Geomorphology

In order to explain biological zonation, shore height above the ordnance level is frequently used as an indicator of the abiotic gradient in intertidal ecosystems. This is based on the implicit assumption that shore height is directly correlated with inundation frequency and/or duration. Despite the importance of inundation for tidal ecosystems, measurements have rarely been taken directly by measuring inundation at the site of investigation. We measured mean high tide (MHT) and flooding frequency at three sites on the Dutch Barrier Island of Schiermonnikoog. To assess the scale dependence, we compared local measurements with the estimated inundation frequencies based on the official tide gauge (OTG) farther away. Locally measured MHT water levels differed among sites and were consistently higher than estimated MHT water levels. With this data, we subsequently estimated the inundation frequency of vegetation plots from our measurements and correlated it with species distribution. In a logistic regression inundation frequency accounted for twice the variance in explaining the dominance of three salt marsh species than shore height. The discrepancy in annual inundation frequency of the vegetation between sites was 300% for a given shore height. Within each site replicated estimates of inundation frequency proved to be consistent (scale 10-50 m). Estimated and measured inundation frequencies thus reliably correlated at a small-scale (tens of metres), but not at a larger scale (hundreds of metres to kilometres). If inundation frequency is used as an explanatory variable, it will therefore be advisable to consider the spatial heterogeneity of the measurements, in particular if different sites are to be compared. We give mean inundation frequencies of three dominant salt marsh species (Elymus athericus,

The Racha limestone massif is located in the eastern part of the karst zone of western Georgia. The massif is a typical example of Georgian mountain karst regions, where diverse surface and subsurface karst landforms are found. The main aim of this research is to present mapping of two potential show caves, and document speleological information from the Racha limestone massif. The morphological parameters and tectonic directions of the Muradi and Usholta Caves were mapped using the compass-clinometer and laser distance meter, to compile 3D models of the caves. To our knowledge these are the first 3D models of karst caves in Georgia.

Connections between Plio-Pleistocenic tectonic activity and geomorphological evolution were studied in the Pardu Valley and Quirra Valley (Ogliastra, East Sardinia). The intensive Quaternary tectonic activity in Sardinia linked to the opening of the Tyrrhenian Basin is known. In Eastern Sardinia, it manifests with an uplift that is recorded by geomorphological indicators, such as deep-seated gravitational slope deformation, fluvial captures, engraved valleys, waterfalls, and heterogeneous water drainage. The Pardu River flows from the NW toward the SE and then abruptly changes direction toward the NE. At this point, a capture elbow adjacent to the current head of the Quirra River is well developed. The Quirra River, in its upstream part, flows at altitudes approximately 200 m higher than the Pardu River. It also shows an oversized and over-flooded valley with respect to the catchment area upstream. This setting indicates that the Pardu River, which previously flowed south along the ...

Some cases of deep-seated gravitational slope deformations (DSGSDs) and paleo-landslides in central-eastern Sardinia are presented. This study focuses on the Quaternary landslide deposits preserved on the flanks of the Rio Pardu and Rio Ulassai valleys. The area is characterized by a wide plateau with a prominent Jurassic limestone scarp overlying Palaeozoic metamorphites. The Plio-Pleistocenic uplift, linked to the Tirrenian basin opening and the consequent basalt volcanism, generated high slopes. In the middle-lower Pleistocene, deepening of the valley has been accelerated by river capture processes. This litho-structural setting is prone to the development of rock falls, toppling and deep-seated gravitational slope deformations. During the upper-middle Pleistocene the gravitational and fluvial dynamics were dominated by the eustatic phases. The aim of this study is to determine the morpho-stratigraphy and main characteristics of the Quaternary landslide deposits using geomorphic, sedimentological and morphotectonic analysis. The use of high resolution UAV (Unmanned aerial vehicle) photogrammetry and geological, structural, geomorphological surveys allowed a detailed morphometric analysis and the creation of interpretative 3d models. This analysis allowed to recognize new morphostructural elements linked to a compound landslide with lateral spreading and sackung characteristics which involves giant carbonate blocks and the underlying foliated metamorphites. This high-resolution data allowed the formulation of new hypotheses about evolution and kinematics of DSGSD and landslides. The results of field surveys, geomorphological and sedimentological analysis of actual and paleo-landslide deposits show morphostratigraphic framework encompasses three order of rockfalls and three order of DSGSD. Cemented, quiescent and active landslide deposits were tentatively attributed to the Pliocene, Pleistocene and Holocene tectonic and climatic events, and compared with the traditional Quaternary stratigraphy of eastern Sardinia.

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The bay of Malfatano Cape is the berthing home to one of the most important maritime structures from the Punic-Roman times in the Mediterranean. Two opposing monumental structures have been preserved between À7 and À2 m due to rising sea level. Recent studies have identified the paleo-sea level, relating the eustatic component to the glacio-hydroisostatic deformations. This paper, through stratigraphic, palaeontological, and geochronological data, aims to trace the bay of Capo Malfatano's evolution in relation to the sea level rise during the last 4 kys. Based on data derived from geophysical surveys, paleoshore lines have been redrawn and compared with data derived from coring in the inner part of the creek. Finally, we evaluated the relationship between changes in palaeogeography and human settlements from the Bronze Age. The breakwaters have been surveyed in detail using D-GPS techniques correlated to the geodesic 0 level. Through this data, the shape of the breakwaters has been reconsidered and, consequently, the palaeo sea level has been re-evaluated.

