Campine Area Research Articles

Binkhorstiidae, a new family of crabs (Decapoda, Brachyura, Retroplumoidea) from the Upper Cretaceous of the Netherlands and Belgium

Abstract In addition to the type species, Binkhorstia ubaghsii, which is fairly common in the upper part of the Nekum Member (Maastricht Formation) in the wider vicinity of Maastricht (the Netherlands) and Binkhorstia euglypha, which appears to be restricted to the overlying Meerssen Member of the same formation (uppermost Maastrichtian), a third member, B. desaegheri nov. sp., is recorded from the upper middle Santonian of the Campine area in north-east Belgium. The history of Binkhorstia is convoluted, serving as a prime example of how attempts to unravel the higher-level taxonomic position of late Mesozoic crabs may prove difficult. Over time, the genus has been referred to various families or subfamilies, either podotreme or putative eubrachyuran; here the new family Binkhorstiidae is placed in the superfamily Retroplumoidea. Binkhorstiids appear to have been a relatively short-lived endemic group that fell victim to Cretaceous‒Paleogene (K/Pg) boundary perturbations.

Echte venten: een verkennend onderzoek naar mannelijkheid bij Limburgse mijnwerkers

Real men: an exploratory research into masculinity among Belgian-Limburg miners
 In this article we want to initiate a gender approach in the study of the labour market for miners in Limburg, in particular by looking at the ways in which miners defined and expressed their masculinity. Interviews, testimonies and a number of contemporary sources show that miners in the Belgian Limburg mines defined and expressed their masculinity by working hard, being competitive, having lots of after-work activities, not showing fear and minimizing risks. The gender identity among miners in the Campine area arose partly as a result of broader socio-economic evolutions: underground women’s work was banned in Belgium since 1911, which made the underground the exclusive terrain of men. Another decisive factor was the drastically new labour organization that was introduced by the Limburg mining companies. The traditional miners’ occupation lost much of its charm through mechanization and stricter supervision. Professional knowledge and autonomy were (partly) replaced by physical strength and competitiveness. This analysis shows that employers also used a certain form of hegemonic masculinity strategically.

Vulnerabilities avoided and resilience built. Collective action, poor relief and diversification as weapons of the weak (The Campine, Belgium, 1350–1845)

AbstractIn this article we analyse the root causes of the high level of resilience of one particular peasant society: the Campine area. While peasant societies have often been deemed one of the most vulnerable societies in the face of crises and disasters, because of their lack of capital, technology and power, we show that peasant communities possessed some important weapons of the weak. Thanks to strong property rights, collective action, a diverse economic portfolio and inclusive poor relief institutions the Campine peasants were able to weather both the late medieval crises, harvest failures as well as the threat of sand drifts between the fourteenth and nineteenth century.

Networks of unusually large fossil periglacial polygons, Campine area, northern Belgium

A series of polygon networks has been discovered on the most recent LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) DEM (Digital Elevation Model) of Flanders (Belgium) available in a resolution of 1 m2. They are located in the sandy Campine area (northern Belgium) and resemble thermal contraction crack polygon networks from present-day permafrost regions. Different network types were observed, ranging from orthogonal to hexagonal and various combinations of these. The inter-polygon troughs are typically several decimeters deep and up to several meters wide. The average polygon size is ca. 3000 m2, which is equivalent to a diameter of ca. 60 m if the polygon shape is approximated with a perfect circle, or a side of ca. 55 m length if it were to be approximated by a perfect square. The average size is (much) larger than any of the studied present-day analogues, and also larger than fossil networks in the western part of Flanders, Poland and France. In contrast to the Campine polygons presented here, the fossil analogues in these countries were detected using satellite imagery and orthophotos, which may partially explain the observed size differences. The morphometric analysis of the Campine networks shows relationships between polygon type and local geomorphological position as orthogonal networks seem to have a preference to develop near shallow valley slopes. In addition, GPR (Ground Penetrating Radar) radargrams were acquired across polygon boundaries to investigate subsoil disturbances related to the former position of ice wedges or sand wedges. However, the evidence is not unequivocal due to the low dielectric contrast between the host and wedge material. It is not clear yet whether smaller 2nd and 3rd order cracks did develop but without leaving a topographical imprint. The observed polygon networks in the Campine area are interpreted as first-order networks that developed during a time span of several thousands of years, up to 10 kyr at most, in a former Late Weichselian permafrost climate.

