Pub Date : 2025-03-04DOI: 10.1016/j.geomorph.2025.109706
Yunkun Shi , Chongyi E , Chunxia Xu , Wenting Yan , Yongjuan Sun , Zhaokang Zhang , Jing Zhang , Qiang Peng
Desert dune systems are vital components of Earth's surface landscapes. Understanding historical activities and delineating desert dune field boundaries under different climatic conditions are important for identifying both paleoenvironmental drivers and the likelihood of future reactivation. The Gonghe Sandy Lands (GSLs), situated in the northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, are at the convergence zone between the Westerlies and Asian monsoon, which are sensitive to climatic change. Consequently, GSLs are ideal regions for studying the response of the Earth's surface to environmental factors. A regional stratigraphic statistical model was developed using 30 aeolian profiles with 194 ages (including seven new profiles with 38 new optically stimulated luminescence ages) in the Gonghe Basin. Aeolian activities, climatic changes, and borders shifts in GSLs since the last Glacial Maximum (LGM) were reconstructed using the model together with other records. The results demonstrate that (1) Since the LGM, the Gonghe Basin has experienced a climatic transition from cold and dry to warm and humid, and then to mild and subhumid. Aeolian activity weakened then strengthened over the changing climatic conditions since 22 ka. (2) The spatial configurations of GSLs changed markedly throughout different periods. The area reached 3490 km2 during the LGM, contracted to 903 km2 during the Middle Holocene, and expanded again at 5.5 ka. (3) Climatic changes, human activities, and topographical constraints shaped the spatial patterns of the GSLs. Before the Middle Holocene, the dynamics were influenced by the monsoon system. In the late Holocene, human activity became an important factor affecting the spatial patterns of GSLs. Nevertheless, the influence of topographical constraints on the sand dune distribition in GSLs cannot be overlooked. The model outputs reflect the frequency of aeolian activities, independent of age errors, and are particularly suitable for sandy land regions that lack LGM ages.
{"title":"Reconstructing aeolian activities and borders shifts of the Gonghe Sandy Lands since the last Glacial Maximum","authors":"Yunkun Shi , Chongyi E , Chunxia Xu , Wenting Yan , Yongjuan Sun , Zhaokang Zhang , Jing Zhang , Qiang Peng","doi":"10.1016/j.geomorph.2025.109706","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.geomorph.2025.109706","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Desert dune systems are vital components of Earth's surface landscapes. Understanding historical activities and delineating desert dune field boundaries under different climatic conditions are important for identifying both paleoenvironmental drivers and the likelihood of future reactivation. The Gonghe Sandy Lands (GSLs), situated in the northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, are at the convergence zone between the Westerlies and Asian monsoon, which are sensitive to climatic change. Consequently, GSLs are ideal regions for studying the response of the Earth's surface to environmental factors. A regional stratigraphic statistical model was developed using 30 aeolian profiles with 194 ages (including seven new profiles with 38 new optically stimulated luminescence ages) in the Gonghe Basin. Aeolian activities, climatic changes, and borders shifts in GSLs since the last Glacial Maximum (LGM) were reconstructed using the model together with other records. The results demonstrate that (1) Since the LGM, the Gonghe Basin has experienced a climatic transition from cold and dry to warm and humid, and then to mild and subhumid. Aeolian activity weakened then strengthened over the changing climatic conditions since 22 ka. (2) The spatial configurations of GSLs changed markedly throughout different periods. The area reached 3490 km<sup>2</sup> during the LGM, contracted to 903 km<sup>2</sup> during the Middle Holocene, and expanded again at 5.5 ka. (3) Climatic changes, human activities, and topographical constraints shaped the spatial patterns of the GSLs. Before the Middle Holocene, the dynamics were influenced by the monsoon system. In the late Holocene, human activity became an important factor affecting the spatial patterns of GSLs. Nevertheless, the influence of topographical constraints on the sand dune distribition in GSLs cannot be overlooked. The model outputs reflect the frequency of aeolian activities, independent of age errors, and are particularly suitable for sandy land regions that lack LGM ages.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55115,"journal":{"name":"Geomorphology","volume":"478 ","pages":"Article 109706"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143591870","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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 : 2025-03-04DOI: 10.1016/j.geomorph.2025.109704
Hongfu Zhou , Wenqing Tang , Shuwu Li , Wanlin Liu , Tian Fang , Jingyi Xue , Jinpeng Hu , Jiang Xing
The present-day segmented activity of a fault is an important basic index for analyzing the possible occurrence of strong earthquakes in the future and the landslides along a fault zone and adjacent areas. This work investigates the Anninghe (ANH) fault, an important boundary fault on the eastern Tibetan Plateau. This study employed geological surveys, remote sensing image interpretation, high-precision GNSS monitoring, and theoretical calculations. The active ANH fault was subdivided into 17 segments, and a high-precision crustal deformation monitoring network consisting of 18 high-precision GNSS stations and 8 monitoring profiles was established along the ANH fault zone. The present-day movement rates of different sections of the ANH fault zone were quantified based on the monitoring results. The development and distribution characteristics of large-scale landslides were identified, and their sliding mode was summarized along the ANH fault zone and adjacent areas. The coupled correlation between the present-day segment slip rate of the ANH fault zone and large-scale landslides was accurately described. According to the research results, a systematic understanding of the fault-induced landslides and disaster control mechanisms was obtained, the feasibility of short-term earthquake warning based on local anomalies from crustal deformation monitoring data was explored, and a key technology for preventing and controlling fault-controlled landslide risks in the active fault zone was proposed.