This paper describes the Geomorphological map of the Tremiti Islands (Puglia, Southern Adriatic Sea, Italy), scale 1:15,000. The Tremiti Islands, located north of Gargano promontory's coast, are part of a complex geological area within the Adriatic basin, facing the junction between the central and southern Apennines. This area is well known for Neogenic-Quaternary stratigraphic, tectonic and seismologic aspects and is crucial for the definition of Late Quaternary Adriatic basin evolution. The map is the result of a geomorphological study carried out on the islands and the inner continental shelf around them. This study incorporates: (1) field recognition of Quaternary continental deposits and geomorphological mapping, supported by radiometric dating, focused on the morpho-lithostratigraphic correlation of deposits among the different islands and the recognition of landforms that controlled landscape evolution; (2) bathymetric analysis; (3) geomorphological analysis of data from a side scan sonar survey, focused on the recognition of the main submerged landforms, from the coastline down to about 70 m b.s.l.; and (4) scuba-dive geomorphological survey, for improving analysis of geophysical data with direct observations. The study outlines a complex geological and geomorphologic setting. Despite the small size of the islands, the Quaternary continental succession of the archipelago is characterized by widespread deposits, a result of slope, fluvial and aeolian environments. The landforms of the islands are related to karst, fluvial, marine, and gravitational processes. The inner continental shelf features marine and coastal landforms, but also tectonic, fluvial, karst, and slope landforms. The correlation of the below sea-level geomorphological features with landforms and deposits of above sea-level areas, has provided a contribution to the reconstruction of Late Quaternary landscape and geomorphological evolution, as the result of tectonics, sea-level fluctuations and marine, coastal, and continental geomorphological processes.

ABSTRACT: Terrestrial methodologies, as high resolution laser scanning and digital photogrammetry, are used in many applications in the field of architectural and cultural heritage surveys: they are characterized by different operative procedures and precisions. Data deriving from acquisition of an architectural surface,“morphologically complex” but geometrically simple and regular, were used in order to compare different methodologies. The 3D laser scanning data were acquired with HDS2500 Time Of Flight (TOF) terrestrial ...

This study was conducted to determine the erosion risk caused by the change in land use/cover in Acısu Basin between 2000-2018. In the study where the RUSLE model was preferred, other parameters were kept constant, but the model was applied to the model twice separately with the land cover/use data of the relevant years and two independent erosion maps were created. With the study, how much soil is lost in Acısu Basin during the year, which regions are more exposed to erosion, and their distribution was classified and revealed. During the study, the data obtained from satellite images, topographic maps, and field observations were analyzed by GIS and IA techniques. Kappa statistical test was used for the accuracy of the findings. It was determined that the most change in the direction of growth in the basin in 18 years from 2000 to 2018 was 17.08 km 2 (3.35%) in grassland and pasture areas. On the other hand, it was determined that the highest change in the direction of the decrease occurred in plant change areas with a value of -23.05 km 2 (4.49%). It is seen that the change in the surface cover of the study area in this time interval caused the expansion of very light, light, and moderate erosion areas. Due to this change in the land surface of Acısu Basin covering 18 years, it was determined that there was an increase in the annual total of 197 t ha -1 y -1 and an increase in the average soil loss amount of 49 t ha -1 y -1 .

por dos ambientes, continental y litoralestuárico. El partido se encuentra atravesado por cuatro arroyos principales y cursos menores que están en mayor o menor medida influenciados por la actividad antrópica. En líneas generales, el área cuenta con una alta heterogeneidad de paisaje y variabilidad ambiental a lo largo de toda su extensión. Se ha analizado el riesgo hídrico diferenciándose tres clases. En una importante proporción del territorio del Partido, especialmente en la zona litoral-estuárica, el nivel freático se encuentra somero o directamente aflorante, lo que constituye zonas de peligrosidad alta. El gran crecimiento poblacional ocurrido en estos últimos años ha resultado en la ocupación creciente de zonas poco aptas para la urbanización. Es por ello que frente a las posibles problemáticas el objetivo principal de esta contribución es realizar una caracterización ambiental en el Partido de Berazategui y analizar la aptitud para la urbanización en los diferentes sectores del área considerada. Se han determinado como áreas ambientalmente homogéneas a las unidades geomorfológicas las que pueden ser útiles para una futura planificación en el territorio. Para cada una de ellas se ha determinado la aptitud para la urbanización. La Planicie loéssica presenta la mayor aptitud mientras que las zonas más comprometidas corresponden a la zona litoral estuárica y las planicies de inundación de los cursos.

After the war, it was demolished and the land returned to farming. Geophysical surveying, exploratory soil borings, detailed topographic mapping, and focused excavation conducted by the Archeological Society of Maryland convincingly and economically identified the footprint of Fort Hollingsworth. Methodological considerations are here coupled with a discussion of vernacular fortifications and the implications that unconventional fortifications have for their archaeological discovery and recordation.

