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Quaternary landscape formation: The key to understand present day morphodynamics
Quaternary International 222 (2010) 1e2
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Quaternary International journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/quaint
Introduction
Quaternary landscape formation: The key to understand present day morphodynamics
Human activities take place in a natural environment much influenced by Quaternary sediments and landforms. For predicting future environmental developments, particularly with respect to land use and planning management, it is essential to analyse and understand those processes of the past that led to the present conditions. The reconstruction of former landscapes and ecosystems is a prerequisite for evaluating and measuring anthropogenic modifications in space and time (Terhorst et al., 2009). Models of landscape formation contribute substantially to the comprehension of geosystems and their comparability. Retrospective analysis has significant relevance in recognising and evaluating the controlling factors of present morphodynamic processes on different time frames (cf. Heine, 1987; Leser, 1996; Semmel, 1996; Rowan et al., 1999; Barnickel and Becht, 2005; Damm and Hagedorn, in press). The field of Quaternary landscape evolution is closely connected to paleoclimatological as well as paleoenvironmental research and therefore it is a most integrative, interdisciplinary, and multi-methodological field of science. The focus is rarely put on a single Quaternary sequence, but tries to integrate several sequences into a paleo-landscape model to develop a more or less complete spatio-temporal imprint of natural paleo-systems (Bork, 2006). All fields in Quaternary research are dependent on the chronological framework and therefore, dating methods applicable in Quaternary sequences have assumed increasing importance during the last two decades. In particular, this is true for OSL methods, as is apparent in nearly all studies of this special issue. Interdisciplinary research and an enormous variety of methods are reflected in all papers. Field analyses continue to play the most important role, and form the base for application of further methods. Besides different dating methods, mineralogical, sedimentological and pedochemical analyses should be added to the set of standard methods. Furthermore, in several cases, the data sets were evaluated with the help of statistical and GIS approaches. An overall aim of the colleagues involved here is the reconstruction of the landscape formation during the Pleistocene and/or Holocene. Over time, the geomorphological background has changed, from periglacial via glacial to aeolian, fluvial and coastal landscapes. This is reflected in a large variety of studied material: dunes, marine terraces, soils, fluvial deposits, anthropogenically-redeposited soil sediments, periglacial cover beds, fluvioglacial deposits, hillslope sediments and slide masses, alluvial fans, loess, and travertine. Our issue places special emphasis on regions in Europe and presents in particular studies in Italian and German regions. Austrian 1040-6182/$ e see front matter Ó 2010 Elsevier Ltd and INQUA. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2010.02.021
and Hungarian case studies are included, and one paper presents a case study in India related to the OSL method. Stefano Andreucci et al.’s investigations are situated in a coastal environment of north-west Sardinia. OSL-dating in aeolian deposits record a time span from Middle to late Pleistocene. The research aims to reconstruct paleo-landscape and paleoenvironment. Mauro Coltorti et al. discuss a chronostratigraphical framework in shallow marine and aeolian sediments in Sardinia. The study is connected closely to the paper of Christine Thiel et al. which is focused on the comparison of OSL to Radiocarbon dating results. The authors dated several sequences with OSL and organic material in paleosols with the Radiocarbon method. The studies came to contradictory results pointing out the problems, which are still present in the chronology produced by different methods. Major discrepancies between the OSL ages and the 14C ages give reason to discuss both dating methods. The guest-editors would like to underline the necessity to carefully consider different results and scientific opinions to encourage future discussion and research. The paper of Daniela Sauer et al. combines different methods to establish a chronological framework for a study area near Metaponto in southern Italy. On the basis of paleopedological investigations related to weathering intensity, the authors’ intention was to correlate stages of soil formation with the age of marine terraces. However, the results show clearly that landscape development is more complex than expected and that several sedimentation and erosion phases affected the studied sequences. The following paper of Giovanni Vezzoli et al. presents a quantitative provenance analyses from the Po basin in northern Italy. Here, Middle to Late Pleistocene fluvial deposits have been investigated by high-resolution heavy mineral analyses compiled by the means of statistical analyses. The authors reconstructed the drainage change of the last 1 Ma of the western Po River and its tributaries. The next part of the special issue is dedicated to German study areas. In the paper of Christopher Lüthgens et al. the area of interest is situated in Pleistocene glaciated areas of north-eastern Germany. Several fluvioglacial sequences ascribed to the maximum extent of Weichselian glaciations have been dated with OSL. The results give interesting insights into the glacial landscape history of the glaciations in north-eastern Germany, showing older ages than expected. The following three papers focus on the Holocene landscape history and are concentrated on the pedosedimentary archives. Stefan Dreibrodt et al. give a broad review on historical soil erosion by water and display the state-of-the-art in the field of chronology. Future research perspectives are addressed as well. Whereas the