{"title":"Coupled effects between the present-day segment movement rate of the Anninghe active fault zone in Southwest China and fault-induced landslides","authors":"Hongfu Zhou , Wenqing Tang , Shuwu Li , Wanlin Liu , Tian Fang , Jingyi Xue , Jinpeng Hu , Jiang Xing","doi":"10.1016/j.geomorph.2025.109704","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.geomorph.2025.109704","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The present-day segmented activity of a fault is an important basic index for analyzing the possible occurrence of strong earthquakes in the future and the landslides along a fault zone and adjacent areas. This work investigates the Anninghe (ANH) fault, an important boundary fault on the eastern Tibetan Plateau. This study employed geological surveys, remote sensing image interpretation, high-precision GNSS monitoring, and theoretical calculations. The active ANH fault was subdivided into 17 segments, and a high-precision crustal deformation monitoring network consisting of 18 high-precision GNSS stations and 8 monitoring profiles was established along the ANH fault zone. The present-day movement rates of different sections of the ANH fault zone were quantified based on the monitoring results. The development and distribution characteristics of large-scale landslides were identified, and their sliding mode was summarized along the ANH fault zone and adjacent areas. The coupled correlation between the present-day segment slip rate of the ANH fault zone and large-scale landslides was accurately described. According to the research results, a systematic understanding of the fault-induced landslides and disaster control mechanisms was obtained, the feasibility of short-term earthquake warning based on local anomalies from crustal deformation monitoring data was explored, and a key technology for preventing and controlling fault-controlled landslide risks in the active fault zone was proposed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55115,"journal":{"name":"Geomorphology","volume":"478 ","pages":"Article 109704"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143578797","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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 : 2025-03-03DOI: 10.1016/j.geomorph.2025.109703
Gang Hu , Changcheng Hu , Xiaowen Wu , Gaoyuan Pan , Daoba Zhuma , Qionghui He , Huiying Wang , Ping Wang , Liubing Xu , Jinming Xie , Jiafu Zhang , Xin Wang , Yadi Tang
The Lancang River valleys have been inhabited by humans since the Neolithic period, during which the fluvial landscape has experienced rapid changes due to intense river incision. However, the ways in which ancient human activity and adaptation were shaped by these landscape transformations remain poorly understood. In this study, optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and radiocarbon (14C) dating techniques were employed to determine the ages of fluvial landforms around the Jicha archaeological site in the middle reaches of the Lancang River. The results suggest that fill terraces T1−T3 were deposited during the periods of ~5.0–2.7 ka, ~8.0 ka and ~ 54.5–30.0 ka, respectively. Human activity at the Jicha archaeological site occurred during the ~3.8–2.2 cal ka BP, overlapping with the deposition period of T1 (i.e., ~5.0–2.7 ka). Following the downcutting of T1 after 2.7 ka, the river valley floor likely became less suitable for rice cultivation, leading to the probable abandonment of the Jicha archaeological site around ~2.2 cal ka BP.