One of the main characteristics of the Mediterranean climate is the high frequency of droughts which last for a year or more and the appearance of dry spells within the wet season. The Littoral Betic Range, in the South of the Iberian Peninsula, shows a significant climatic gradient from the Straits of Gibraltar (1600 mm year -1 ) to the Cabo de Gata (150 mm year -1 ). These differences in climatic conditions result in variations in the elements of the eco-geomorphological system at the hillslope scale. This study aimed to analyse the immediate consequences of a two-year drought period (2004-06) on several elements of the Mediterranean eco-geomorphological system on three hillslopes under different climatic conditions (sub-humid, dry Mediterranean and semi-arid). The soil water content, the pattern of vegetation and some soil properties (organic matter content, aggregate stability and permeability) were analysed before (Nov-2003) and during (Nov-2005) the drought period. The most important findings were: i) a reduction in the soil water content which reached values below the wilting point in the wet seasons, affecting negatively the water available for vegetation especially in the wettest sites; ii) a reduction in vegetation cover and the number of plants, especially on semi-arid field sites; iii) changes in the organic matter content which aggravate the loss of stability of soil aggregates, a process seen more clearly under more arid conditions; and iv) a reduction of soil permeability in all situations in the climate gradient studied, which supposes a priori an increase in erosive processes due to surface runoff. These results indicate increased vulnerability of the eco-geomorphological system because of the rainfall drought situation.

The Mediterranean eco-geomorphological system was analysed at one representative hillslope of the geological unit of Montes de Málaga (Province of Málaga, Spain) under dry-Mediterranean climatic conditions. The research was divided into two stages. First, the eco-geomorphological pattern of the slope and some physical properties of the soil were analysed. Second, the hydrological and erosional response of the eco-geomorphological system was analysed by applying simulated rainfall to the main elements of the system and using closed plots with different lengths. This hydrodynamic analysis was carried out during two periods crucial for the Mediterranean environment in hydrological terms: the end of the dry season (or the beginning of the active hydrodynamic season) and the middle of the wet season. The results show that i) the hydrophobic behaviour of soil is the predominant runoff generation mechanism that accounts for sediment movement, ii) once soil was moistened in the wet season, it lost its hydrophobicity and the saturation of soil became a predominant runoff generation mechanism, and iii) there was high variability in hillslope runoff with evident hydrological disconnections, which made the hydrodynamic response of the ecogeomorphological system complex due to the absence of a clear predominance of abiotic or biotic factors.

This experiment observed the prediction of sediment movement for channel bed composed of mixed grain size and its relationship with nearbed turbulence. Changes in transport rate at different time elapsed was obtained by observing bedload transport rate and associated them with streamwise nearbed flow velocity. Regardless of the shape and duration, observations indicate that the total amounts of transported bedload during the antecedent flow hydrographs are the best indicators of bed stability as observed in the stability hydrographs. Experiments also suggest that high turbulence flow caused by dispersion in the average streamwise nearbed velocity roughly disrupted the bed, allowing dislodgement of coarser grain and preventing finer materials from being fully sheltered. As the result the production of transported material was very significantly increased. Systematic change is presumably absent in the variation of average instantaneous shear stress following an increasing and decreasing discharge as evidenced by average streamwise nearbed flow velocity during different pattern of antecedent flow hydrographs. The variations that produced slightly different fashion in transport rate led to the inference that the major difference in the transport rate response during stability tests were created by unsteady flow hydrographs with rapid increase and rapid decrease.

Water Alternate Gas (WAG) injection methods are the derivative of gas injection methods, wherein water and gas are injected intermittently. WAG injection can lead to improved oil recovery by combining better mobility control and contacting upswept zones and by leading to improved microscopic displacement.

Archaeology and geomorphology are closely linked in Barrancas, Argentina, where both disciplines are necessary to understand humaneenvironment interactions during the Holocene. The geomorphology suggests that the area was located in a distal alluvial environment of the Zonda paleo-river that drained to the east. Active tectonics during the Pliocene-Early Pleistocene caused the gradual uplift of the Lunlunta Sierras to the southwest, which led to the bifurcation of the paleo-river. For most of the Holocene, the area was seasonally flooded, suggesting a lacustrine microenvironment. A long record of human occupation beginning in the Early Holocene suggests an extended period of intimate humaneenvironment interactions. Recently, the environment has shifted dramatically. Erosion has created a badlands and significantly impacted the archaeological record. Understanding geomorphological processes is central for archaeological research in general, and especially in Barrancas. This research is an integral part of the ongoing community archaeology program in the area, and for the planned creation of an archaeological reserve.

