Quaternary International最新文献

{"title":"Distribution of evergreen broad-leaved forests, inferred from phytolith, in the southernmost area of the Japanese Archipelago between the terminal Pleistocene and early Holocene","authors":"Naoki Hayashi,&nbsp;Jun Inoue","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.109754","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.109754","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this study, we investigated the vegetation history of the southernmost area of Kyushu, southern Japan, by analyzing phytolith assemblages from buried soils, thereby providing insights into the distribution and transition of evergreen broad-leaved forests from the terminal Pleistocene to the early Holocene. On Tanegashima Island, evergreen forests were present during the terminal Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3. On southern Kyushu Island, in contrast, mixed forests consisting of coniferous and deciduous broad-leaved trees along with Bambusoideae and Andropogoneae grasslands expanded, and few evergreen trees survived. During the early and middle MIS 2, <em>Sasa</em> grasslands expanded across the inland areas of southern Kyushu, and mixed forests were also present. Evergreen broad-leaved forests were sparse and confined to Tanegashima Island and the lowlands of southern Kyushu. The early Holocene witnessed the establishment of evergreen forests throughout the study region, subsequent to the decline of Bambusoideae grasslands under climate warming. The development of evergreen forests began at approximately 13,000 cal yr BP, with widespread establishment across the study region by approximately 7300 cal yr BP.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"725 ","pages":"Article 109754"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143697224","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}

{"title":"The unknown archaeobotany: The great “Collezione dei Commestibili e degli Avanzi Organici” of the National Archaeological Museum of Naples (southern Italy)","authors":"Alessia D'Auria,&nbsp;Gaetano Di Pasquale","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.109745","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.109745","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study aimed to understand the scientific and cultural value of the most important and richest archaeobotanical collection from the Roman period, currently housed in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples (MANN): the Collection of Edibles and Organic Remains (“Collezione dei commestibili e degli avanzi organici”). This collection consists of botanical remains collected from 1750 to 1950 from the archaeological sites of the Vesuvius region that were buried by the eruption of AD 79. The Vesuvian area represents an exceptional case due to the wealth of botanical remains. This study provides a comprehensive description of the collection, focusing on the botanical identity, history, documentation, and conservation status of the remains, as well as offering an initial overview of the specific features of each botanical find. Unfortunately, these materials have been largely neglected; many archaeological and historical data (such as their origin and date of discovery) have been lost, making it difficult to reconstruct the history of these finds. Comparisons with existing literature and historical documentation suggest that a significant portion of this collection has been lost, and there are numerous identification errors due to methodological shortcomings which have resulted in the loss of much plant material and inadequate botanical identification. This paper presents new data regarding plant history, with particular attention paid to plants of food interest, food culture, and Cultural Heritage.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"725 ","pages":"Article 109745"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143684485","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A new method of automatic microcharcoal identification and its demonstration in revealing the spatial heterogeneity of fire over the past 40,000 years in China","authors":"Yaguo Zou ,&nbsp;Yunfa Miao ,&nbsp;Yimin Li ,&nbsp;Zisha Wang ,&nbsp;Ziyue Zhang ,&nbsp;Yongtao Zhao ,&nbsp;Gaihong Niu ,&nbsp;Ping Zhang ,&nbsp;Yan Nie","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.109743","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.109743","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Microcharcoal is produced by the incomplete combustion of plants, and is an excellent proxy for fire; its number and morphology provide clues to reconstruct fire characteristics. However, the manual identification of microcharcoal under the microscope is time-consuming, while automatic identification methods still require improvement in combustion verification and accuracy. In this study, we first carried out a plant combustion experiment to explore two fundamental methodological questions relating to microcharcoal morphological distribution and color feature. The combustion experiment helped to understand the fragmentation mechanism, which is the basis by which the quantity index (particle number and size) can be understood, and the color feature, which provide an additional identification criteria besides the section data. We then developed a new automatic identification method, termed multi-parameter scoring (MPS), building on our previous method described in Zou et al. (2021). The MPS method improved statistical efficiency by 80 %–95 % compared with manual identification, and increased accuracy by 5 %–10 % compared with existing automatic microcharcoal identification methods. Lastly, we applied this new method to the Weiyuan sedimentary section in northern China, spanning the time period from 40,000 years before present (40 ka BP) to the present day, and integrated nine further contemporaneous China fire records. The fire records revealed the spatial heterogeneity of fire events with the following characteristics: in humid southern China, a dryer climate results in easier combustion, so there were more fires during the last glacial period (4–1.2 ka BP); in arid northern China, the expansion of vegetation results in a greater fuel supply, so there were more fires during the Holocene (1.2–0 ka BP). In summary, this study markedly improves microcharcoal identification efficiency and accuracy, facilitating fire record acquisition, and deepening our understanding of fire and environmental change.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"725 ","pages":"Article 109743"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143684989","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}