{"title":"Fluvial downcutting and its influence on human settlement in the middle reaches of the Lancang River","authors":"Gang Hu , Changcheng Hu , Xiaowen Wu , Gaoyuan Pan , Daoba Zhuma , Qionghui He , Huiying Wang , Ping Wang , Liubing Xu , Jinming Xie , Jiafu Zhang , Xin Wang , Yadi Tang","doi":"10.1016/j.geomorph.2025.109703","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.geomorph.2025.109703","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Lancang River valleys have been inhabited by humans since the Neolithic period, during which the fluvial landscape has experienced rapid changes due to intense river incision. However, the ways in which ancient human activity and adaptation were shaped by these landscape transformations remain poorly understood. In this study, optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and radiocarbon (<sup>14</sup>C) dating techniques were employed to determine the ages of fluvial landforms around the Jicha archaeological site in the middle reaches of the Lancang River. The results suggest that fill terraces T<sub>1</sub><sub>−</sub>T<sub>3</sub> were deposited during the periods of ~5.0–2.7 ka, ~8.0 ka and ~ 54.5–30.0 ka, respectively. Human activity at the Jicha archaeological site occurred during the ~3.8–2.2 cal ka BP, overlapping with the deposition period of T<sub>1</sub> (<em>i.e.</em>, ~5.0–2.7 ka). Following the downcutting of T<sub>1</sub> after 2.7 ka, the river valley floor likely became less suitable for rice cultivation, leading to the probable abandonment of the Jicha archaeological site around ~2.2 cal ka BP.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55115,"journal":{"name":"Geomorphology","volume":"477 ","pages":"Article 109703"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143551132","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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 : 2025-03-03DOI: 10.1016/j.geomorph.2025.109692
Vincenzo De Santis , Ciro Cerrone , Marco Meschis , Giovanni Scicchitano , Alessandra Ascione , Massimo Caldara
<div><div>A geomorphological-stratigraphical study, integrated with a modelling approach, has been employed to constrain the age of relative sea-level indicators (RSLi) along the quasi-stable Mt. Bulgheria coast in the southern Apennines, located on the eastern margin of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Focusing on the geological evidence of late Quaternary sea-level fluctuations within the 0 to 12 m above sea level (a.s.l.) elevation range, we describe RSLi along ca. 8 km of coastline and constrain their elevation, including those of previously undated RSLi in the same area. The reassessment of field data was needed to address the phenomenon of the reoccupation of older RSLi by younger ones. The approach employs the synchronous correlation method, integrating highstand peak elevations from global sea-level curves and a calibrated uplift rate value, derived from the correlation of RSLi-2 (currently at 8 ± 1 m a.s.l.) with Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 9c, as suggested by recent findings.</div><div>Overall, four RSLi are identified in the investigated coastal zone: RSLi-1 (11 ± 1 m a.s.l.), correlated with MIS 11; RSLi-2 (8 ± 1 m a.s.l.), correlated with MIS 9c and reoccupied during the first MIS 5e peak; RSLi-3 (4 ± 0.5 m a.s.l.) formed during an earlier, undefined stage and reoccupied during MIS 5e; RSLi-4 (2.5 ± 0.5 m a.s.l.) also assigned to MIS 5e. Notably, two cases of reoccupation of older RSLi by younger ones are here reported.</div><div>By testing multiple global sea-level curves, we derived a range of possible uplift rates for the chronologically constrained RSLi-2. Consequently, assuming a constant uplift rate throughout the final part of the Middle Pleistocene, we sought the optimal match between all observed RSLi and predicted elevation of palaeo sea levels during past highstands.</div><div>The preferred best fit was obtained using a composite eustatic curve from Waelbroeck et al. (2002) and Kopp et al. (2013, for within the MIS5e), and a constant uplift rate of 0.009 mm/yr. Our modelling of MIS 5e (Last Interglacial) identifies three sea-level stillstands and a rapid drop in sea level following the first and highest stillstand. Our results emphasize the importance of the reoccupation problem in sea-level reconstruction studies, especially for RSLi located in regions that are tectonically stable or with relatively low rates of crustal vertical movements. In such contexts, the sea level during younger interglacials may reach or exceed the elevations of older interglacials, reusing or modifying existing RSLi and complicating the identification of which sea-level stand created a specific shoreline feature. The calibrated model supports scenarios where MIS 5e, MIS 9c and MIS 11 had higher peaks than the Holocene (so far). Finally, this work challenges the assumption that RSL indicators ranging between 5 and 8 m a.s.l. in stable regions were exclusively formed during MIS 5e, emphasising the need for precise age constraints in these interpretations.</div><