El sismo de Calacoa-Moquegua (5.4 ML) del 01 de Octubre del 2005, y las numerosas réplicas que le siguieron durante más de 4 semanas, generaron caídas de roca, derrumbes, ligera reactivación de deslizamientos, y agrietamientos de terreno. Estos fenómenos han tenido lugar en zonas de mediana a fuerte pendiente (40° a 85°), cuyo macizo rocoso está constituido principalmente por depósitos de avalanchas de escombros poco cohesivos, cubiertos por depósitos coluviales. La gran mayoría de los movimientos en masa citados, se localizan en áreas donde las laderas fueron cortadas para la construcción de la carretera afirmada Calacoa-San Cristóbal, y para la construcción de canales de agua que abastecen a los pueblos de Calacoa, Bellavista y San Cristóbal. Las fuentes termales localizadas en el área afectada, sufrieron un ligero incremento de su temperatura y una leve variación del parámetro pH respecto a las obtenidas el año 1999. Estas ligeras variaciones pueden deberse a un menor ingreso de aguas frescas a través de las fracturas por donde circulan las aguas termales. Probablemente, los movimientos sísmicos han producido derrumbes internos que cerraron fracturas o puede deberse a la ausencia de lluvias en esta estación del año, no existiendo dilución en las fuentes termales. Los sismos en mención, produjeron también agrietamientos de las paredes y caídas de sus fachadas, en la mayoría de viviendas de adobe de las localidades de Calacoa, San Cristóbal, Cuchumbaya, Solajo, Carumas, Soquesane y otros. Muchos de los agrietamientos se produjeron durante los sismos de mayo de 1999, y junio del 2001, y se han reactivado a raíz de los movimientos sísmicos de octubre último. La evaluación del estado de las viviendas muestran que los agrietamientos obedecen a tres factores: primero, debido a que los muros han sido construidos a base de unidades de adobe unidos con mortero de barro sin ningún tipo de elemento estructural (columna o viga collar) que les proporcione un adecuado confinamiento y rigidez, y sobre cimientos de piedra y barro; segundo, los pueblos en mención se hallan asentados sobre un suelo de limo, arena y grava poco competente (depósitos de avalanchas de escombros), y tercero las viviendas están construidas sobre pendientes moderadas del terreno obligando a que los muros no tengan una altura uniforme variando en su rigidez. Finalmente, importantes canales de agua de consumo humano y regadío de los poblados de Calacoa, Bellavista y San Cristóbal fueron afectados por derrumbes y desprendimientos de rocas ocurridos durante los movimientos sísmicos de octubre. El epicentro del sismo del 01 de octubre fue ubicado a 8 km. al Este de Calacoa (provincia de Mariscal Nieto, departamento de Moquegua), y 62 km. al Noreste de la ciudad de Moquegua (Fig. ). El sismo principal y sus réplicas afectaron un área relativamente pequeña que considera diversas localidades distribuidas alrededor del volcán Ticsani, principalmente Calacoa, Soquezane, San Cristóbal, Quebaya, Cuchumbaya, Sacuaya y Carumas. La crisis sísmica en mención, la ocurrida en mayo del 2005 , y la reubicación de los pueblos de Calacoa y Putina hace más de 60 años, son indicios de un fenómeno aparentemente recurrente en la zona. Así, el primer poblado denominado Putina, estuvo situado a menos de 1 km. al noreste de Calacoa, en las laderas de la margen izquierda del río Putina y fue reubicado en la zona que ocupa el distrito de Bellavista. El segundo pueblo, denominado Calacoa Antiguo, que estuvo ubicado en la margen izquierda del río Putina, fue reubicado en el actual pueblo de Calacoa.

Le projet TASSILI (2009-2012) qui porte sur l'evaluation de l'impact des systemes d'elevage camelin sur l'environnement saharien est en phase de premieres valorisations par des publications. Il est prevu egalement d'organiser un atelier sur l'effet des changements climatiques sur l'elevage en milieu aride. Cet atelier, correspondant a l'atelier a mi-parcours, aura lieu en novembre prochain a Ouargla avec le support de la FAO. Cet atelier a une vocation regionale. Les travaux sont menes actuellement au travers de 4 theses et d'un master (i) Usages des espaces pastoraux par les eleveurs dans du Sahara septentrional, (ii) Evolution de la composition floristique des parcours dans le Sahara occidental, (iii) Biodiversite cameline et valorisation des produits de l'elevage, (iv) Role du dromadaire dans la dissemination et la proliferation des plantes en milieu desertique. Le master porte, quant a lui, sur l'analyse des systemes d'alimentation...

L'écosystème saharien est caractérisé par des conditions édapho-climatiques très rudes et très contraignantes, ne permettant le développement que d'un couvert floristique particulièrement adapté (plantes lignifiées, halophytes, épineuses…). Dans cet environnement aux maigres ressources, le dromadaire exprime des capacités remarquables d'adaptation lui permettant de valoriser au mieux les ressources disponibles des écosystèmes sahariens. En effet il arrive à survivre, se reproduire et même à produire (viande, lait …etc.) selon un mode d'élevage extensif basé totalement sur l'exploitation naturelle de ces parcours sahariens. Le présent travail fait une synthèse des différentes caractéristiques digestives, alimentaires et comportementales de cette espèce dont l'ensemble donne sens à la notion d'adaptabilité du dromadaire aux écosystèmes désertiques. Ces facultés d'adaptation peuvent se décliner selon deux types de stratégie : (i) une stratégie physiologique (stockage, économie des déperditions, recyclage), (ii) une stratégie comportementale (pâturage déambulatoire, espacement des périodes d'abreuvement, sélection des plantes, diversité floristique de la ration). Ces stratégies, ajoutées aux particularités anatomiques de l'animal (pied souple impliquant un faible piétinement, long cou permettant l'accès aux strates supérieures de la végétation) en font un animal à faible impact environnemental.