{"title":"The Pleistocene-Holocene history of a fluviokarst landscape in Central Brazil: An analysis of the river sediments of the Extrema, das Pedras and Ventura dry valleys","authors":"Adivane Morais Nogueira ,&nbsp;Dandara Caldeira ,&nbsp;Rogério Uagoda ,&nbsp;Leonardo Chaves Mendes","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.109735","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.109735","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The present study aims to understand the evolutionary and depositional dynamics of the karst system of the Nascentes do Rio Vermelho Environmental Protection Area – APANRV, Goiás, Central Brazil, by analyzing three dry valleys in the region, formed as a result of fluvial/karst transitions. Their sediments were subjected to stratigraphic, mineralogy, granulometry, geochemical and stable isotope (δ¹³C) analyses, as well as radiocarbon dating and OSL geochronology. The three selected dry valleys – Rio Ventura, Rio Extrema and Rio das Pedras – were proven to have once belonged to rivers that were captured by sinkholes and carried underground, since their channels present interspersed sedimentary packages typical of fluvial environments. Depositional phases were defined for each case according to the characterization of the profiles in the field and to stratigraphic analysis, which identified the last deposition stage before stream capture and valley abandonment. In the Rio Pedras dry valley, surface sediments are composed of colluvial material from intermediate layers; there, deposition began around 3.0 kyr, with a change in flow around 1.5 kyr, and a final stage at 0.5 kyr, suggesting a fluvial transition. The different depositional phases found in the two profiles in the Ventura River dry valley suggest a significant change in flow, starting with sandy deposits around 2 kyr and 1.2 kyr, and later deposition of calcareous tufa, with fossils occurring only in the middle of the valley. This scenario was interpreted as representing a partial stream capture with subsequent completion. Finally, in the Extrema River dry valley, the depositional change around 13.0 kyr with the fluvial/karst transition, while the colluvial material deposited later was dated to 1.0 kyr. According to the evolution of the valleys and to the depositional phases, the ages of both the deposits and captures are related to the distance between the valleys and the erosive escarpment of the Serra Geral de Goiás.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"725 ","pages":"Article 109735"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143685364","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}