{"title":"Reoccupation of late Quaternary relative sea level indicators in a tectonically quasi-stable coastal area in Southern Italy (Cilento headland): Insights into the Last Interglacial stillstands","authors":"Vincenzo De Santis , Ciro Cerrone , Marco Meschis , Giovanni Scicchitano , Alessandra Ascione , Massimo Caldara","doi":"10.1016/j.geomorph.2025.109692","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.geomorph.2025.109692","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A geomorphological-stratigraphical study, integrated with a modelling approach, has been employed to constrain the age of relative sea-level indicators (RSLi) along the quasi-stable Mt. Bulgheria coast in the southern Apennines, located on the eastern margin of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Focusing on the geological evidence of late Quaternary sea-level fluctuations within the 0 to 12 m above sea level (a.s.l.) elevation range, we describe RSLi along ca. 8 km of coastline and constrain their elevation, including those of previously undated RSLi in the same area. The reassessment of field data was needed to address the phenomenon of the reoccupation of older RSLi by younger ones. The approach employs the synchronous correlation method, integrating highstand peak elevations from global sea-level curves and a calibrated uplift rate value, derived from the correlation of RSLi-2 (currently at 8 ± 1 m a.s.l.) with Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 9c, as suggested by recent findings.</div><div>Overall, four RSLi are identified in the investigated coastal zone: RSLi-1 (11 ± 1 m a.s.l.), correlated with MIS 11; RSLi-2 (8 ± 1 m a.s.l.), correlated with MIS 9c and reoccupied during the first MIS 5e peak; RSLi-3 (4 ± 0.5 m a.s.l.) formed during an earlier, undefined stage and reoccupied during MIS 5e; RSLi-4 (2.5 ± 0.5 m a.s.l.) also assigned to MIS 5e. Notably, two cases of reoccupation of older RSLi by younger ones are here reported.</div><div>By testing multiple global sea-level curves, we derived a range of possible uplift rates for the chronologically constrained RSLi-2. Consequently, assuming a constant uplift rate throughout the final part of the Middle Pleistocene, we sought the optimal match between all observed RSLi and predicted elevation of palaeo sea levels during past highstands.</div><div>The preferred best fit was obtained using a composite eustatic curve from Waelbroeck et al. (2002) and Kopp et al. (2013, for within the MIS5e), and a constant uplift rate of 0.009 mm/yr. Our modelling of MIS 5e (Last Interglacial) identifies three sea-level stillstands and a rapid drop in sea level following the first and highest stillstand. Our results emphasize the importance of the reoccupation problem in sea-level reconstruction studies, especially for RSLi located in regions that are tectonically stable or with relatively low rates of crustal vertical movements. In such contexts, the sea level during younger interglacials may reach or exceed the elevations of older interglacials, reusing or modifying existing RSLi and complicating the identification of which sea-level stand created a specific shoreline feature. The calibrated model supports scenarios where MIS 5e, MIS 9c and MIS 11 had higher peaks than the Holocene (so far). Finally, this work challenges the assumption that RSL indicators ranging between 5 and 8 m a.s.l. in stable regions were exclusively formed during MIS 5e, emphasising the need for precise age constraints in these interpretations.</div><","PeriodicalId":55115,"journal":{"name":"Geomorphology","volume":"478 ","pages":"Article 109692"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143601655","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-03-02DOI: 10.1016/j.geomorph.2025.109702
David M. Kennedy , R. Jak McCarroll , David Provis , Andrew McCowan , Elisa Zavadil
Coastal sediment compartments are used for quantifying landform dynamics for the purposes of coastal management. They are defined as primary, secondary and tertiary compartments. The smallest unit, the tertiary compartment, encompasses sediment movement over a decade. This scale is viewed as most relevant for managers, however defining them has proven difficult due to complexity of local geomorphology. In this paper we analyse the delineation of tertiary compartments and their boundaries in Australia and test their applicability in Port Phillip Bay. Sediment movement in a compartment is assessed based on geomorphic features related to wind and hydrodynamic processes, such as surf zone bars and aeolian dunes. Classifying tertiary compartments can be difficult for long (kilometre-scale) continuous beaches where sediment transfer from opposite ends does not occur in a decade. Management activities especially rock walls, groynes and training walls in enclosed bays also complicates the delineation of compartments. A five-point scale is developed for compartment boundaries from closed, leaky (i), leaky (ii), leaky (iii), to open. In the case of shorelines in urbanised areas, engineered structures most commonly define compartments. It is also found that tertiary compartment extent cannot be considered static over decadal scales.