Lahars are flows composed of water and volcanic sediment which are often dangerous for people living near volcanoes. Therefore, a reliable estimation of lahar volume is needed to effectively assess the risk. This paper proposes a new method to calculate the volume of lahar sediments found in channels of volcanic landscapes. The method requires surveys of several cross-sections along a gorge, a Digital Elevation Model of the study area and measurements of the thickness of the lahar deposits. With these data and a Geographical Information System (GIS), the volume is calculated for the erosive section where deposit volume is divided into oblique parallelepipeds and the sedimentary section where deposit volume is divided into polyhedrons. This new method was applied to the 1997 and 2001 lahars that occurred in the channel of a gorge at Popocatépetl volcano, Mexico. The estimated volumes are 1.85 × 10 5 and 1.6 × 10 5 m 3 , respectively, which is about 40% less than those obtained by the traditional method that multiplies lahar flow-path length, sediment width and sediment depth. This observation suggests that the traditional method tends to overestimate volumes.

Few oceanic islands express their geomorphological history in such a marked way as the island of El Hierro. Indeed, on El Hierro, its geomorphology goes hand in hand with the evolution of its insular geology. In fact, seventy percent of places of geological interest in El Hierro's Geopark have geomorphological features as their main or secondary interest, which is indicative of the importance of geomorphology in the configuration of the island's relief. However, there are few studies that have addressed the processes or features of the island's geomorphology. In this study, the first geomorphological characterization is carried out in which the island is considered as a whole unit.

Geomorphosites and geotourism in volcanic landscape: the example of La Corona del Lajial cinder cone (El Hierro, Canary Islands, Spain). Volcanic landscapes are very often visited by tourists. This paper underlines the relevance of geomorphological heritage as a tourist resource through an assessment of the different geosites (scientific or intrinsic values, cultural or added values and use and managements values) present in La Corona del Lajial Volcano, located in the Canarian island of El Hierro (Spain). El Hierro receives a type of sustainable tourism related to its ecotourist offer based on products like diving or hiking. However, the volcanoes on the island are not appreciated enough as a tourist attraction. The objective of this paper is to highlight the tourist potential of volcanic geomorphology as a tourist resource and alternative activity to diving, by means of the creation of new ecotouristic products such as volcanic hiking.

García-Rodríguez M., Fernández-Escalante E. (2025). Geoclimbing at La Pedriza del Manzanares (Madrid, Spain). Natural and anthropogenic weathering processes, 84 - 88 pp. In: Bollati IM, Brustia E, Melelli L, Monge-Ganuzas M, Pica A, Pompili R, Rodrigues J, Rouget I (Eds.) (2025). ProGEO SW Europe Regional Working Group Virtual Conference on Geoconservation (2nd Edition), Abstracts Book, 27-29 March, 128 pp.

Mark A. Williams , Gianluca Tronti , Raiza Sartori Peruzzo ,
Manuel García-Rodríguez , Eugenio Fazio , Michele Zucali , Irene Maria Bollati (2025). Geoscience popularisation in Geoparks: A common workflow for digital outcrop modelling. Computers & Geosciences, Volume 201, 105945

Geodiversity has gained increasing attention, prompting geoscientists to advocate for its recognition to promote holistic nature conservation. UNESCO Global Geoparks (UGGps) have expanded globally, promoting geoheritage and contributing to geoconservation and sustainable tourism. In this framework, the IGCP 714 project, "3GEO-Geoclimbing & Geotrekking in Geoparks," launched in 2021, aims to use Geographical Information Technologies (GIT)-including GIS, remote sensing, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and other geospatial tools-to enhance geoscience communication within UGGps. However, there is still a significant need for a repeatable, accessible, low-cost, and effective workflow to integrate these digital technologies into geoscience communication effectively. This study developed a workflow for creating Digital Outcrop Models (DOMs) of geosites and geodiversity sites used for recreational climbing and trekking. Using technologies such as UAVs and Smartphones equipped with LiDAR sensors, the workflow generates DOMs that can be integrated into web-GIS applications and Virtual Reality experiences, offering interactive educational content. Four examples are described, illustrating the implementation of the DOM workflow from the outcrop scale (La Pedriza Granitic Batholith, Spain, and Etna Volcano Lava Tube, Italy) to the terrane scale (Organ Pipes Columnar Jointing, Australia, and Baceno Tectonic Window, Italy). The workflow is designed to produce DOMs for public and student engagement, demonstrating their potential for broader educational and geoconservation applications. Moreover, the workflow aims to build capacity among Geopark practitioners and researchers by improving techniques for creating content on geoheritage features and enhancing geoscience communication. For this, the workflow is designed to be repeatable by employing common and relatively low-cost GIT tools. We discuss the need for investment in capability, software, and hardware to equip Geopark practitioners with the skills required to implement this workflow. By applying this workflow to create DOMs of geoheritage features, we demonstrate its potential to enhance the appreciation of geodiversity, support education and research, and promote sustainable geotourism within UGGps.

Soils for their sustainable use, management and conservation require an understanding of the processes and properties that govern their functionality and the impact of disturbances due to natural and anthropogenic causes. Using a randomized systematic design, 25 updated and georeferenced values of the particle size distribution, apparent density (Da), organic matter (OM) content, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, pH and penetration resistance are determined (RP) of sandy soils of the Mesa de Guanipa in southern Anzoategui state. At 20 cm of depth there are high values of the soil Da, most of them higher than 1.6 g(cm -3 and a vertiginous growth in the values of the RP from 15 cm, there being a significant correlation between these both variables (0.57) and with the low contents of measured MO, -0.384 and 0.320, respectively. The physical properties show spatial dependence, with Gaussian adjustments and ranges that vary between 10 and 20 m. The sandy character combined with the prevail...