2
Introduction / Quaternary International 222 (2010) 1e2
paper mentioned above is a review, the paper of Annette Kadereit et al. represents a case study from south-western Germany concerning a similar scientific field. As in many Pleistocene studies, OSL-dating method is used, accompanied by detailed micromorphological studies. The linkage between both methods leads to a detailed reconstruction of landscape and soil formation in the loess region. The special issue includes a further review paper by Birgit Terhorst and Arno Semmel, which presents the concept of periglacial cover beds for central Europe. The concept was mainly developed by Semmel (1968), and he wrote numerous papers on case studies related to the concept. After more than 45 years of intensive research on the relation between periglacial cover beds and soils, it constitutes the first review paper. Arno Semmel is one of the most famous geomorphologists and soil geographers, and in 2009 he was 80 years old. The study of Christian Stolz and Jörg Grunert provides a reconstruction for the Late Pleistocene and Holocene landscape history on the base of periglacial sediments, modern soils and soil sediments. The concept of the periglacial cover beds according to Semmel (1968) and the German mapping key for soils are applied to understand present day pedogenesis and soil distribution in the central Palatine Forest of south-western Germany. The paper focuses on the registration of the extent of anthropogenic impact on natural systems. The concept of the periglacial cover beds allows differentiation between anthropogenic modified areas and natural ones. Bodo Damm et al. present a case study on landslide distribution in Quaternary hillslope sediments in northern Hesse and Lower Saxony. Beside other factors, tectonic and structural parameters in Triassic bedrock determine and control the occurrence of landslides in Quaternary periglacial sediments. GIS-based modelling results in a spatial description of hazard potential due to mass movements in the study area. The paper focuses on the interface of Quaternary landscape formation with applied geomorphology. It is evident that the spatio-temporal susceptibility of morphodynamic processes depends on long-term development. Thus, in studying natural hazards as a core field of applied geomorphology, the chronological aspect plays an essential role in assessing landscapes. The importance of Quaternary landscape evolution and morphodynamics to applied geomorphology has only been investigated in a few studies. Tectonic aspects for landscape development in Austria are considered in the paper of Bernhard Salcher et al. The authors investigate the evolution of Pleistocene alluvial sequences and rivers in the light of palaeoclimatic and tectonic changes in the Mitterndorf Basin, which is part of the Vienna Basin. The reconstruction of the landscape history by 14C-dating and relative ages is one of the main aspects presented. The field of tectonic subsidence related to sedimentation rates can provide essential data concerning validation of present day processes. In general, the Quaternary sediments and landforms are closely connected to modern applied interests regarding tectonic activity of a specific relevant region. The study of Robert Peticzka et al. is situated in Lower Austria as well. The well-known loess/palaeosol sequence of Stillfried B is investigated by high-resolution laboratory analyses. The data evaluation is generated by a statistical approach (cluster analysis) and detects discrepancies between the data of the field survey, sedi-
mentological data, and geostatistical results. Another paper connects the Austrian study areas to a Hungarian study site. A Quaternary record in the form of travertine covered by a loess/ paleosol sequence is introduced by Melanie Sierralta et al. The aim of the investigations, involving uranium-series-, OSL- and AAR-dating, and isotopic and paleomagnetic measurements, is the reconstruction of paleoenvironmental change in Hungary. The advantage of uranium-series dating is that it is a reliable method to gain ages for the Middle Pleistocene, and therefore the travertine formation could be classified between a time span of 310 and 240 ka. One of the papers is situated outside of Europe. However, it has a methodological connection to the described European studies, as its chronological framework is based on OSL methods. In the coastal area of Cuddalore, dune sediments were investigated by Alexander Kunz et al. with the aim to reconstruct the geomorphological activity and environmental conditions related to the monsoon activity during the last 3500 years in south-east India. All together, the special issue “Quaternary landscape evolution and morphodynamics of terrestrial ecosystems” reflects the variety of Quaternary studies and their different scientific approaches. Quaternary sediments and soils cover the Earth surface almost completely, and they record the youngest environmental history of our landscapes. Therefore, human life and human activities are inextricably and sustainably linked with all aspects of Quaternary research. The overall challenge of Quaternary science at present is its connection to applied tasks and future development.