{"title":"Delineating sediment compartment boundaries in an urbanised embayment for geomorphic management of decadal-scale coastal dynamics","authors":"David M. Kennedy , R. Jak McCarroll , David Provis , Andrew McCowan , Elisa Zavadil","doi":"10.1016/j.geomorph.2025.109702","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.geomorph.2025.109702","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Coastal sediment compartments are used for quantifying landform dynamics for the purposes of coastal management. They are defined as primary, secondary and tertiary compartments. The smallest unit, the tertiary compartment, encompasses sediment movement over a decade. This scale is viewed as most relevant for managers, however defining them has proven difficult due to complexity of local geomorphology. In this paper we analyse the delineation of tertiary compartments and their boundaries in Australia and test their applicability in Port Phillip Bay. Sediment movement in a compartment is assessed based on geomorphic features related to wind and hydrodynamic processes, such as surf zone bars and aeolian dunes. Classifying tertiary compartments can be difficult for long (kilometre-scale) continuous beaches where sediment transfer from opposite ends does not occur in a decade. Management activities especially rock walls, groynes and training walls in enclosed bays also complicates the delineation of compartments. A five-point scale is developed for compartment boundaries from closed, leaky (i), leaky (ii), leaky (iii), to open. In the case of shorelines in urbanised areas, engineered structures most commonly define compartments. It is also found that tertiary compartment extent cannot be considered static over decadal scales.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55115,"journal":{"name":"Geomorphology","volume":"477 ","pages":"Article 109702"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143551115","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-28DOI: 10.1016/j.geomorph.2025.109693
Beatriz Liara da Cruz , Raissa Eduarda da Silva Archanjo , Renato Villela Mafra Alves da Silva , Derielsen Brandão Santana , Guilherme da Silva Rios , Vinícius Borges Moreira , Thomaz Alvisi de Oliveira , Nelson Ferreira Fernandes , Ronaldo Luiz Mincato , Felipe Gomes Rubira
The reorganization of drainage network and divide migration are fundamental to assessing the influence of tectonics, lithology, climate, base-level changes, and erosional processes on fluvial landscape evolution. However, most studies focus on tectonically active regions, leaving gaps in the understanding of these processes in intraplate settings. In South America, drainage reorganization along passive margin escarpments that drain inland under humid conditions remains poorly explored. The lack of comparative analyses between Neoproterozoic mobile belts and cratons in tectonically quiescent areas highlights the need for a comprehensive approach. In this context, this study investigates the evolution of drainage network and divide migration in a diverse morphostructural setting, considering tectonic legacies in intraplate zones. Using the Upper and Middle Grande River basin in Brazil as a study area, we applied classic morphometric parameters, identified knickpoints, analyzed longitudinal profiles, calculated normalized steepness index (ksn), and assessed drainage divide stability using the χ index. The results indicate that drainage reorganization and topographic rejuvenation are common in tectonically quiescent regions of the Brazilian Atlantic margin due to morphostructural controls and tectonic reactivations. Drainage networks of sub-basins within mobile belts exhibit greater instability than those in cratonic areas. Substrate resistance plays a key role in differential erosion and influences knickpoint formation and distribution. Although the knickpoints of resistant rocks slow down the propagation of erosional waves, differential lithologic resistance, layer inclination, and thickness result in varying degrees of persistence and long-term transient instabilities. These conditions drive river captures, drainage divide rejuvenation, and adjustments in erosional-depositional patterns.