A reappraisal of the stratigraphy of the upper Miocene unit X in the Maaseik core, eastern Campine area (northern Belgium)

The stratigraphy of the Tortonian-Messinian sequence from the Maaseik core, located on the shoulder of the Roer Valley Graben (RVG) in the eastern Campine area in northern Belgium, was improved. The analysis of the marine palynomorphs (dinoflagellate cysts and acritarchs) from the uppermost part of the Breda Formation, the unnamed unit X and the basal part of the Lower Waubach Member led to the recognition of the mid to upper Tortonian Hystrichosphaeropsis obscura biozone. Therefore deposition of this entire analyzed sequence took place sometime between 8.8 to 7.6 Ma. Paleoenvironmental interpretation of the palynomorphs points to shallow marine conditions and most probably a stressed environment during the deposition of unit X. A comparison with the time equivalent stratigraphy in the nearby Belgian Campine, the Dutch RVG and the German Lower Rhine Basin allowed the identification of the Inden Formation and required a shift in the base of the Kieseloolite Formation compared to the earlier lithostratigraphic interpretation of the Maaseik core. The regional stratigraphic scheme shows the progressive northwestward extension of the river facies from the Lower Rhine during the late Tortonian.

Electron spin resonance (ESR), optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and terrestrial cosmogenic radionuclide (TCN) dating of quartz from a Plio-Pleistocene sandy formation in the Campine area, NE Belgium

The chronostratigraphy of the typical quartz-rich white sands that are intensively quarried in the Campine area, northeastern Belgium, is poorly constrained. In the absence of biostratigraphical data, the age of the deposits, traditionally assigned to the Mol Formation, is thought to be late Pliocene based on sequence stratigraphical correlations (ca. 2.6–3.6 Ma). In an attempt to verify this age, we used a multi-dating method approach on two carefully selected samples in a palaeoseismological trench where the sediment was found to be vertically displaced by the Rauw fault. Three dating methods were used: electron spin resonance (ESR) dating, optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating and cosmogenic radionuclide (CRN) dating. In all three cases quartz was found to be a suitable dating material in terms of material properties. However, the ESR dating results based on Ti, Ti–Li and Al centres show strong internal inconsistencies, which can be explained by incomplete bleaching. As such, the youngest ESR ages obtained (ca. 5 Ma) are regarded as an absolute maximum age. In contrast, the OSL ages of ca. 1.5 Ma seem to underestimate the sequence stratigraphical age. The surface exposure CRN dating method using Bayesian inversion suggests that a palaeosurface developed around 1.55 ± 0.80 Ma, and eroded at a rate of ca. 15 m/Ma. Erosion probably accelerated after ca. 0.5–1 Ma and posterior to the last major movement along the Rauw fault.

Bayesian inversion of a CRN depth profile to infer Quaternary erosion of the northwestern Campine Plateau (NE Belgium)

Abstract. The rate at which low-lying sandy areas in temperate regions, such as the Campine Plateau (NE Belgium), have been eroding during the Quaternary is a matter of debate. Current knowledge on the average pace of landscape evolution in the Campine area is largely based on geological inferences and modern analogies. We performed a Bayesian inversion of an in situ-produced 10Be concentration depth profile to infer the average long-term erosion rate together with two other parameters: the surface exposure age and the inherited 10Be concentration. Compared to the latest advances in probabilistic inversion of cosmogenic radionuclide (CRN) data, our approach has the following two innovative components: it (1) uses Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling and (2) accounts (under certain assumptions) for the contribution of model errors to posterior uncertainty. To investigate to what extent our approach differs from the state of the art in practice, a comparison against the Bayesian inversion method implemented in the CRONUScalc program is made. Both approaches identify similar maximum a posteriori (MAP) parameter values, but posterior parameter and predictive uncertainty derived using the method taken in CRONUScalc is moderately underestimated. A simple way for producing more consistent uncertainty estimates with the CRONUScalc-like method in the presence of model errors is therefore suggested. Our inferred erosion rate of 39 ± 8. 9 mm kyr−1 (1σ) is relatively large in comparison with landforms that erode under comparable (paleo-)climates elsewhere in the world. We evaluate this value in the light of the erodibility of the substrate and sudden base level lowering during the Middle Pleistocene. A denser sampling scheme of a two-nuclide concentration depth profile would allow for better inferred erosion rate resolution, and including more uncertain parameters in the MCMC inversion.

