie , Jordan Eamer , John Shaw , Randolph J. Enkin","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110082","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110082","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Queen Charlotte Strait (QCSt), along the glacial Pacific margin of Canada, preserves seabed geomorphological records of past tectonic, glacial, and oceanographic processes, particularly since the Last Glacial Maximum. These records can provide an analogue for predicting future seabed and sediment dynamics in contemporary ice-covered region and their surroundings under global warming. The present study identifies and maps the seabed geomorphology and stratigraphy of QCSt by analyzing extensive multibeam bathymetry data, sub-bottom profiles, seafloor images, surface sediments, sediment cores, and <sup>14</sup>C dates. The analysis of seabed morphology, erosional and depositional patterns, and sedimentary lithofacies of the late glacial marine geology and postglacial stratigraphy in QCSt collectively allows interpretation of the sequence of processes that formed, shaped, and filled this region. Four primary stratigraphic units were delineated: bedrock, moraines, glaciomarine deposits, and postglacial deposits, along with their seafloor distributions. Seabed features recognized in specific areas include active or relict sand and gravel bedforms, gas masking in thick hemipelagic muds, fan deltas, landslide-gully-fan systems, channels, iceberg lineations, and glass sponge reefs. A series of NNE–SSW-oriented moraines generally indicate ice-sheet retreat eastward toward the Coast Mountains during the last deglaciation, while arcuate moraines northwest of Malcolm Island, curving approximately southward, reflect valley-glacier retreat toward the northern mountains of Vancouver Island. The unconformity atop the glaciomarine deposits, leveled banks, terraces, and other truncated bedforms may indicate past lower sea levels.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"754 ","pages":"Article 110082"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145938597","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-08DOI: 10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110084
Katarzyna Zarzecka-Szubińska , Adrian Marciszak , Grzegorz Lipecki , Paweł Valde-Nowak , Krzysztof Sobczyk , Piotr Wojtal , Damian Stefański
Ciemna Cave is a key site for studying Neanderthal settlement north of the Carpathians. This extensive cave system has so far been mostly known for its essential contribution to the study of Neanderthal culture. Local subsistence strategies were previously inferred mainly from highly fragmented and poorly preserved bone remains from the Ogrójec – the open part of the system. These collections provided only limited evidence of human activity, primarily in the form of burnt bones. The osteological material recovered during the ongoing project in the Main Chamber of Ciemna Cave is much better preserved and provides insight into the diverse activities of Neanderthals. These include carcass processing, fire use, and the production and maintenance of stone tools. Combined with taphonomic data, including evidence of animal activity, these findings allow us to reconstruct the dynamics of Neanderthal occupation in the cave from the end of MIS 6 until MIS 3. This article presents new evidence of Neanderthal lifeways which, together with data on lithic technology and the frequency of various taphonomic traces, contributes to an increasingly nuanced understanding of Neanderthal spatial organization and behavior.
{"title":"Multidirectional processing of mammalian remains by the Neanderthals from the Ciemna Cave, Main Chamber (southern Poland)","authors":"Katarzyna Zarzecka-Szubińska , Adrian Marciszak , Grzegorz Lipecki , Paweł Valde-Nowak , Krzysztof Sobczyk , Piotr Wojtal , Damian Stefański","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110084","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110084","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ciemna Cave is a key site for studying Neanderthal settlement north of the Carpathians. This extensive cave system has so far been mostly known for its essential contribution to the study of Neanderthal culture. Local subsistence strategies were previously inferred mainly from highly fragmented and poorly preserved bone remains from the Ogrójec – the open part of the system. These collections provided only limited evidence of human activity, primarily in the form of burnt bones. The osteological material recovered during the ongoing project in the Main Chamber of Ciemna Cave is much better preserved and provides insight into the diverse activities of Neanderthals. These include carcass processing, fire use, and the production and maintenance of stone tools. Combined with taphonomic data, including evidence of animal activity, these findings allow us to reconstruct the dynamics of Neanderthal occupation in the cave from the end of MIS 6 until MIS 3. This article presents new evidence of Neanderthal lifeways which, together with data on lithic technology and the frequency of various taphonomic traces, contributes to an increasingly nuanced understanding of Neanderthal spatial organization and behavior.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"757 ","pages":"Article 110084"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145940550","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-06DOI: 10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110098
Karol Tylmann , Vincent Rinterknecht , Piotr P. Woźniak , Damian Moskalewicz , Aleksandra Bielicka-Giełdoń
The paper presents new results of glacial landforms mapping and analysis based on high-resolution Digital Elevation Model (DEM), and 10Be surface exposure dating of erratic boulders on the northern fringe of Poland. We aimed to reconstruct the main ice-marginal positions, local ice flow directions and timing of the ice margin retreat during the last deglaciation. A total number of 532 glacial landforms were mapped, including: 274 moraine ridges, 68 subglacial lineations, 74 overridden moraines, 52 eskers, 47 subglacial valleys, 5 subglacial meltwater corridors (SMCs), and 12 ice-marginal valleys. Nine erratic boulders have been dated giving 10Be age range between 2.2 ± 0.5 ka and 17.8 ± 1.8 ka with the most reliable ages between 12.5 ± 1.1 ka and 17.8 ± 1.8 ka. We interpret landforms distribution and obtained 10Be ages together with geomorphological context of dated boulders in six detailed regions located along the east-west transect. Our results suggest that the ice-marginal landsystems across the study area are composed of distinct ice lobes and the ice margin stillstands in the area was tentatively dated to ∼18 ka and most likely younger around Lake Gardno. It is also possible that the timing for the particular ice streams/ice lobes could be diverse from east to west, which largely hinder efforts to correlate ice-marginal belts along the ice sheet and to date them as distinct phases of glaciation/deglaciation, i.e. discrete time intervals.
