Fluvial Deposits Research Articles

Coastal compartments: the role of sediment supply and morphodynamics in a beach management context

Coastal compartments provide a hierarchical framework to manage beaches and coastal ecosystems in Australia. This study examines the individual behaviour of three adjacent beaches within Shoalhaven Bight, a secondary compartment on the south coast of New South Wales (NSW). The Shoalhaven River discharges intermittently into the northernmost of the beaches, and a fluvial component is detectable within beach and foredune sands. The distribution and orientation of headlands constrains dispersal of fluvial sediments, and results in lower wave-energy conditions further south, implying limited sand transport from one beach, or tertiary compartment, to another. Two years of monthly subaerial surveys across ten different profiles and modelled storm-wave conditions during the major storms, were used to compare the response of beach volume and shoreline position. The greatest changes in volume were observed near Shoalhaven Heads and the northern ends of Culburra and Warrain-Currarong beaches. Results indicate the distinct individual response of neighbouring beaches over the two-year period, in contrast to general trends in beach behavior that might be inferred from long-term regional monitoring programs. However, they also demonstrate the limitations of short-term observations in comparison to those longer-term studies. The NSW beach systems of are some of the best understood in the world in terms of regional behaviour, as a consequence of several decades of surveys on key beaches. However, more focused local monitoring programs may be needed to establish detailed coastal sand transport, and an understanding of intermittent delivery of fluvial sand and longshore inputs and outputs, within and between different compartments.

Site Formation Histories and Context of Human Occupations at the Paleolithic Site of La Ferrassie (Dordogne, France)

The Paleolithic site of La Ferrassie (Dordogne, France) has contributed significantly to the understanding of Middle and Upper Paleolithic technocomplexes, as well as Neanderthal skeletal morphology. Excavations at the site have spanned more than a century and uncovered rich archaeological assemblages associated with the Mousterian, Châtelperronian, Aurignacian and Gravettian technocomplexes. Renewed excavations exposed a sequence spanning both Middle and Upper Paleolithic occupations in the Western Sector and low-density Mousterian deposits and Châtelperronian in the Northern Sector. Here, we report on an extensive geoarchaeological study of deposits at the western end of the site to reconstruct and interpret both the depositional history of the sediments and associated human occupations in this poorly documented part of La Ferrassie. Our results point to the nature of the site as originally a karstic cave, with the Western Sector located in what would have been the cave’s mouth. The stratigraphic sequence comprises first fluvial deposition (Phase I) followed by soliflucted deposits and accretion cones that emanate from an elevated platform situated several meters above the modern road next to the site (Phase II) and, finally, spatially restricted channeling (Phase III). Most archaeological assemblages are associated with Phase II and reflect an interplay between occupations directly in this area and bones and artifacts sliding down the slope from the upper platform. Unlike in the Western Sector, in the Northern Sector — situated along the north wall and several meters inside the footprint of the cave — cold features dominate the entirety of the sequence; we interpret these as being linked to microenvironments specific to this location of the karst rather than to general (external) climatic conditions. Relevant is the identification of patterned ground formation in this area, which can be clearly linked to the “monticule” features first reported by Capitan and Peyrony and erroneously interpreted as anthropogenic in origin. Our geoarchaeological results point to a large and complex karst system, with distinct depositional sources and often locally independent sedimentary histories throughout its extent. These formation pathways have differently impacted the main occupation areas and resulted in distinct degrees of preservation of the archaeological assemblages throughout the different areas of the site.

Sequence stratigraphy in extraterrestrial settings: The Jezero crater, Mars

The analysis of high-resolution images provided by the Perseverance rover indicates the presence of a Gilbert-type deltaic complex in the western part of the Jezero crater, which includes fluvial topsets, as well as subaqueous clinoforms. While previously considered to be genetically related, the topsets and the foresets are separated by subaerial unconformities and belong to different sedimentation cycles (depositional sequences) and systems tracts. Based on the stratal stacking patterns observed at Kodiak butte, the clinoforms belong to falling-stage systems tracts, as indicated by the downstepping trajectory of the clinoform rollovers, the occasional preservation of offlap, and the sharp-based nature of the clinoforms. In contrast, the topsets are part of the lowstand systems tracts of the overlying depositional sequences, and are separated from the underlying foresets by truncation surfaces (i.e., subaerial unconformities).The possible environments for the deposition of clinoforms in the Jezero crater range from lacustrine to marine. In the latter case, a connection between the Jezero Basin and a northern ocean can be inferred, allowing for the possibility of tidal processes influencing the patterns of deposition within the deltaic complex. This may explain the rhythmites observed in the deltaic foresets, although other explanations for the cyclic changes in lithology and energy conditions, such as seasonal variations in fluvial discharge and sediment load, are also possible. The location of the Jezero crater in the shoreline area of the Isidis Basin, which is a bay of the northern ocean, may have created a configuration of interconnected embayments able to amplify the otherwise small tidal range expected from the two moons of the planet. Clarification of the paleogeography at the time of deltaic progradation (c. 3.6–3.8 Ga) has major implications for the strategy of exploration for early life forms on Mars. The acquisition of rock samples from the Jezero Basin and the northern ocean are essential to gain further insight into the early land-ocean interaction and possible co-evolution of life and environments on Mars.

