Abstract. Sediments preserved in glacially overdeepened structures can provide a record of the regional Pleistocene glacial dynamics beyond the last glaciation. In order to unravel the glacial dynamics of the Isar-Loisach paleo-glacier, a cored sedimentary succession (ICDP-DOVE 5068_3_A) from an overdeepened basin near Schäftlarn, south of Munich, Germany, and an outcrop in its northern foreland (“Münchner Klettergarten” near Baierbrunn, on the southern margin of the Munich gravel plain, the “Münchner Schotterebene”) were investigated with a multi-method approach. This approach focused on single-grain feldspar luminescence dating to establish a chronological framework and on a comprehensive geophysical survey to better understand the morphology of the overdeepened basin. The Schäftlarn core is generally divided into a fine-grained basal section and a coarse-grained top section. The filling of the fine-grained basal section started in early Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 8. The basal part of the overlying coarse-grained sediment can be attributed to late MIS 8. The “Münchner Klettergarten” outcrop to the north exhibited a similar depositional age dating to late MIS 8 and therefore corresponding to the basal part of the coarse-grained sediment in Schäftlarn. The geophysical survey revealed two cross-cutting glacial basins, with the MIS 8 basin being cut by a younger basin of undetermined age. Based on the luminescence dating results and the geophysical survey, a mid-Pleistocene landscape development model of the Isar-Loisach paleo-glacier region is presented.

Abstract. Since the Late Holocene, human activities have fundamentally altered fluvial systems across central European catchments, driving a gradual transition from natural to human-dominated floodplains. The Wiesent River catchment in northern Bavaria, Germany, provides a low-mountain-range case study to investigate this transformation within the conceptual framework of the “fluvial anthroposphere”. Despite its long settlement history, the catchment remained predominantly rural, allowing the assessment of cumulative anthropogenic impacts beyond major urban or industrial centres. Here, we combine a comprehensive multidisciplinary review with first geoscientific investigations to evaluate human–environmental interactions in the Wiesent River catchment. The review synthesizes environmental, archaeological, and historical evidence to reconstruct natural conditions, settlement dynamics, and human-induced sediment dynamics. Complementary first geoscientific field and laboratory investigations include electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and sedimentological analyses of percussion drill cores to characterize floodplain stratigraphy and sedimentary floodplain architecture. The results reveal a characteristic floodplain stratigraphy comprising basal organic-rich deposits and peat, locally intercalated gravel layers, and up to 3 m of homogenous silty to loamy overbank deposits. This succession reflects a shift from Early Holocene wetland conditions towards sustained overbank deposition likely to be primarily driven by intensified land use, deforestation, grazing, and hydrotechnical installations since, at the latest, the Early Middle Ages. The close correspondence between the review and first empirical findings demonstrates the suitability of the Wiesent River floodplain as a high-resolution archive of human-induced fluvial change.

Abstract. Denudation is a key geomorphological process shaping landscapes. In-situ-produced cosmogenic 10Be has been used to quantify millennial denudation rates worldwide. Long-term denudation rates in the European lowlands can provide valuable insights into the roles of periglacial processes and human activity in landscape evolution. Here, we quantify local and catchment-wide denudation rates in the Roda Catchment in Thuringia, central Germany. Specifically, we constrain 17 catchment-wide denudation rates based on 10Be concentrations in river sediments and 5 local denudation rates based on 10Be concentrations from soil samples on the flat catchment divides. Catchment-wide denudation rates vary between 23.8 ± 5.4 and 79 ± 18 mm kyr−1, and local denudation rates range from 23.4 ± 5.6 to 41.9 ± 9.8 mm kyr−1. These catchment-wide denudation rates are consistent with published European data, which are generally higher than those reported from other regions worldwide. This difference can be attributed to periglacial dynamics during the last glacial period. The 10Be-derived long-term denudation rates in Europe are generally higher than recent, short-term erosion rates, despite vast human activities and intensive land use in recent decades. This could be due to past periglacial activity; large-scale forest clearance during the Roman and Medieval times; and the limitations of short-term measurements in capturing low-frequency, high-magnitude events. The observed differences between catchment-wide and local denudation rates suggest that denudation has led to changes in topographic relief in the Roda Catchment at a mean rate of 0–28 mm kyr−1 over the past 10 ka.