Sea level affects the littoral morphology and structure in different ways. In coastal karst basins, dissolutional and depositional processes are strictly related to sea level variation. A great variety of karst-related geomorphological features and cave deposits exist above, below, and at sea level, and are extremely useful to study past changes of relative sea level. Within these, vadose speleothems such as flowstones and stalagmite, can document unequivocal maximum sea level constraints as well as record phreatic phases of sea level rise. Here we present a series of geochronological data from the eastern Mallorca and show the implication of relative sea level oscillations in the coastal karst evolution over the last 750 kyr. We investigate a total number of twenty-two samples between flowstones and stalagmites from different paleokarst sites and coastal caves. U-series ages of samples ranged between 650 and 450 kyr for the paleo-flowstones, and 225-198 ka and 85.7-83.7 ka for the stalagmites. The paleo-speleothems records provide new timing constraints regarding periods of vadose conditions suggesting that sea level did not exceed 2 mapsl during the interglacial highstands 17, 15, and 13. Periodic sea level oscillations following glacial/interglacial cycles caused morphostructural changes of the paleo-caves. We constrain the occurrence of breakdown events to intervals succeeding the sea level highstands 11, 9, 7, and 5, and further total breakdowns and dismantling of caves throughout the Holocene. We also present two stalagmite records of relative sea level maximum at ~1 mbpsl during the MIS 7, and constraints for sea level rise and paleoenvironmental changes during the MIS 5a. We conclude pointing out the necessity to use vadose speleothems along with other RSL records to precisely estimate past sea level changes.

Pokhara (c. 850 m a.s.l.), Nepal's second largest city, lies at the foot of the Higher Himalayas and has more than tripled its population in the past three decades. Rapidly expanding built-up areas are high in demand for construction materials and several informal settlements cater to unregulated sand and gravel mining in the Pokhara valley's main river, the Seti Khola. This river is fed by the Sabche glacier below Annapurna III (7,555 m a.s.l.), some 35 km upstream of the city, and traverses one of the steepest topographic gradients in the Himalayas. In May 2012 an outburst flood caused >70 fatalities and intense damage along this river and rekindled concerns about flood-risk management. We estimate the flow dynamics and inundation depths of outburst flood scenarios using the hydrodynamic model HEC-RAS. We simulate the potential impacts of peak discharges from 1,000 to 10,000 m³ s -1 on land cover based on high-resolution Maxar satellite imagery and OpenStreetMap data (buildings and road network). We also trace the dynamics of two informal settlements near Kaseri and Yamdi with high potential flood impact from RapidEye, PlanetScope, and Google Earth imagery of the past two decades. Our hydrodynamic simulations highlight several sites of potential hydraulic ponding that would largely affect these informal settlements and sites of sand and gravel mining. These built-up areas grew between three and twentyfold, thus likely raising local flood risk well beyond changes in outburst hazard. Besides these drastic local changes, about 1% of Pokhara's urban built-up area and essential rural road network is in the highest hazard zones highlighted by our outburst simulations. Our results stress the need to adapt early-warning strategies for locally differing hydrological and geomorphic conditions in this rapidly growing urban watershed.

Highest geomorphic activity in the central Nepal Himalayas is mainly driven by monsoonal precipitation. In contrast, the northern flanks of the Nepal Himalaya lay in the relative dry rain shadow of the mountain range. During the monsoon 2018, major floods and geomorphic events occurred in the Kali Gandaki (KG) valley impacting both the monsoon-affected and the dry parts of the catchments. We analyze the events and its triggers based on field observations, multiple satellite image interpretation, climatological analysis using Global Precipitation Measurement and MODIS snow cover data, hydrological analysis and media analysis. The hydro-meteorological triggers are complex. Exceptional precipitation in April and May 2018 occurred in the entire study area, followed by a rather dry period. Precipitation in August was exceptional in the northern part whereas below average in the South. We argue that dynamics of snow accumulation and delayed melting contributed significantly to flooding and increased geomorphic activity in the southern part in August whereas flooding in the northern part was mainly triggered by rainfalls. We thus define 2018 as an abnormal (pre-)monsoon year with less rainfall than average but being more catastrophic. Sediment dynamics in the study area are still controlled by the Dhampu rock avalanche dam and the braided river floodplain north of this knickpoint, where sediment pulses delivered from tributaries are rarely connected from the main river. During the monsoon floods 2018 sediment connectivity was given for most tributaries due to the steepness of the catchments. The study area is subject to major human impact. Mostly in the south, numerous hillslopes have been undercut by road construction, leading to higher geomorphic sensitivity. Severe landslides might thus be triggered in future even by less intense rainfall events. Magnitude and frequency of such abnormal (pre-)monsoon precipitation are highly relevant for sediment flux and natural hazards studies.