{"title":"Paleorainfall during the past two millennia in the Western Ghats, south-western India: Evidence from a multi-proxy lacustrine sedimentary record","authors":"K.V. Reshma ,&nbsp;K. Sandeep ,&nbsp;Anish K. Warrier ,&nbsp;Srinivas Bikkina ,&nbsp;Jithin Jose ,&nbsp;G.H. Aravind ,&nbsp;A.S. Yamuna ,&nbsp;S.J. Gayathri ,&nbsp;Rajveer Sharma ,&nbsp;Reji Srinivas ,&nbsp;N. Karunakara ,&nbsp;K. Sudeep Kumara","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.109740","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.109740","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Indian monsoon, a critical component of the global climate system, plays a vital role in shaping the environmental and socio-economic landscape of the Indian subcontinent. A decreasing trend of southwest monsoon rainfall is documented in the southern part of the Western Ghats during the 20^th century. The current study attempts to reconstruct the short- and long-term changes in monsoon during the past 1600 years based on multi-proxy studies on lacustrine sediments from Cheppandikere Lake (CK), situated in the Western Ghats in southwestern India. Three AMS ¹⁴C dates constrain the age of sediment core collected from the lake and span the past ∼1600 years. The environmental magnetic (χ_ARM, χ_fd %, χ_lf, IRM, SIRM, S-ratio, and HIRM) data indicates that the magnetic mineral concentration, magnetic grain size, and mineralogy have varied significantly during the past in response to changing rainfall conditions. The diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS) denote the distinctive peaks of sediment components like hematite, goethite, clay minerals, and organic matter. The temporal variation of the different sediment components is implied by the component scores obtained by Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The aquatic productivity and input of terrestrial organic matter are indicated by organic carbon, C/N, δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values. The multi-proxy data suggests the presence of two distinct climatic phases in the region during the past two millennia. Phase I (∼300–1150 AD) is characterized by lower magnetite, higher hematite, coarser magnetic grain size, finer particle size, decreased terrestrial organic matter, a higher proportion of clay minerals, enhanced aquatic productivity, and a lower proportion (52 %) of C₃ vegetation (higher C₄; 48 %) pointing towards weak monsoonal conditions. However, higher magnetite, lower hematite, finer magnetic grain size, increased terrestrial organic matter, a higher proportion of clay minerals, reduced aquatic productivity, and a higher proportion (92 %) of C₃ vegetation (lower C₄; 8 %) indicate a stronger monsoon and increasing trend of rainfall during Phase II (∼1150 AD to Present). The study shows that the monsoon in the Western Ghats has strengthened overall in the region and responded to global climatic episodes like the Little Ice Age (weak), Medieval Warm Period (strong) and Dark Age Cold Period (weak). A similar pattern is also seen in other lacustrine records in the Western Ghats, albeit with differences in their short-term variability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"725 ","pages":"Article 109740"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143684988","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}

{"title":"Luminescence dating study of eruptions and baked sediments from Changbaishan volcano, Northeastern China","authors":"Huili Yang ,&nbsp;Bo Pan ,&nbsp;Jie Chen ,&nbsp;Jinfeng Liu ,&nbsp;Hui Liang ,&nbsp;Ning Di ,&nbsp;Jinhua Du ,&nbsp;Shenghua Li","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.109738","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.109738","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Accurate dating of Quaternary eruptions is crucial for understanding volcanic histories, geo-dynamics, volcanic hazards, and the development and evolution of magmatic systems. However, determining the age of young volcanic eruptions remains a very challenging task. In this study, optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating is applied to fine-grained quartz (FQ) and polymineral (FM) materials sampled from the tephra deposit and its baked layers from the Heishigou section of the Changbaishan volcano, China. Adiocarbon dating obtained from a charcoal sample adjacent to the tephra layer yields an age of 876–994 cal. AD, referred to as the millennium eruption. OSL dating results show that FQ is the suitable material for dating young volcanic deposits. The OSL ages are in good agreement with both the radiocarbon dating of the tephra layer charcoal and the ages of over 27 tree rings modeled with Oxcal. The FQ in tephra layer displays the highest sensitivity of the OSL signal and the 110 °C thermoluminescence (TL) peak to dose of ionizing radiation, compared to the baked layer and unbaked sediments. Moreover, the heavily baked layers, closest to tephra, exhibit greater sensitivity to dose compared to other less baked layers. The unbaked sediments show lowest sensitivity to dose. Tephra experienced the highest temperatures heating, as suggested by the increase of the sensitivity to dose at increasing baking temperatures, up to ∼800 °C. The quartz grains in the tephra and the baked layers were heated to temperatures of at least 500 °C, sufficient to completely reset their luminescence signals. However, caution is necessary when using OSL dating for pyroclastic flow deposits and quartz from volcanic fields older than 10,000 years due to the potential instability of the medium component in OSL signals and/or incomplete bleaching prior to deposition.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"724 ","pages":"Article 109738"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143629463","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}