Abstract. The artificial historical Lake Lorsch (1474/1479 to 1718/1720 CE) in the northeastern Upper Rhine Graben (Germany) is known from various historical sources (e.g., for fish farming) as a significant anthropogenic imprint of the Weschnitz floodplain. Nevertheless, there have been no geomorphological and sedimentological investigations into the (quasi-)natural context for the creation of the lake, its importance as a potential sediment archive and the subsequent use of the lake area until modern times. No relics of the lake can be observed in today's landscape. We investigated the geomorphological setting of the area using a high-resolution digital elevation model, groundwater-level data, and geophysical prospection, as well as sedimentological information from four sediment cores. Results indicate that the location of the lake is topographically deeper in relation to its receiving waters of the old Weschnitz and that Lake Lorsch was fed by groundwater. Sedimentary analysis (core LOR 21A, unit 2; LOSE 4 and LOSE 5, unit 3) exhibits lake deposit, with characteristics indicative of a limnic environment and a high groundwater table. At the same time, adjacent stratigraphy shows channel deposits (core LOR 20A, unit 3), reflecting an anthropogenically controlled inflow via a channel (Renngraben). Our results, based on a relative elevation model, fit well with the historical records: that the inflow for the anthropogenic channel was via the old Weschnitz (topographically higher than the lake area) and that the artificial Landgraben canal (topographically lower than the lake area) was crossed by a water bridge. It is a good example of how humans have acted as fluvial- and water-related agents for at least 500 years in the Weschnitz floodplain.

Abstract. Channel patterns and river connectivity are widely recognised to be representative parameters for the fluvial–geomorphological behaviour and the eco-morphological properties of rivers. They are sensitive to climate and land-use changes and, in turn, can indicate the habitat suitability for aquatic fauna, i.e. expressed by the diversity of channel width, flow velocity, and depositional regimes. Both habitat potential and the overall river connectivity since medieval times have also been influenced by barriers such as weirs and dams. Here we present the results of a multi-temporal study investigating river morphology, river connectivity, and floodplain land use in the Mulde River system. The study is motivated by the local extinction of the Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) within the last 2 centuries and reintroduction endeavours that have met with very limited success. In order to test for salmon presence in relation to waterbody structures, we make use of old maps (Sächsische Meilenblätter, 1780–1821; Von Deckersche Quadratmeilenblätter, 1816–1821) to pinpoint (i) historical barriers and (ii) anthropogenic changes in channel patterns that may have affected migratory fish populations. Furthermore, we evaluate (iii) historical floodplain land use as a pollution proxy, presuming that this also influences salmon habitat suitability. Our initial results point to a negative relation between an increasing number of cumulative barriers, as well as increased floodplain land use, and the presence of salmon populations during past periods. Finally, sinuous and meandering channel patterns correspond to higher probabilities of salmon presence.

Abstract. The Elster–Pleiße floodplain south of Leipzig has undergone significant hydromorphological changes over the past few centuries, influenced by both natural processes and anthropogenic interventions (e.g. characterized by the repurposing of former river courses into mill races and other engineered water-management channels). This study employs selected mapping of fluvial–geomorphological features based on a Light Detection and Ranging Digital Terrain Model (LiDAR DTM; 1×1 m resolution) and the analysis of old maps to reconstruct past river dynamics and identify changes in channel morphology. Geomorphological features, such as oxbows, ridge-and-swale point bar structures, crevasse splays, and levees, reveal an earlier, more dynamic floodplain characterized by meandering and anabranching channels, which transitioned into a system of stabilized, largely immobile watercourses. Comparative analyses of old maps spanning the 16th to 20th centuries indicate a gradual reduction in river sinuosity and lateral migration, coinciding with increasing human modifications such as mill races, timber rafting canals, and flood protection measures. The major transformations date back to at least the late 16th century and may be even earlier in origin. Key drivers include the straightening of channels, floodplain aggradation, and the impact of open-cast lignite mining in recent centuries. The study highlights the complex interplay of sedimentary processes and anthropogenic activities in shaping the floodplain's evolution. This combined approach allows a detailed examination of the relative chronology of changes and helps identify topographic legacies left by dynamic floodplain systems, enhancing our understanding of the evolution of these landscapes. Understanding these long-term dynamics provides crucial insights for contemporary river restoration and flood management strategies.