References Bork, H.-R., 2006. Landschaften der Erde unter dem Einfluss des Menschen. Darmstadt, 207 pp. Barnickel, F., Becht, M., 2005. Regional historical analysis of natural hazards in the Alps e The HANG Project. Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie N.F., Suppl. Bd. 138, 27e36. Damm, B., Hagedorn, J. Holocene floodplain formation in the southern Cape region, South Africa. Geomorphology, in press, doi:10.1016/j.geomorph.2009.06.025. Heine, K., 1987. Anthropogenic sedimentological changes during the Holocene in Southern Africa. Striae 26, 41e50. Leser, H., 1996. Pedologisch-sedimentologische Untersuchungen als geomorphologische Methode. Forschungen und Fortschritte 40, 296e300. Rowan, J.S., Black, S., Schell, C., 1999. Floodplain evolution and sediment provenance reconstructed from Channel Fill sequences: the Upper Clyde Basin, Scotland. In: Brown, A.G., Quine, T.A. (Eds.), Fluvial Processes and Environmental Change. Wiley, Chichester, pp. 223e240. Semmel, A., 1968. Studien über den Verlauf jungpleistozäner Formung in Hessen. Frankfurter Geographische Hefte 45, 1e133. Semmel, A., 1996. The historic-genetic approach in applied geomorphology. Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie N.F. Suppl. Bd. 40, 289e303. Terhorst, B., Damm, B., Peticzka, R., Köttritsch, E., 2009. Reconstruction of Quaternary landscape formation as a tool to understand present geomorphological processes in the Eastern Prealps (Austria). Quaternary International 209, 66e78.
Bodo Damm*, Birgit Terhorst, Hans-Rudolf Bork Dept. of Geography, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstrasse 31, D-93053 Regensburg, Germany * Corresponding author. E-mail address: [email protected] Available online 10 March 2010
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Quaternary International journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/quaint
Introduction
Quaternary landscape formation: The key to understand present day morphodynamics
Human activities take place in a natural environment much influenced by Quaternary sediments and landforms. For predicting future environmental developments, particularly with respect to land use and planning management, it is essential to analyse and understand those processes of the past that led to the present conditions. The reconstruction of former landscapes and ecosystems is a prerequisite for evaluating and measuring anthropogenic modifications in space and time (Terhorst et al., 2009). Models of landscape formation contribute substantially to the comprehension of geosystems and their comparability. Retrospective analysis has significant relevance in recognising and evaluating the controlling factors of present morphodynamic processes on different time frames (cf. Heine, 1987; Leser, 1996; Semmel, 1996; Rowan et al., 1999; Barnickel and Becht, 2005; Damm and Hagedorn, in press). The field of Quaternary landscape evolution is closely connected to paleoclimatological as well as paleoenvironmental research and therefore it is a most integrative, interdisciplinary, and multi-methodological field of science. The focus is rarely put on a single Quaternary sequence, but tries to integrate several sequences into a paleo-landscape model to develop a more or less complete spatio-temporal imprint of natural paleo-systems (Bork, 2006). All fields in Quaternary research are dependent on the chronological framework and therefore, dating methods applicable in Quaternary sequences have assumed increasing importance during the last two decades. In particular, this is true for OSL methods, as is apparent in nearly all studies of this special issue. Interdisciplinary research and an enormous variety of methods are reflected in all papers. Field analyses continue to play the most important role, and form the base for application of further methods. Besides different dating methods, mineralogical, sedimentological and pedochemical analyses should be added to the set of standard methods. Furthermore, in several cases, the data sets were evaluated with the help of statistical and GIS approaches. An overall aim of the colleagues involved here is the reconstruction of the landscape formation during the Pleistocene and/or Holocene. Over time, the geomorphological background has changed, from periglacial via glacial to aeolian, fluvial and coastal landscapes. This is reflected in a large variety of studied material: dunes, marine terraces, soils, fluvial deposits, anthropogenically-redeposited soil sediments, periglacial cover beds, fluvioglacial deposits, hillslope sediments and slide masses, alluvial fans, loess, and travertine. Our issue places special emphasis on regions in Europe and presents in particular studies in Italian and German regions. Austrian 1040-6182/$ e see front matter Ó 2010 Elsevier Ltd and INQUA. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2010.02.021