Context. Landslides are common natural hazards in the Southern French Alps, where they may affect human lives and cause severe damages to infrastructures. As a part of the SAMCO research project dedicated to risk evaluation in mountain areas, this study focuses on the Guil river catchment (317 km²), Queyras, to assess landslide hazard poorly studied until now. In that area, landslides are mainly occasional, low amplitude phenomena, with limited direct impacts when compared to other hazards such as floods or snow avalanches. However, when interacting with floods during extreme rainfall events, landslides may have indirect consequences of greater importance because of strong hillslope-channel connectivity along the Guil River and its tributaries (i.e. positive feedbacks). This specific morphodynamic functioning reinforces the need to have a better understanding of landslide hazards and their spatial distribution at the catchment scale to prevent local population from disasters with mu...

The Seti River originates from the Annapurna Massif in the Higher Himalaya of Nepal and flows through the Pokhara valley in the Lesser Himalaya. The Seti River witnessed a disastrous flash flood on May 5th, 2012 causing the death of 72 people, obliterating dozens of homes and damaging infrastructures worth millions of dollars. Despite the 2012 flood event and several warnings by scientists for more yet bigger scale future floods in the Seti valley, fluvial risk is being aggravated by anthropogenic activities such as unplanned human settlement, encroachment of riverbanks, haphazard construction of road, drinking water, and hydropower projects in potential flood hazard areas in addition to the increased impacts of climate change on geological and hydro-metrological hazards as in other parts of Hindu Kush Himalayan Range. Covering some 40-km distance from the Seti headwater (Sabche Cirque) down to Pokhara city, the study is carried out based on hydro-geomorphological mapping, analysis ...

Nepal experienced disastrous earthquake events in 2015. The first one (magnitude of 7.8) with epicenter in Barpak, Gorkha district, occurred on 25th April 2015, followed by another event (7.3 magnitude) on 12thMay 2015, with epicenter in 19 km south east of Kodari, Sindhupalchok district. Those earthquake events induced different types of geo-hazard and they are widely distributed and caused serious damages and losses. This paper discusses the types of geo-hazards induced by these Gorkha and Sindhupalchok earthquake events and the losses and damages from those events; and the future risk from those geo-hazards in Pharak area covering 305 km2 in Solukhumbu district, Nepal. Satellite images of before and after the events were used to map landslide, debris flow, landslide dam and other geomorphic changes after earthquake. Information on the losses, damages and future risk were collected through focus group discussion, key informants’ interview, observation, and measurement. A total of ...

Although sediment is a natural constituent of rivers, excess loading to rivers and streams is a leading cause of impairment and biodiversity loss. Remedial actions require identification of the sources and mechanisms of sediment supply. This task is complicated by the scale and complexity of large watersheds as well as changes in climate and land use that alter the drivers of sediment supply. Previous studies in Lake Pepin, a natural lake on the Mississippi River, indicate that sediment supply to the lake has increased 10-fold over the past 150 years. Herein we combine geochemical fingerprinting and a suite of geomorphic change detection techniques with a sediment mass balance for a tributary watershed to demonstrate that, although the sediment loading remains very large, the dominant source of sediment has shifted from agricultural soil erosion to accelerated erosion of stream banks and bluffs, driven by increased river discharge. Such hydrologic amplification of natural erosion processes calls for a new approach to watershed sediment modeling that explicitly accounts for channel and floodplain dynamics that amplify or dampen landscape processes. Further, this finding illustrates a new challenge in remediating nonpoint sediment pollution and indicates that management efforts must expand from soil erosion to factors contributing to increased water runoff.

Ice-walled-lake plains are prominent in many areas of hummocky-till topography left behind as the Laurentide Ice Sheet melted from middle North America. The formation of the hummocky-till topography has been explained by: (1) erosion by subglacial floods; (2) squeezing of subglacial till up into holes in stagnant glacial ice; or (3) slumping of supraglacial till. The geomorphology and stratigraphy of ice-walled-lake plains provide evidence that neither the lake plains nor the adjacent hummocks are of subglacial origin. These flat lake plains, up to a few kilometers in diameter, are perched as much as a few tens of meters above surrounding depressions. They typically are underlain by laminated, fine-grained suspended-load lake sediment. Many ice-walled-lake plains are surrounded by a low rim ridge of coarser-grained shore sediment or by a steeper rim ridge of debris that slumped off the surrounding ice slopes. The ice-walled lakes persisted for hundreds to thousands of years following glacial stagnation. Shells of aquatic molluscs from several deposits of ice-walled-lake sediment in south-central North Dakota have been dated from about 13 500 to 10 500 B.P. (calibrated radiocarbon ages), indicating a climate only slightly cooler than present. This is confirmed by recent palaeoecological studies in nearby non-glacial sites. To survive so long, the stagnant glacial ice had to be well-insulated by a thick cover of supraglacial sediment, and the associated till hummocks must be composed primarily of collapsed supraglacial till.