Assessing multimedia/multipathway exposures to inorganic arsenic at population and individual level using MERLIN-Expo

In this study, we report on model simulations performed using the newly developed exposure tool, MERLIN-Expo, in order to assess inorganic arsenic (iAs) exposure to adults resulting from past emissions by non-ferrous smelters in Belgium (Northern Campine area). Exposure scenarios were constructed to estimate external iAs exposure as well as the toxicologically relevant As (tAs, i.e., iAs, MMA and DMA) body burden in adults living in the vicinity of the former industrial sites as compared to adults living in adjacent areas and a reference area.Two scenarios are discussed: a first scenario studying exposure to iAs at the aggregated population level and a second scenario studying exposure at the individual level for a random sub-sample of subjects in each of the three different study areas. These two scenarios only differ in the type of human related input data (i.e., time-activity data, ingestion rates and consumption patterns) that were used, namely averages (incl. probability density functions, PDFs) in the simulation at population level and subject-specific values in the simulation at individual level.The model predictions are shown to be lower than the corresponding biomonitoring data from the monitoring campaign. Urinary tAs levels in adults, irrespective of the area they lived in, were under-predicted by MERLIN-Expo by 40% on average. The model predictions for individual adults, by contrast, under-predict the biomonitoring data by 7% on average, but with more important under-predictions for subjects at the upper end of exposure. Still, average predicted urinary tAs levels from the simulations at population level and at individual level overlap, and, at least for the current case, lead to similar conclusions. These results constitute a first and partial verification of the model performance of MERLIN-Expo when dealing with iAs in a complex site-specific exposure scenario, and demonstrate the robustness of the modelling tool for these situations.

Multimedia & PBPK modelling with MERLIN-Expo versus biomonitoring for assessing Pb exposure of pre-school children in a residential setting

This paper reports on a case study – conducted within the European FP7 project “4FUN” – focusing on exposure of pre-school children to lead resulting from past emissions by non-ferrous smelters in Belgium (Northern Campine area). Exposure scenarios were constructed and simulated with the MERLIN-Expo tool to estimate external Pb exposure as well as the Pb body burden in children living in the vicinity of the former industrial sites as compared to children living in adjacent areas and a reference area.Simulations were run for several scenarios ranging from very simple to rather complex in order to study the effect of different simulation approaches (e.g., deterministic vs. probabilistic, individual vs. aggregated population exposure) and different exposure scenarios (e.g., with vs. without considering local food consumption or time activity patterns) on the model outcomes (predicted concentrations of Pb in environmental and human matrices). This paper discusses the two most complex scenarios, namely exposure at the aggregated population level and at the individual level for a random sub-sample of subjects, respectively.In the final and most realistic exposure scenario, simulating individual lead exposure, model predictions were shown to be higher than the biomonitoring data. Blood Pb levels in children, irrespective of the area they lived in, were overpredicted by MERLIN-Expo with a factor of about 2 on average. The model predictions for individual children overlap with the prediction interval calculated by MERLIN-Expo based on population averages, demonstrating the use of probabilistic approaches in risk assessment. While these results constitute a first verification of the model performance of MERLIN-Expo dealing with inorganic pollutants in a complex real-world exposure scenario and a demonstration of the robustness of the modelling tool, further validation and benchmarking efforts are required for a larger number of inorganic pollutants and different exposure settings.