and Hungarian case studies are included, and one paper presents a case study in India related to the OSL method. Stefano Andreucci et al.’s investigations are situated in a coastal environment of north-west Sardinia. OSL-dating in aeolian deposits record a time span from Middle to late Pleistocene. The research aims to reconstruct paleo-landscape and paleoenvironment. Mauro Coltorti et al. discuss a chronostratigraphical framework in shallow marine and aeolian sediments in Sardinia. The study is connected closely to the paper of Christine Thiel et al. which is focused on the comparison of OSL to Radiocarbon dating results. The authors dated several sequences with OSL and organic material in paleosols with the Radiocarbon method. The studies came to contradictory results pointing out the problems, which are still present in the chronology produced by different methods. Major discrepancies between the OSL ages and the 14C ages give reason to discuss both dating methods. The guest-editors would like to underline the necessity to carefully consider different results and scientific opinions to encourage future discussion and research. The paper of Daniela Sauer et al. combines different methods to establish a chronological framework for a study area near Metaponto in southern Italy. On the basis of paleopedological investigations related to weathering intensity, the authors’ intention was to correlate stages of soil formation with the age of marine terraces. However, the results show clearly that landscape development is more complex than expected and that several sedimentation and erosion phases affected the studied sequences. The following paper of Giovanni Vezzoli et al. presents a quantitative provenance analyses from the Po basin in northern Italy. Here, Middle to Late Pleistocene fluvial deposits have been investigated by high-resolution heavy mineral analyses compiled by the means of statistical analyses. The authors reconstructed the drainage change of the last 1 Ma of the western Po River and its tributaries. The next part of the special issue is dedicated to German study areas. In the paper of Christopher Lüthgens et al. the area of interest is situated in Pleistocene glaciated areas of north-eastern Germany. Several fluvioglacial sequences ascribed to the maximum extent of Weichselian glaciations have been dated with OSL. The results give interesting insights into the glacial landscape history of the glaciations in north-eastern Germany, showing older ages than expected. The following three papers focus on the Holocene landscape history and are concentrated on the pedosedimentary archives. Stefan Dreibrodt et al. give a broad review on historical soil erosion by water and display the state-of-the-art in the field of chronology. Future research perspectives are addressed as well. Whereas the
2
Introduction / Quaternary International 222 (2010) 1e2
paper mentioned above is a review, the paper of Annette Kadereit et al. represents a case study from south-western Germany concerning a similar scientific field. As in many Pleistocene studies, OSL-dating method is used, accompanied by detailed micromorphological studies. The linkage between both methods leads to a detailed reconstruction of landscape and soil formation in the loess region. The special issue includes a further review paper by Birgit Terhorst and Arno Semmel, which presents the concept of periglacial cover beds for central Europe. The concept was mainly developed by Semmel (1968), and he wrote numerous papers on case studies related to the concept. After more than 45 years of intensive research on the relation between periglacial cover beds and soils, it constitutes the first review paper. Arno Semmel is one of the most famous geomorphologists and soil geographers, and in 2009 he was 80 years old. The study of Christian Stolz and Jörg Grunert provides a reconstruction for the Late Pleistocene and Holocene landscape history on the base of periglacial sediments, modern soils and soil sediments. The concept of the periglacial cover beds according to Semmel (1968) and the German mapping key for soils are applied to understand present day pedogenesis and soil distribution in the central Palatine Forest of south-western Germany. The paper focuses on the registration of the extent of anthropogenic impact on natural systems. The concept of the periglacial cover beds allows differentiation between anthropogenic modified areas and natural ones. Bodo Damm et al. present a case study on landslide distribution in Quaternary hillslope sediments in northern Hesse and Lower Saxony. Beside other factors, tectonic and structural parameters in Triassic bedrock determine and control the occurrence of landslides in Quaternary periglacial sediments. GIS-based modelling results in a spatial description of hazard potential due to mass movements in the study area. The paper focuses on the interface of Quaternary