{"title":"Sedimentary records of late Pleistocene-Holocene paleoenvironments from Convict Lake (California, USA)","authors":"Bailee N. Hodelka ,&nbsp;Morgan Black ,&nbsp;Adam J. Benfield ,&nbsp;Sarah J. Ivory ,&nbsp;Edward W. Woolery ,&nbsp;Kevin Woller ,&nbsp;Susan R.H. Zimmerman ,&nbsp;Michael M. McGlue","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.109739","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.109739","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We document the deglacial and postglacial history of Convict Creek Canyon using sedimentary and palynological datasets from Convict Lake, a hydrologically open terminal moraine lake in the Sherwin Range (Mono County, California). High-resolution seismic reflection data were used to clarify the three-unit (I-III, oldest to youngest) depositional architecture of Convict Lake and guide sediment core acquisition within conformable strata of the basin axis. Fourteen radiocarbon (¹⁴C) dates established the depositional timeline of the upper ∼615 cm of the core (∼9.3 cal ka to present), while the lower ∼336 cm is mostly undated due to a dearth of organic materials. Seismic unit I consists of coarse and poorly sorted gray-green detrital sediments interpreted as glacial till and outwash from the deglaciation of the Convict Creek Canyon. Lake development occurred in seismic unit II, marked by the deposition of black muds. Both seismic units II and III are interpreted as lacustrine paleoenvironments affected by slope margin instability that resulted in gravity flows. Lake level change drove the transition from unit II to III at ∼4.6–3.9 cal ka (mean = ∼4.3 cal ka); while basin center strata are conformable, unconformities at the margins suggest partial subaerial exposure. Peaks in grass and herb pollen indicate relatively dry conditions in the watershed during much of seismic unit II. Seismic unit III (∼4.3 cal ka-present) consists of relatively fine-grained black muds punctuated by numerous tephras. Organic and inorganic carbon concentrations become highly variable after ∼2.2 cal ka, marking the onset of climatic and tectonic instability that is likewise captured by montane forest, woodland tree, and herb pollen. The effects of climate changes in the last millennium (e.g., Medieval Climate Anomaly, Little Ice Age) appear to have had minimal effect on Convict Lake, perhaps owing to watershed hydrogeomorphology. This study reveals the timing of postglacial lake formation in Convict Creek Canyon and illustrates how terrestrial and aquatic proxies can be used to clarify Quaternary landscape-lakescape evolution in the eastern Sierra Nevada, a region threatened by climate change and natural hazards.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"724 ","pages":"Article 109739"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143621114","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}

{"title":"Medieval forest land use along the Tyrrhenian coast (Tuscany, central Italy): The archaeo-anthracological signal (AD 750–1250)","authors":"Mauro Paolo Buonincontri ,&nbsp;Marta Rossi ,&nbsp;Gaetano Di Pasquale","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.109704","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.109704","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Charcoal analysis, applied in archaeological excavation of Vetricella site in the distal reach of the Pecora river (Tyrrhenian southern Tuscany, Italy), detected the exploitation, management, and ecology of forest land cover between mid-8th century AD and mid-13th century AD. Taking place in a central Mediterranean district adequately studied through palaeoenvironmental and archaeological research, the investigation determined times and modalities of Medieval human impact on forest ecosystem. The fuelwood supply areas were characterised by <em>Quercus cerris</em> forest, in the past much larger and extended than Mediterranean evergreen forest. The collection of fuelwood was based on the traditional method of coppice woodland management, including the release of decade-year-old standard trees for the production of larger timber assortment, useful for building activities (testified by the numerous post-holes). The silvicultural system, known as compound coppice, produced a forest landscape characterised by multi-storied stands ensuring production of fruit and spreading of acorns for feeding pigs. Changes in the forest ecosystem were particularly detectable from mid-10th century AD, when accessory pioneer woody species, resilient to cut clearance, spread. It was the Ottonian period of activities in sequence aimed at radically changing the site of Vetricella along with land use in the Pecora river valley. The resulting forest land cover management, depending on the political strategies adopted by Medieval authorities, marked the progression of a cultural landscape still characterizing central Tyrrhenian Italy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"723 ","pages":"Article 109704"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143621035","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}