All we are is dust in the wind: The social causes of a “subculture of coping” in the late medieval coversand belt

Abstract Natural hazards posed major challenges to almost every pre-modern society. Even in the moderate climate zone of Europe, natural hazards such as floods, storm surges and sand drifts threatened entire societies and could decimate occupation and land exploitation in a region. Some societies, however, were able to prevent hazards from turning into disasters, while others repeatedly suffered from nature-induced catastrophes. The question therefore remains, how were some societies able to cope and create subcultures of coping, while others were not? By combining archaeological data, OSL studies and archival material I will advance that we have to alter the current paradigm that the Campine area was predominantly struck by disastrous sand drifts from the later Middle Ages onwards. We should focus on specific combinations of the distribution of power between smallholders and elites and the level of short-termism of the social interest groups to explain why the late medieval Campine area was able to desig...

Palaeohydrological reconstruction (1500–2000 AD) of a drift sand landscape using pedogeomorphological and historical data (Campine area, NE Belgium)

In order to build confidence in describing the hydrological cycle under future global change, hydrological models not only need to be calibrated and validated with recent data, but should also be tested against different boundary conditions from the past. This requires building a dataset of hydrological state variables against which the modelling output can be tested. We use pedogeomorphological and historical data to monitor hydraulic heads at specific time slices during the last 500years for a sandy interfluve in the Nete catchment, NE Belgium. The nature of the archive is temporally and spatially highly discontinuous but allows to observe a systematic drop in phreatic groundwater levels during the second half of the 19th century. It is concluded that the approach yields promising results and that it might be of use elsewhere in drift sand landscapes across the European sand belt.

Farmers’ perceived cost of land use restrictions: A simulated purchasing decision using discrete choice experiments

This paper reports on the findings from discrete choice experiments designed to estimate farmers’ perceived costs of land use restrictions, i.e. crop restrictions, additional fertilizing restrictions, and usage restrictions, as opposed to having no such restrictions. To this end, hypothetical land purchasing decisions were simulated based on the information about productivity, lot size, distance to other land, driving time to home, land use restrictions, and price. Farmers from the Campine area (Belgium) were invited to participate in the survey as the agricultural land in this region still faces the effects of historical heavy metal contamination resulting in crop restrictions. For identical pieces of land, we estimate the perceived cost, calculated as a change in the consumer surplus due to having a land use restriction, to be about 46,000€/ha for the crop restriction, 50,000€/ha for the usage restriction, and 70,000€/ha for the fertilizing restrictions. Assuming this cost to represent a perpetuity, then with a discount rate of 5% the yearly fixed costs respectively equal about 2300€/ha, 2500€/ha, and 3500€/ha.

Long-term evolution of the surface environment of the Campine area, northeastern Belgium: first assessment

Abstract In this paper we describe the characteristics of the surface environment of the Boom Clay in the Campine area (outcrop and subcrop zone), which is regarded as a potential host formation for disposal of radioactive waste. A good description and understanding of the relationship between surface variables – the geomorphology, hydrography, vegetation, soils, land use and hydrology – is needed to evaluate the past evolution and assess the future evolution of the surface environment. Changing climatic conditions (glacials and interglacials), global sea-level variations and tectonic movements (uplift and subsidence) may cause the surface environment to change profoundly over long timescales. Starting from the present status, the palaeogeographical and palaeohydrological evolution of the Campine area is described in the framework of the Quaternary geological history of the area. Finally, a first assessment of possible future conditions of the surface environment is given, based on the integration of the palaeorecord and several published modelling studies.

Patterns and estimates of post-Rupelian burial and erosion in the Campine area, north-eastern Belgium

We have compiled a dataset containing information on patterns of burial and erosion that occurred during the last ca. 30Ma in the Campine area, north-eastern Belgium. This area coincides with the occurrence of the Rupelian Boom Clay which is considered as one of the potential host formations for radwaste disposal. Patterns and estimates of erosion and sedimentation, based on geological and geomorphological data, from several locations within the Boom Clay outcrop and subcrop zone, show increasing burial in northern and north-eastern direction over the last 30Ma. More southern areas have experienced erosion and denudation during some geological stages, usually in the order of several 10m, up to 100m at most at two discrete locations. During the Quaternary, erosion is a widespread phenomenon in the Campine area, except in the Roer Valley Graben. The obtained estimates of erosion and burial are compared and discussed in the context of the overall geodynamic evolution of north-western Europe.