landscape formation with applied geomorphology. It is evident that the spatio-temporal susceptibility of morphodynamic processes depends on long-term development. Thus, in studying natural hazards as a core field of applied geomorphology, the chronological aspect plays an essential role in assessing landscapes. The importance of Quaternary landscape evolution and morphodynamics to applied geomorphology has only been investigated in a few studies. Tectonic aspects for landscape development in Austria are considered in the paper of Bernhard Salcher et al. The authors investigate the evolution of Pleistocene alluvial sequences and rivers in the light of palaeoclimatic and tectonic changes in the Mitterndorf Basin, which is part of the Vienna Basin. The reconstruction of the landscape history by 14C-dating and relative ages is one of the main aspects presented. The field of tectonic subsidence related to sedimentation rates can provide essential data concerning validation of present day processes. In general, the Quaternary sediments and landforms are closely connected to modern applied interests regarding tectonic activity of a specific relevant region. The study of Robert Peticzka et al. is situated in Lower Austria as well. The well-known loess/palaeosol sequence of Stillfried B is investigated by high-resolution laboratory analyses. The data evaluation is generated by a statistical approach (cluster analysis) and detects discrepancies between the data of the field survey, sedi-
mentological data, and geostatistical results. Another paper connects the Austrian study areas to a Hungarian study site. A Quaternary record in the form of travertine covered by a loess/ paleosol sequence is introduced by Melanie Sierralta et al. The aim of the investigations, involving uranium-series-, OSL- and AAR-dating, and isotopic and paleomagnetic measurements, is the reconstruction of paleoenvironmental change in Hungary. The advantage of uranium-series dating is that it is a reliable method to gain ages for the Middle Pleistocene, and therefore the travertine formation could be classified between a time span of 310 and 240 ka. One of the papers is situated outside of Europe. However, it has a methodological connection to the described European studies, as its chronological framework is based on OSL methods. In the coastal area of Cuddalore, dune sediments were investigated by Alexander Kunz et al. with the aim to reconstruct the geomorphological activity and environmental conditions related to the monsoon activity during the last 3500 years in south-east India. All together, the special issue “Quaternary landscape evolution and morphodynamics of terrestrial ecosystems” reflects the variety of Quaternary studies and their different scientific approaches. Quaternary sediments and soils cover the Earth surface almost completely, and they record the youngest environmental history of our landscapes. Therefore, human life and human activities are inextricably and sustainably linked with all aspects of Quaternary research. The overall challenge of Quaternary science at present is its connection to applied tasks and future development.
References Bork, H.-R., 2006. Landschaften der Erde unter dem Einfluss des Menschen. Darmstadt, 207 pp. Barnickel, F., Becht, M., 2005. Regional historical analysis of natural hazards in the Alps e The HANG Project. Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie N.F., Suppl. Bd. 138, 27e36. Damm, B., Hagedorn, J. Holocene floodplain formation in the southern Cape region, South Africa. Geomorphology, in press, doi:10.1016/j.geomorph.2009.06.025. Heine, K., 1987. Anthropogenic sedimentological changes during the Holocene in Southern Africa. Striae 26, 41e50. Leser, H., 1996. Pedologisch-sedimentologische Untersuchungen als geomorphologische Methode. Forschungen und Fortschritte 40, 296e300. Rowan, J.S., Black, S., Schell, C., 1999. Floodplain evolution and sediment provenance reconstructed from Channel Fill sequences: the Upper Clyde Basin, Scotland. In: Brown, A.G., Quine, T.A. (Eds.), Fluvial Processes and Environmental Change. Wiley, Chichester, pp. 223e240. Semmel, A., 1968. Studien über den Verlauf jungpleistozäner Formung in Hessen. Frankfurter Geographische Hefte 45, 1e133. Semmel, A., 1996. The historic-genetic approach in applied geomorphology. Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie N.F. Suppl. Bd. 40, 289e303. Terhorst, B., Damm, B., Peticzka, R., Köttritsch, E., 2009. Reconstruction of Quaternary landscape formation as a tool to understand present geomorphological processes in the Eastern Prealps (Austria). Quaternary International 209, 66e78.
Bodo Damm*, Birgit Terhorst, Hans-Rudolf Bork Dept. of Geography, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstrasse 31, D-93053 Regensburg, Germany * Corresponding author. E-mail address: [email protected] Available online 10 March 2010