The glacial landforms of Minnesota are interpreted as the products of the lobate extensions of ice streams that issued from various ice sheds within the Laurentide Ice Sheet. Low-relief till plains, trough-shaped lowlands, boulder pavements, and streamlined forms make up the subglacial landsystem in Minnesota that is interpreted as having been formed by streaming ice. Extremely uniform tills are created subglacially in a way that remains somewhat mysterious. At the ice margins, thrust moraines and hummocky stagnation topography are more common than single-crested, simple moraines if the ice lobes had repeated advances. Subglacial drainage features are obscure up-ice but are present down-ice in the form of tunnel valleys, eskers, Spooner hills, and associated ice-marginal fans. Ice streaming may occur when basal shear stress is lowered as a result of high subglacial water pressure. Subglacial conditions that allow the retention of water will allow an ice lobe to extend far beyond the ice sheet as long as the ice shed also supports the advance by supplying adequate ice. Even with adequate ice flux, however, the advance of an ice lobe may be terminated, at least temporarily, if the subglacial water is drained, through tunnel valleys or perhaps a permeable substrate. Thrust moraines, and ice stagnation topography will result from sudden drainage. Although climate change is ultimately responsible for the accumulation of ice in the Laurentide Ice Sheet, the asynchronous advances and retreats of the ice lobes in the mid-continent are strongly overprinted by the internal dynamics of individual ice streams as well as the interaction of ice sheds, which obscure the climate signal.

Subglacial erosion and transport of deformable sediment influence the size, stability, and sensitvity to climate of large ice sheets. These processes may cause or sustain ice-sheet instabilities , and may have dictated the periodicity of the Cenozoic ice ages, in particular the enigmatic mid-Pleistocene transition from small and frequent to large and infrequent glaciations . Subglacial erosion, however, is difficult to study. Where active at present, it is hard to observe, and, like other erosional processes, it continuously removes the evidence of its previous actions. Here we use the cosmic-ray-produced radionuclide 10 Be, which is abundant in deeply weathered soils but absent in fresh bedrock, to investigate the sources of subglacial sediment eroded from the Canadian Shield by the Laurentide Ice Sheet (LIS) and deposited as till in the north-central U.S. Some tills have extraordinarily high 10 Be concentrations, as high as those in deeply weathered regolith in unglaciated areas that has accumulated 10 Be over millions of years. In general, the lowermost tills have high 10 Be concentrations, tills directly overlying them have 10 Be concentrations that are lower by an order of magnitude, and Wisconsinan tills have the lowest 10 Be concentrations. There are exceptions to this general picture in two boreholes, where intermediate-age tills have higher 10 Be concentrations than the oldest tills. These results, combined with a box model for 10 Be and sediment transport during a series of glaciations that we use to interpret the results, show the following: First, some tills cannot be the result of deep subglacial erosion of unweathered rock, but must have originated by mobilization of a relatively thin layer of deeply weathered surface sediment. This source can only have been the preglacial regolith and saprolite, the legacy of millions of years of Tertiary weathering, that was present on the Canadian Shield before the onset of Northern Hemisphere glaciation. Second, the preglacial regolith formed a source for early tills, but was rapidly removed from the core area of the ice sheet by the first few Plio-Pleistocene ice sheet advances. Third, renewed export of 10 Be-rich till sometime after 1 Ma appears to reflect an increase in the area exposed to subglacial erosion. It was likely a consequence, and not a cause, of a change in ice sheet dynamics at the mid-Pleistocene transition.

In semi-arid regions, soil erosion by water presents the major problem that affected the soil degradation. Thus, an adequate management strategy must be applied in order to restore this vital environmental resource. Several methods were used to assess soil erosion based on climatic, geologic and geomorphologic parameters. In this work a modi ed RUSLE model coupled with GIS and remote sensing technique were used to estimate soil loss in the Oueds El Ghram and Bou-Said basins (south-eastern Tunisia). The results showed that the soil erosion rate in the study basins varied between 0 and 16 t/ ha/yr. The most in uencing parameters are slope, lithology, and precipitation. The high to very high affected areas are located in the mountainous parts of the basins and occupied 2.86% of the total surface of the study area. This work can be used as a foundation for a new management strategy that helps to minimize soil degradation and to restore this environmental resource in the study region.

Palynological analysis of Miocene infill of karst sinkholes at Tarnow Opolski, Upper Silesian Upland – a preliminary report. A b s t r a c t. Pollen analysis of 16 samples of coaly sediments taken from one of sinkholes developed within the Triassic limestones cropping out at Tarnow Opolski, Upper Silesian Upland has been done. The study revealed a taxonomically rich assemblage of excellently preserved sporomorphs (pollen grains and spores) as well as microfossils of fresh-water algae (mainly Chlorophyta). The pollen analysis made it possible to reconstruct a vegetation growing during sedimentation of deposits filling the studied sinkhole and clear facies succession, from open aquatic (with abundant fresh-water algae) to marshy one (e.g. swamp forests composed of Taxodium , Nyssa and Alnus ). Riparian forests dominated by deciduous trees, e.g. Pterocarya , Carya and Liquidambar, grew on wet terrains surrounding the water body. Drier elevated terrains were overgrown by mixed mesophyti...

A detailed geomorphological map allowed to define the complex relationships between the morphostructural framework and the development of sedimentary units both marine and terrestrial along the Quaternary in the littoral area of the Alentejo (Portugal). Outcrops along Ribª do Morgadel and River Mira allowed to reconstruct a sequence of up to fourteen staircased marine terraces. In the beach of Pessegueiro Fort, a beach-dune sequence has been attributed to MIS5 in basis of OSL, C and U-series dating, with the beach being located at +0.5m. At Praia da Pegada, another beach deposit located at +2-4 m, has been attributed to MIS5. This chronology postdates previous chronological interpretations Palabras clave: Terrazas marinas, Último Interglaciar, directrices morfoestructurales.