Holocene Evolution of the Pearl River Delta: Mapping Integral Isobaths and Delta Progradation

The Pearl River Delta (PRD, China) has undergone complex geological development within a multi-island faulted basin, shaped by the interplay of regional tectonic movements, Quaternary sea-level fluctuations, and fluvial-marine interactions. Despite a great number of studies on the Holocene sedimentary sequences and spatial differences of lithofacies and environments, scant attention has been paid to the overarching human influence on deltaic evolution and coastline modifications since the Neolithic epoch. To further elucidate the spatial variation in Holocene sedimentation and its underlying basement topography shaped during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), we compiled a comprehensive dataset incorporating borehole data from over 2800 cores (the maximum depth can reach 92.5 m) within the PRD. Subsequently, high-resolution isobath maps of Quaternary deltaic deposits were generated, offering unprecedented insights into sediment distribution. This dataset facilitated a nuanced reconstruction of pre-Holocene topography, revealing a zone characterized by elongated, deep-incised valleys governed by NW-SE fault orientations. Further, we delineated coastline shifts since the period of maximum Holocene transgression (~7000 years BP), contributing to an enhanced understanding of the formation and evolutionary patterns of the delta and river network oscillations. Our findings illuminate an increasing anthropogenic impact on the rate of fluvial sedimentation and land growth, particularly accentuated over the last two millennia, favoring deltaic accretion.

Palaeoenvironmental reconstruction of a lower to middle Permian terrestrial composite succession from the Catalan Pyrenees: Implications for the evolution of tetrapod ecosystems in equatorial Pangaea

Tetrapod diversity in Permian terrestrial ecosystems of southwestern Europe is poorly recorded by bone specimens, but it is better represented by an important tetrapod ichnological record that is relevant to our understanding of vertebrate communities in equatorial Pangaea. Herein, two tetrapod ichnoassociations from three new ichnosites, within Cisuralian and Guadalupian volcanosedimentary terrestrial successions (the Lower Red Unit and the Upper Red Unit deposits) of the Castellar de n'Hug sub-basin (Catalan Pyrenees, NE Iberian Peninsula) are presented. Tetrapod ichnology in combination with stratigraphic and facies analyses permit a characterisation of these ecosystems. The sedimentary deposits show an evolution from fluvial meandering systems to playa-lake floodplains, denoting increased aridification and seasonality under a monsoonal regime. The ichnofossil record shows how tetrapod assemblages shifted from a prevalence of non-amniotes and eureptiles to a dominance of therapsids, eureptiles and parareptiles. The reported ichnotaxa are distributed in two ichnoassociations. The first preserves Batrachichnus, Dromopus, Hyloidichnus, Characichnos and an indeterminate tetrapod morphotype, whereas the second is defined by the presence of Dromopus, Hyloidichnus, Brontopus antecursor and Pachypes. The stratigraphically older ichnoassociation, preserved in volcaniclastic and fluvial deposits, presents features of the early Erpetopus biochron, whereas the stratigraphically younger one, preserved in playa-lake deposits, is constrained to the Brontopus sub-biochron. Biostratigraphic and magnetostratigraphic data suggest a late Cisuralian to middle Guadalupian age for the whole succession. The ichnoassemblage highlights a palaeobiogeographical connection between the Pyrenean Basin and other peri-Tethyan basins, which allows us to expand our knowledge about the palaeoecology and palaeobiodiversity of the Cisuralian to Guadalupian terrestrial ecosystems.

Sedimentary facies controls on reservoir quality of the Abu Madi Formation, offshore Nile Delta Basin, Egypt

The present study investigates the sedimentological analysis and petrophysical properties of the Messinian Abu Madi reservoir (AMR), offshore Nile Delta Basin in order to determine how facies heterogeneities control reservoir quality. This approach was performed by integrating core data from Mina-1 well and BE-1 well and wireline logs from four wells (BN-1, BN-2, BE-3 and Mina-1). Based on core studies, seven clastic facies have been identified, of which five form sandstone reservoirs. These facies have accumulated within a deep incised canyon-fill during four successive fluvial sub-environments; braided fluvial channel, point bar, floodplain, and abandoned channel. These fluvial sediments were changed into tidally influenced fluvial/estuarine deposits with aggradational-retrogradational stacking patterns due to a transgressive event during the Messinian time. Based on the well log petrophysical evaluation, the Abu Madi reservoir has a total porosity of 0.20–0.26 v/v and effective porosity in the 0.18–0.25 v/v range. Shale volume ranges from 0.04 to 0.09 v/v, and water saturation ranges between 0.15 and 0.45 v/v. Four reservoir rock types were recognized and interpreted as a function of composition and therefore having different petrophysical characteristics. RRT1 and RRT2 show good petrophysical properties and good reservoir quality. The best reservoir quality occurs in massive sandstones (RRT3), which have porosities up to 26% and permeabilities up to 1440 mD. RRT4 has a poor reservoir quality with porosity of 5.4% and permeability of 0.6 mD. The reservoir porosity heterogeneities and reservoir quality have been strongly impacted by the original composition and primary depositional facies.