{"title":"Reorganization of the drainage network based on morphostructural controls in passive margins","authors":"Beatriz Liara da Cruz , Raissa Eduarda da Silva Archanjo , Renato Villela Mafra Alves da Silva , Derielsen Brandão Santana , Guilherme da Silva Rios , Vinícius Borges Moreira , Thomaz Alvisi de Oliveira , Nelson Ferreira Fernandes , Ronaldo Luiz Mincato , Felipe Gomes Rubira","doi":"10.1016/j.geomorph.2025.109693","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.geomorph.2025.109693","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The reorganization of drainage network and divide migration are fundamental to assessing the influence of tectonics, lithology, climate, base-level changes, and erosional processes on fluvial landscape evolution. However, most studies focus on tectonically active regions, leaving gaps in the understanding of these processes in intraplate settings. In South America, drainage reorganization along passive margin escarpments that drain inland under humid conditions remains poorly explored. The lack of comparative analyses between Neoproterozoic mobile belts and cratons in tectonically quiescent areas highlights the need for a comprehensive approach. In this context, this study investigates the evolution of drainage network and divide migration in a diverse morphostructural setting, considering tectonic legacies in intraplate zones. Using the Upper and Middle Grande River basin in Brazil as a study area, we applied classic morphometric parameters, identified knickpoints, analyzed longitudinal profiles, calculated normalized steepness index (<em>k</em><sub><em>sn</em></sub>), and assessed drainage divide stability using the <em>χ</em> index. The results indicate that drainage reorganization and topographic rejuvenation are common in tectonically quiescent regions of the Brazilian Atlantic margin due to morphostructural controls and tectonic reactivations. Drainage networks of sub-basins within mobile belts exhibit greater instability than those in cratonic areas. Substrate resistance plays a key role in differential erosion and influences knickpoint formation and distribution. Although the knickpoints of resistant rocks slow down the propagation of erosional waves, differential lithologic resistance, layer inclination, and thickness result in varying degrees of persistence and long-term transient instabilities. These conditions drive river captures, drainage divide rejuvenation, and adjustments in erosional-depositional patterns.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55115,"journal":{"name":"Geomorphology","volume":"478 ","pages":"Article 109693"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143644843","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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 : 2025-02-25DOI: 10.1016/j.geomorph.2025.109688
Miloš Rusnák , Šimon Opravil , Samuel Dunesme , Hamid Afzali , Louis Rey , Hervé Parmentier , Hervé Piégay
Assessing spatial patterns and the long-term evolution of river channel planforms is needed for understanding river behaviour and change. GIS tools exist to explore channel planform characters in space and time, but none yet exist to characterise channel shifting and associated floodplain dynamics. The paper presents the applications of a new toolbox that can work as a standalone (e.g., the ArcGIS Standalone channel shifting toolbox - SCS Toolbox) or linked to existing toolboxes such as the fluvial corridor toolbox (FCT). It complemented a wide palette of tools and approaches that are used for understanding and conceptualising river-style and fluvial continuum. Vectorised channel polygons are used to detect the basic morphometric processes between 2 consecutive observation dates as channel erosion, deposition and lateral movement orientation. The toolbox application supports the evaluation of spatial dynamics and lateral erosion by identifying channel migration and reach scale mobility. It also includes floodplain statistics based on combined LiDAR information, where height above the channel and vegetation canopy height are generated. The toolbox was tested on five river systems, some being sinuous (Ain and Topľa Rivers), meandering (Ondava River) or braided-wandering (Belá River). These examples illustrate how spatio-temporal analyses of river channel shifting are used for process-based understanding of channel evolution, in-channel dynamics, lateral movement and floodplain-channel interactions.
{"title":"A channel shifting GIS toolbox for exploring floodplain dynamics through channel erosion and deposition","authors":"Miloš Rusnák , Šimon Opravil , Samuel Dunesme , Hamid Afzali , Louis Rey , Hervé Parmentier , Hervé Piégay","doi":"10.1016/j.geomorph.2025.109688","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.geomorph.2025.109688","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Assessing spatial patterns and the long-term evolution of river channel planforms is needed for understanding river behaviour and change. GIS tools exist to explore channel planform characters in space and time, but none yet exist to characterise channel shifting and associated floodplain dynamics. The paper presents the applications of a new toolbox that can work as a standalone (e.g., the ArcGIS Standalone channel shifting toolbox - SCS Toolbox) or linked to existing toolboxes such as the fluvial corridor toolbox (FCT). It complemented a wide palette of tools and approaches that are used for understanding and conceptualising river-style and fluvial continuum. Vectorised channel polygons are used to detect the basic morphometric processes between 2 consecutive observation dates as channel erosion, deposition and lateral movement orientation. The toolbox application supports the evaluation of spatial dynamics and lateral erosion by identifying channel migration and reach scale mobility. It also includes floodplain statistics based on combined LiDAR information, where height above the channel and vegetation canopy height are generated. The toolbox was tested on five river systems, some being sinuous (Ain and Topľa Rivers), meandering (Ondava River) or braided-wandering (Belá River). These examples illustrate how spatio-temporal analyses of river channel shifting are used for process-based understanding of channel evolution, in-channel dynamics, lateral movement and floodplain-channel interactions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55115,"journal":{"name":"Geomorphology","volume":"477 ","pages":"Article 109688"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143508660","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-24DOI: 10.1016/j.geomorph.2025.109689
Sebastián Granados-Bolaños, Nicola Surian
Active volcanic landscapes are among the most energetic sedimentary systems on Earth. Rivers that flow through these terrains are extremely dynamic and experience rapid changes in their channel morphology. Channel morphology classification in humid tropical contexts near to active volcanoes has received little attention within geomorphological science. We applied diverse remote sensing techniques and carried out field observations to characterize with high-spatial resolution the channel morphology of four rivers that drain from the Irazú-Turrialba Volcanic Complex located in Costa Rica. This particular environment has extreme precipitation events, frequent high-magnitude earthquakes, dense vegetation, and active volcanic activity. We found that this highly energetic landscape contains unusual single-thread and multithread channels with steep-slopes, high-confinement, and coarse sediments, mainly composed of boulders. We therefore review the applicability of existing channel morphology classification schemes to this particular environment. Our findings provide novel insights into fluvial geomorphology around active volcanoes with tropical humid climates.