{"title":"Early human settlements and mobility patterns in the Sichuan–Chongqing region from the late Neolithic to the Bronze Age","authors":"Yuanyuan Gao ,&nbsp;Junhui Li ,&nbsp;Baofeng Di","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.109726","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.109726","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Sichuan-Chongqing region is among the key regions hosting human activities in Southwest China. Although archeological excavations in the region have been on the rise, providing insights into the regional cultural sequence, research on the evolution process of sites from a twin-city perspective remains limited. In this study, geographic information system (GIS) analysis was used to examine the spatiotemporal distribution of settlements in the region from the Neolithic to Bronze Age. Correlations between the distribution of archeological sites and environmental factors and the directionality of human mobility were wxplored. The results indicate that settlement distribution is strongly influenced by environmental factors. Ancient societies considered moderate elevation, convenient distance from rivers without flooding risk, and suitable soil for cultivation as the three main factors when selecting settlement sites. Sites respond to environmental change in different periods based on various factors, such as the slope, aspect, distance from the river, and soil type, and are mainly located in areas with slopes &lt;10°, facing south or west, and within a 2 km radius of rivers. As human reliance on water resources increases with improved productivity, limitations imposed by the natural environment decrease. Notably, since the Neolithic period, soil fertility, water, and topography have been key factors affecting the distribution of settlements. Compared with single factors, interactions among the factors exhibit greater explanatory power for the regional spatial distribution characteristics of settlement sites in the Sichuan-Chongqing region. The distribution of sites from the Neolithic Age to the Western Zhou Dynasty show a decrease in migration patterns along rivers in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty in the Chongqing region, while also demonstrating enhanced clustering. In addition, the dual-center trend intensified gradually in the Sichuan–Chongqing region.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"724 ","pages":"Article 109726"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143609401","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}

{"title":"Late Quaternary meltwater pulses during Termination I on the southwestern South Atlantic margin","authors":"Germán R. Díaz ,&nbsp;María Sofía Plastani ,&nbsp;Paula B. Albarracín ,&nbsp;Graciela S. Bressan ,&nbsp;Rodrigo S. Martín ,&nbsp;Natalia García Chapori ,&nbsp;Roberto A. Violante ,&nbsp;Cecilia Laprida","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.109712","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.109712","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Argentine continental shelf reveals the significant influence of Late Quaternary climatic changes on its evolution. A sedimentary core, retrieved at 40°S - 57°W from the outer shelf, documents the environmental evolution of the coast during the Late Glacial-early Holocene, influenced by significant post-Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) sea-level changes. Between the LGM and 15 cal ka BP, an isolated coastal lagoon was established. It was characterized by reducing and low-energy conditions. Microfossils with continental and marine affinities suggest a brackish environment influenced by continental runoff, originated from increased precipitation in southeastern South America during the Heinrich Stadial 1. Subsequently, between ∼15 and 14 cal ka BP, the environment rapidly evolved into a coastal lagoon with marine connection. This change coincides with the Meltwater Pulse 1 A, which caused a rapid sea-level rise, integrating the lagoon with the open marine environment. The continuous rise in sea-level allowed the formerly isolated lagoon to be connected to the open sea around ∼14 cal ka BP, forming a mesohaline, tide-dominated paleobay. This vegetated tidal flat was characterized by environmental stability and a high diversity of ostracods and foraminifera. Then, around 13.7 cal ka BP, a storm-dominated shoreface is interpreted, indicating high-energy and fully marine conditions. A coarse bioclastic interval reflects repeated storm events on the shelf, mainly during the Younger Dryas stillstand and the Meltwater Pulse 1 B, which marks the last rapid pulse of middle and outer shelf inundation. The holocene sediments represent typical outer shelf conditions, characterized by relict sands formed by the reworking of pleistocene continental and marginal marine sediments. This study contributes to a broader understanding of the paleoenvironmental evolution of the South American continental margin, underscoring the importance of global sea-level changes in coastal and shelf dynamics. Our findings are relevant for reconstructing post-LGM sea-level changes and predicting future coastal responses to climate change.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"723 ","pages":"Article 109712"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143600949","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}