Landscape evolution and changes in soil hydraulic properties at the decadal, centennial and millennial scale: A case study from the Campine area, northern Belgium

Soil hydraulic properties evolve over time as a result of soil formation processes. We investigated the rate and circumstances of change in soil hydraulic properties as a result of soil and landscape evolution that took place over a period of a few decades to several thousands of years. To this end, a sediment-soil sequence in which different sandy landscapes and associated soils are preserved was studied with respect to its geomorphological and pedohydrological characteristics. Three stages of soil development corresponding to specific landscapes were observed within a 2-m deep profile: 1) a stabilisation surface within an active drift sand landscape, 2) an A-horizon that developed on a stabilised drift sand landscape and 3) a pronounced podzol that developed in a stabilised landscape from the last glacial. Measurement of soil physical properties was conducted including grain size analysis, organic carbon content, soil water retention characteristic and hydraulic conductivity using constant head and air permeability analyses. Age control of soil horizons and vegetation history were obtained from optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating, radiocarbon ( 14 C) dating, pollen analysis and historical archives. The results suggest a strong relationship between landscape evolution, soil development and hydraulic properties. Small changes in hydraulic properties may already be observed on a decadal and centennial scale, while long-term podzolisation processes may decrease the hydraulic conductivity of parent material up to three orders of magnitude in several thousands of years. It is concluded that combination of geomorphological and pedohydrological analyses of sediment-soil archives may provide a unique means to gain insight into the rate and extent of past changes in soil hydraulic properties and the consequences of future hydrological changes as a result of these evolving properties. ► The influence of evolving sandy landscapes on soil hydraulic properties is investigated. ► Landscape reconstruction techniques and pedohydrological methods are used. ► Below and above order of magnitude K sat changes can be observed on various timescales.

The Miocene–Pliocene hiatus in the southern North Sea Basin (northern Belgium) revealed by dinoflagellate cysts

AbstractA palynological analysis with marine palynomorphs (dinoflagellate cysts, acritarchs, green algae) and terrestrial palynomorphs (pollen and spores) of the Kasterlee and Poederlee formations provides new insights in the depositional history at the southern border of the North Sea basin (northern Belgium) around the Miocene–Pliocene transition. Dinoflagellate cyst stratigraphy constrains the age of the Kasterlee Formation in the Oud-Turnhout borehole between 7.5 and 5.32 Ma. The upper boundary of the formation can be correlated with sequence boundary Me2 at 5.73 Ma of Hardenbol and co-workers, which further constrains its age to the time interval 7.5–5.73 Ma. The palynomorph assemblages reflect a near-coast depositional environment. Where present, the Kasterlee Formation thus terminates the Miocene series in northern Belgium. The overall shallow nature of the latest Miocene deposits is related to a sea-level lowering caused by the onset of globally cooling conditions. For the first time, palynology is applied to estimate the age of the Poederlee Formation, suggesting it was deposited during the Mid-Pliocene warm period. Dinoflagellate cysts and sequence stratigraphy together constrain the age of the unit between 3.21 and 2.76 Ma, and possibly even between 3.21 and 3.15 Ma. The Poederlee Formation was deposited in neritic environments, which shoaled in the upper part of the unit as a consequence of the decreasing availability of accommodation space. We demonstrate that the magnitude of the hiatus between the Miocene and Pliocene series varies strongly at the southern boundary of the North Sea Basin, and lasts in the Antwerp areac. 3.2 million years andc. 2.52 million years in the Campine area.