Abstract. Quantifying sedimentary volumes in mountain valleys can not only enhance our understanding of Quaternary valley evolution and river dynamics but also yield critical insights into hydrogeological characteristics. In contrast to the thoroughly investigated Upper Rhine Graben, little coherent information is available on the subsurface structure of adjacent Black Forest valleys. This study therefore aims at estimating the thickness, spatial distribution, and volumes of alluvial material in the valleys of the southwestern Black Forest. We utilized an extensive borehole database, high-resolution digital topographic data, and information from geological maps to integrate two complementary approaches. First, local valley cross sections were compiled to investigate subsurface bedrock morphology, allowing for a rough approximation of valley fill volumes. Second, catchment-specific linear and random forest regression based on morphometric and hydrologic variables were utilized to estimate sediment depths in valleys. Our results reveal a considerable spatial heterogeneity regarding shape, symmetry, ruggedness, and thickness of valley floor deposits. The composite valley cross sections with valley floor widths between 16 m and 3 km and average sediment depths ranging from 2 to 36.3 m include V-shaped geometries prevailing in narrow headwater valleys and main valleys mostly showing a surprisingly flat erosion surface and a shallow (on average < 15 m) sediment cover. Yet, towards the Upper Rhine Graben (URG), some valley sections widen and are rather box- or trough-shaped, comprising sediments up to 100 m thick. Overall, the valley orientation, sediment thickness, and valley shape in the main Black Forest catchments appear to be largely structurally controlled. For our study area of about 2100 km2 including nine main catchments with sizes between 13 and 1034 km2, estimated median values of valley fill volumes of the entire area range between 1.2 and 2.8 km3. Specifically the disproportionately high sediment volumes of two of the larger catchments, Dreisam and Schutter, are striking. Both areas exhibit a particular structural imprint, the one being located within a deep-seated, large-scale Late Paleozoic deformation zone, the other one crossed by the Cenozoic main border fault along the URG. These crustal discontinuities may be connected to an enhanced incision, which further underscores the importance of tectonic boundary conditions on the valley infill. In comparison with alpine settings, the sediment storage within the predominantly wide and shallow valleys is lower.

Abstract. The Rio Sella in northern Spain drains a catchment area of around 1200 km2. It originates in the Picos de Europa and erodes a variety of outcropping lithologies, mainly of Palaeozoic and minor Mesozoic to Cenozoic age. These rocks include siliciclastics, their metamorphic equivalents, carbonates and mixed sedimentary lithologies but almost no (meta-)igneous rocks. Some of the mentioned rock types are only found in specific areas within the study area, and most of them are identified by specific heavy mineral associations. It is therefore possible to make preliminary estimates of the potential detrital heavy mineral contribution of each region in the Rio Sella catchment. Further sampling of modern, i.e. currently deposited, river and beach sediments allows for sediment routing during transport and recycling processes. This also includes the impact of grain size effects and signal dilution due to different heavy mineral fertilities of the eroded strata. The influence of anthropogenic activities is reflected by the abundance of heavy anthropogenic particles, and the potential of this for sediment research or environmental impact is yet to be determined. The initial results indicate the potential and necessity of detailed heavy mineral characterisation of both fluvial sediments and outcropping lithologies within a catchment. This is particularly important when aiming to reconstruct sedimentary and particle fluxes at a high spatial resolution.

Abstract. Central European fluvial systems shifted from naturally to anthropogenically controlled during the middle to late Holocene, responding uniquely to non-synchronous and interdependent natural and anthropogenic forcings. Previous research mainly focused on either large river systems or small catchments, yet meso-scale systems linking these have received little attention so far. Floodplains constitute an ideal setting to address this issue as their sediments recorded past river dynamics and human activity. This study investigates the transition from natural to anthropogenic control in the meso-scale Kinzig River in southwestern Germany using a combination of sedimentology, geochemical analysis, luminescence dating, and geophysical surveys. In the Kinzig catchment, three phases of floodplain accumulation are identified with characteristic sedimentation rates: late Pleistocene–early Holocene until 9.0 ka (0.1 mm a−1), middle–late Holocene from 9.0 until 0.82 ka (0.3 mm a−1), and the modern era from 0.82 ka until current times (1.1 mm a−1). Characterising these phases are decreasing grain sizes and increasing heavy metal concentrations (barium, lead, copper) in overbank fines, correlating with historical mining activity (peaking in the 16th and 18th centuries). This indicates the impact of mining on sediment delivery via deforestation that caused hillslope instability and sediment contamination. A cross-reference of floodplain stratigraphy with the catchment land use history reveals a gradual shift to an anthropogenically altered system, with intensified human impacts over the last 1000 years, approximately. This aligns with high floodplain sedimentation rates related to human presence. These findings depict the timing and dynamics of anthropogenic impacts on meso-scale fluvial systems in previously natural landscapes.