{"title":"Channel morphology in an active volcanic complex under humid tropical conditions","authors":"Sebastián Granados-Bolaños, Nicola Surian","doi":"10.1016/j.geomorph.2025.109689","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.geomorph.2025.109689","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Active volcanic landscapes are among the most energetic sedimentary systems on Earth. Rivers that flow through these terrains are extremely dynamic and experience rapid changes in their channel morphology. Channel morphology classification in humid tropical contexts near to active volcanoes has received little attention within geomorphological science. We applied diverse remote sensing techniques and carried out field observations to characterize with high-spatial resolution the channel morphology of four rivers that drain from the Irazú-Turrialba Volcanic Complex located in Costa Rica. This particular environment has extreme precipitation events, frequent high-magnitude earthquakes, dense vegetation, and active volcanic activity. We found that this highly energetic landscape contains unusual single-thread and multithread channels with steep-slopes, high-confinement, and coarse sediments, mainly composed of boulders. We therefore review the applicability of existing channel morphology classification schemes to this particular environment. Our findings provide novel insights into fluvial geomorphology around active volcanoes with tropical humid climates.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55115,"journal":{"name":"Geomorphology","volume":"477 ","pages":"Article 109689"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143512676","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-21DOI: 10.1016/j.geomorph.2025.109679
Matthieu Herpoel , Charles Bielders , Pierre Baert , Adrien Michez , Jeroen Meersmans , Aurore Degré
In Northwestern Europe, sediment transport from agricultural fields to rivers has significant off-site impacts, influenced by connectivity between landscape elements. Sediment connectivity, assessed using the index of connectivity (IC) developed by Borselli et al. (2008), is shaped by landscape configuration, including features like field boundaries that divide land parcels. Effective management requires understanding these interactions to mitigate soil erosion. IC depends on factors enhancing (upstream area and slope) or impeding (downstream distance and impedance) connectivity, with impedance estimation being particularly challenging to quantify due to vegetation effects. This study proposes to refine the IC weighting factor by incorporating parcel connectivity, better reflecting agricultural landscape fragmentation's impact. Focusing on the Dyle sub-catchment in Belgium, we applied the Revised IC using high-resolution data (1 m × 1 m). Fragmented landscapes yield lower connectivity values, indicating greater sediment disconnection. This is especially pronounced along concentrated flow paths, where up to 49 % of the least connected flow paths are disconnected compared to non-fragmented setups. Isoline-based parcel fragmentation emerged as highly effective, promoting larger parcel sizes and better disconnection on concentrated flow paths. These results emphasize the opportunities for improved management of agricultural landscapes in order to reduce sediment connectivity through appropriate land use practices and parcel configurations. Furthermore, by identifying potential vegetation barriers at the intersection of concentrated flow paths and field boundaries, our analysis shows that around 40 % of these barriers consist of adjacent fields with the same crop. It highlights opportunities for more effective crop rotations strategies.