{"title":"Dynamics of the last ice sheet on the northern fringe of Poland: reconstruction inferred from landform analysis and 10Be surface exposure dating","authors":"Karol Tylmann , Vincent Rinterknecht , Piotr P. Woźniak , Damian Moskalewicz , Aleksandra Bielicka-Giełdoń","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110098","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110098","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The paper presents new results of glacial landforms mapping and analysis based on high-resolution Digital Elevation Model (DEM), and <sup>10</sup>Be surface exposure dating of erratic boulders on the northern fringe of Poland. We aimed to reconstruct the main ice-marginal positions, local ice flow directions and timing of the ice margin retreat during the last deglaciation. A total number of 532 glacial landforms were mapped, including: 274 moraine ridges, 68 subglacial lineations, 74 overridden moraines, 52 eskers, 47 subglacial valleys, 5 subglacial meltwater corridors (SMCs), and 12 ice-marginal valleys. Nine erratic boulders have been dated giving <sup>10</sup>Be age range between 2.2 ± 0.5 ka and 17.8 ± 1.8 ka with the most reliable ages between 12.5 ± 1.1 ka and 17.8 ± 1.8 ka. We interpret landforms distribution and obtained <sup>10</sup>Be ages together with geomorphological context of dated boulders in six detailed regions located along the east-west transect. Our results suggest that the ice-marginal landsystems across the study area are composed of distinct ice lobes and the ice margin stillstands in the area was tentatively dated to ∼18 ka and most likely younger around Lake Gardno. It is also possible that the timing for the particular ice streams/ice lobes could be diverse from east to west, which largely hinder efforts to correlate ice-marginal belts along the ice sheet and to date them as distinct phases of glaciation/deglaciation, i.e. discrete time intervals.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"756 ","pages":"Article 110098"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145927438","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-06DOI: 10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110101
Jamie C. Wood , Phillip S. Toms , Michael C. Grenfell , Marc S. Humphries
Existing research examining tributary blocked-valley lake and wetland development upon the Mfolozi River floodplain (South African east coast) has highlighted the potential for blocked-valley lakes to act as mainstem palaeoflood archives. Sand and silt units preserved within the organic deposits of these floodplain-impounded features represent relatively large flood events and provide an opportunity to establish the frequency of extreme flooding in the region beyond the timespan of instrumental and historical records, thereby helping to reduce uncertainty around future tropical cyclone activity in a warming world. However, absolute age estimates for these sequences have been limited to radiocarbon dating of organic units, restricting flood history reconstruction. This study had two inter-related aims. Firstly, to evaluate the use of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating for chronicling clastic sediments associated with the floodplain's blocked-valley lakes. Secondly, in combination with radiocarbon dating and Bayesian age-depth modelling, to reconstruct flood history across three sites on the Mfolozi floodplain and investigate the climatic factors that drove past extreme flooding in the region. The Finite Mixture Model (FMM) applied to single grain OSL data was identified as the most suitable equivalent dose (De) model, producing age estimates that either aligned with historical records and/or accounted for the largest population of grains with a common dose. The deposition models developed provide evidence for the occurrence of multiple extreme floods since the first event identified at 7.2 ka, providing the first long-term flood record for the region. Comparison of the Mfolozi palaeoflood record with independent sedimentary hydroclimatic evidence from the region indicates a historical tendency for more frequent extreme floods during weakened El Niño conditions (i.e., La Niña or neutral ENSO phases). This suggests that variations in ENSO conditions through the mid-to-late Holocene likely played a fundamental role in triggering extreme flooding along South Africa's east coast.
{"title":"Optical dating of Holocene extreme flood events in eastern South Africa and their connection to ENSO variability","authors":"Jamie C. Wood , Phillip S. Toms , Michael C. Grenfell , Marc S. Humphries","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110101","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.110101","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Existing research examining tributary blocked-valley lake and wetland development upon the Mfolozi River floodplain (South African east coast) has highlighted the potential for blocked-valley lakes to act as mainstem palaeoflood archives. Sand and silt units preserved within the organic deposits of these floodplain-impounded features represent relatively large flood events and provide an opportunity to establish the frequency of extreme flooding in the region beyond the timespan of instrumental and historical records, thereby helping to reduce uncertainty around future tropical cyclone activity in a warming world. However, absolute age estimates for these sequences have been limited to radiocarbon dating of organic units, restricting flood history reconstruction. This study had two inter-related aims. Firstly, to evaluate the use of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating for chronicling clastic sediments associated with the floodplain's blocked-valley lakes. Secondly, in combination with radiocarbon dating and Bayesian age-depth modelling, to reconstruct flood history across three sites on the Mfolozi floodplain and investigate the climatic factors that drove past extreme flooding in the region. The Finite Mixture Model (FMM) applied to single grain OSL data was identified as the most suitable equivalent dose (D<sub>e</sub>) model, producing age estimates that either aligned with historical records and/or accounted for the largest population of grains with a common dose. The deposition models developed provide evidence for the occurrence of multiple extreme floods since the first event identified at 7.2 ka, providing the first long-term flood record for the region. Comparison of the Mfolozi palaeoflood record with independent sedimentary hydroclimatic evidence from the region indicates a historical tendency for more frequent extreme floods during weakened El Niño conditions (i.e., La Niña or neutral ENSO phases). This suggests that variations in ENSO conditions through the mid-to-late Holocene likely played a fundamental role in triggering extreme flooding along South Africa's east coast.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"757 ","pages":"Article 110101"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145940549","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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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