Dinoflagellate cyst stratigraphy and palaeoenvironment of the marginal marine Middle and Upper Miocene of the eastern Campine area, northern Belgium (southern North Sea Basin)

AbstractA stratigraphical and palaeoenvironmental analysis with organic‐walled palynomorphs of the Bolderberg and Diest formations provides new insights in the depositional history during Miocene times at the southern border of the North Sea Basin. The Neogene transgression invaded Belgium from a north–northwestern direction and fully marine sediments were deposited in the northern part of Belgium. The age and the palaeoenvironment of the deposits at the very border of the southern North Sea Basin remained till a few decades ago incomplete. The recovered dinoflagellate cysts, acritarchs and green algae from the Bolderberg Formation in the Wijshagen Borehole indicate a marginal marine depositional environment during late Burdigalian and Langhian times in the eastern Campine area, in contrast to the deeper marine conditions prevailing to the north–northwest. The relative dating of the Bolderberg Formation confirms that maximum flooding occurred during Langhian to early Serravallian times. Deposition apparently took place during the Middle Miocene Climatic Optimum, and ended when the climatic deterioration set in at around 14 Ma. A hiatus spanning ca. 2 Ma separates the Middle Miocene Bolderberg Formation from the Upper Miocene Diest Formation in the eastern Campine area at the border of the North Sea Basin. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The Upper Miocene of the southern North Sea Basin (northern Belgium): a palaeoenvironmental and stratigraphical reconstruction using dinoflagellate cysts

Organic-walled palynomorph assemblages from the Kasterlee Formation in northern Belgium provide new insights into the Late Miocene depositional history and palaeoenvironments of the southernmost North Sea Basin. Ranges of key dinoflagellate cysts constrain the unit between 7.5 and 5.32 Ma, that is, a latest Tortonian to Messinian age. The palynomorph assemblage is characterized, amongst others, by Geonettia clineae, an opportunistic species that thrives in mesotrophic, coastal embayments with a low sediment influx. This environmental setting is corroborated by the notable presence of Gramocysta verricula, a species with preference for shallow marine environments. The occurrence of species of the fresh water green alga Pediastrum indicates manifest river discharge in a near-shore environment or embayment. The coastal depositional environment mirrored by the palynomorphs of the Kasterlee Formation succeeds the distinct transgressive and fully marine environments of the underlying Diest Formation in the Campine area. The results from the palynological study, combined with lithological and geophysical data, show that both Upper Miocene formations are two distinct depositional cycles separated by an erosional or regressive phase. The upper boundary of the Kasterlee Formation is correlated with the Me2 sequence boundary at 5.73 Ma. The Kasterlee Formation is herein formally moved from the Lower Pliocene series to the Upper Miocene series. The coastal environment, probably characterized by a shoaling phase, recorded at the border of the southern North Sea Basin, matches the global record of regressive phases in Messinian sedimentary sequences, which are linked to cooling and increasing global ice volume.

Marine Miocene deposits in the Maaseik well 49W/220 in eastern Belgium: biostratigraphy by means of various microfossil groups.

AbstractA micropalaeontological analysis (foraminifera, ostracoda andbolboforma)has been undertaken for the interval between 299.7 and 201.5m of the Maaseik borehole. This interval includes marine glauconitic sands, which are generally not or not strongly decalcified. Independent from each other, the observed taxa of the different microfossil groups indicate a Late (range down to Middle) Miocene age for the interval. On the base of the biozonations of the various microfossil groups, some correlations can be presented with Late Miocene deposits of other areas in Belgium (Antwerp and Campine area), and of other places in NW Europe.

Dinoflagellate cyst biostratigraphy of the Upper Miocene Deurne Sands (Diest Formation) of northern Belgium, southern North Sea Basin

AbstractDiverse and well‐preserved palynomorph assemblages recovered from the Deurne Sands, a local member of the Upper Miocene Diest Formation near Antwerp, allow the recognition of dinoflagellate cyst biozones defined in the North Atlantic realm (East Coast, USA) and the North Sea region (Nieder Ochtenhausen well, northern Germany). Based on the dinoflagellate cyst assemblages and the calcareous microfossils, the deposition of the Deurne Sands took place at some time during middle to late Tortonian (Late Miocene). These sands can be correlated biostratigraphically with the Dessel Sands in the Campine area of northern Belgium. This correlation demonstrates the existence of two separate and contemporary depositional areas in northern Belgium during early Late Miocene times. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.