{"title":"Field patterns as game changers of the sediment connectivity","authors":"Matthieu Herpoel , Charles Bielders , Pierre Baert , Adrien Michez , Jeroen Meersmans , Aurore Degré","doi":"10.1016/j.geomorph.2025.109679","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.geomorph.2025.109679","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In Northwestern Europe, sediment transport from agricultural fields to rivers has significant off-site impacts, influenced by connectivity between landscape elements. Sediment connectivity, assessed using the index of connectivity (IC) developed by Borselli et al. (2008), is shaped by landscape configuration, including features like field boundaries that divide land parcels. Effective management requires understanding these interactions to mitigate soil erosion. IC depends on factors enhancing (upstream area and slope) or impeding (downstream distance and impedance) connectivity, with impedance estimation being particularly challenging to quantify due to vegetation effects. This study proposes to refine the IC weighting factor by incorporating parcel connectivity, better reflecting agricultural landscape fragmentation's impact. Focusing on the Dyle sub-catchment in Belgium, we applied the Revised IC using high-resolution data (1 m × 1 m). Fragmented landscapes yield lower connectivity values, indicating greater sediment disconnection. This is especially pronounced along concentrated flow paths, where up to 49 % of the least connected flow paths are disconnected compared to non-fragmented setups. Isoline-based parcel fragmentation emerged as highly effective, promoting larger parcel sizes and better disconnection on concentrated flow paths. These results emphasize the opportunities for improved management of agricultural landscapes in order to reduce sediment connectivity through appropriate land use practices and parcel configurations. Furthermore, by identifying potential vegetation barriers at the intersection of concentrated flow paths and field boundaries, our analysis shows that around 40 % of these barriers consist of adjacent fields with the same crop. It highlights opportunities for more effective crop rotations strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55115,"journal":{"name":"Geomorphology","volume":"477 ","pages":"Article 109679"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143512686","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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 : 2025-02-21DOI: 10.1016/j.geomorph.2025.109677
Yanan Zhang , Xiaofei Hu , Xilin Cao , Zihao Yi , Qixin Ren , Xuan Deng
The East Kunlun Shan offers key insights into plateau growth on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau. However, the uplift history of this region over the past several million years remains poorly understood. To address this, we combined cosmogenic nuclide burial dating and K-feldspar pIRIR dating with geomorphic indices and valley morphology analyses to reconstruct the Quaternary uplift and sedimentary history along the Golmud and Kaimuqi Rivers. Our results show that river sediments began accumulating before 1.41 Ma, and their elevation, similar to or lower than the present Golmud River bed, indicates that the river reached its current level by this time. Cycles of sediment fill and downcutting since 1.41 Ma were primarily driven by climatic changes, as no bedrock incision was observed. Erosion rates (20–83 mm/ka), channel steepness indices, valley width, and valley floor width-valley height ratios consistently suggest minimal or no tectonic uplift over the past several million years. These findings confirm the inactivity of the North Kunlun Fault since the Quaternary and highlight the dominant role of long-term aridification and episodic wetting events in shaping the region's geomorphic evolution. This study provides crucial insights into the interplay between tectonic stability and climate, advancing our understanding of landscape evolution in tectonically stable regions of the Tibetan Plateau.
{"title":"Tectonic uplift recorded by the river terraces in the northern flank of East Kunlun Shan","authors":"Yanan Zhang , Xiaofei Hu , Xilin Cao , Zihao Yi , Qixin Ren , Xuan Deng","doi":"10.1016/j.geomorph.2025.109677","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.geomorph.2025.109677","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The East Kunlun Shan offers key insights into plateau growth on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau. However, the uplift history of this region over the past several million years remains poorly understood. To address this, we combined cosmogenic nuclide burial dating and K-feldspar pIRIR dating with geomorphic indices and valley morphology analyses to reconstruct the Quaternary uplift and sedimentary history along the Golmud and Kaimuqi Rivers. Our results show that river sediments began accumulating before 1.41 Ma, and their elevation, similar to or lower than the present Golmud River bed, indicates that the river reached its current level by this time. Cycles of sediment fill and downcutting since 1.41 Ma were primarily driven by climatic changes, as no bedrock incision was observed. Erosion rates (20–83 mm/ka), channel steepness indices, valley width, and valley floor width-valley height ratios consistently suggest minimal or no tectonic uplift over the past several million years. These findings confirm the inactivity of the North Kunlun Fault since the Quaternary and highlight the dominant role of long-term aridification and episodic wetting events in shaping the region's geomorphic evolution. This study provides crucial insights into the interplay between tectonic stability and climate, advancing our understanding of landscape evolution in tectonically stable regions of the Tibetan Plateau.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55115,"journal":{"name":"Geomorphology","volume":"476 ","pages":"Article 109677"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143474606","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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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