On the process of fine sediment infiltration into static gravel bed: A CFD–DEM modelling perspective

AbstractThe gravel bed clogging, caused by infiltration and accumulation of fine sediment, degrades the river ecology. A proper understanding of the infiltration process, and underlying mechanism and causes, are necessary to take preventive measures. The process of fine sediment infiltration into static gravel bed is studied by distinguishing between bridging and percolation behaviours, as they affect the river ecology and physical processes occurring in the river system differently. However, several contradicting observations, concerning their occurrences, are reported. We employed the unresolved CFD–DEM method to simulate and investigate the infiltration process. The theoretical size ratios, corresponding to different geometrical configurations for a binary mixture of mono‐disperse spherical particles, representing bridging and percolation processes, are considered and simulated with and without flowing water effects. The effects of several turbulence models on the infiltration process are also studied. We found that fine sediment infiltration in fluvial deposits is mainly gravity‐dominated, supporting Cui's hypothesis that fine sediment infiltration through intra‐gravel flow is similar to fine sediment infiltration driven by gravity. In contrast to consensus in the field, our results demonstrate that the occurrences of different infiltration processes (bridging and percolation) seem to be independent of gravel bed thickness, rather depend only on the relative grain size distribution of fine sediment and gravel. However, a precise definition of a ‘thick enough’ gravel bed is necessary to distinguish between bridging and percolation behaviours. Here, we hypothesize a suitable gravel bed thickness, which might be regarded as a ‘thick enough’ gravel bed.

Geomorphology, Geoarchaeology, and Geochronology of the Upper Pleistocene Archaeological Site of El Olivo Cave (Llanera, Asturias, Northern Spain)

El Olivo Cave (Pruvia de Arriba, Llanera, Asturias, Spain) is a small karst cave located in the Aboño River basin and formed in the Cretaceous limestone of the Mesozoic cover of the Cantabrian Mountains (north of the Iberian Peninsula). It contains an important upper Pleistocene sedimentary, archaeological, and paleontological record, with abundant technological evidence and faunal remains. The archaeological record shows a first occupation that could correspond to the Middle Paleolithic and a second occupation in the Middle Magdalenian. The stratigraphic sequence inside and outside the cave was studied with geoarchaeological methodology. In this paper, the lithostratigraphic sequence is analyzed, and the data from the granulometric, mineralogical, edaphological, and radiometric analyses are presented. The results of these analyses enable an accurate interpretation of both the lithostratigraphy of the deposit and the processes responsible for its formation and subsequent evolution. The available numerical dates allow us to locate the first sedimentation episode in the cave in OIS 7a, in the Middle Pleistocene, the base of the outer fluvial sedimentation in the cold OIS 3a stage of the Upper Pleistocene and the Magdalenian occupation in the Last Glacial Maximum (OIS 2) at the end of the Late Pleistocene.

Late Pleistocene paleoenvironments and megafauna from the Sierra Madre del Sur flanks and the Central Depression of Chiapas (Southern México)

Pleistocene fluvial sequences have been recognised in some regions of México as an important source of information on past environmental change using a wide range of proxies. However, this has not been attempted in Mexico's southernmost state of Chiapas until the current paper, where the main aim is to describe and date five new Late Pleistocene fossil rich sequences and to interpret their paleoenvironmental record and changes that they indicate. This interpretation is based on the sedimentology, pollen record and stable isotopes from vertebrate fossils together with the radiocarbon dating of the fluvial sediments. At Los Mangos and El Bajión fossil sites the fluvial sediment record reported here includes a conspicuous layer with aerodynamic Fe magnetic microspherules associated with the Younger Dryas (YD) meteorite impact which adds to the type of paleoenvironments in which such meteorite impacts have been recognised. The sediment dating indicates that the fossiliferous sites are Late Pleistocene in age, and they add new locations and information for México for this climatic phase.

Impact of Reduced Fluvial Sediment Supply on Saltwater Intrusion in the Yangtze Estuary

AbstractA decline of the fluvial sediment supply leads to coastal erosion and land loss. However, the fluvial sediment load may influence not only coastal morphodynamics but also estuarine hydrodynamics and associated saltwater intrusion. Previous studies revealed that suspended sediments influence estuarine hydrodynamics through various flow–sediment interactions. In this contribution, we systematically investigate how changes in fluvial sediment load and other climate‐change‐induced environmental change influence estuarine hydrodynamics and sediment dynamics. For this purpose, we utilize a well‐calibrated fully coupled model in which hydrodynamics, saltwater intrusion, and sediment transport interact with each other, to explore saltwater intrusion in the Yangtze Estuary in response to a decline in the sediment load, modified discharge, and sea‐level rise. Model results suggest that a 70% decline in the suspended sediment load weakens the impact of sediments on salinity‐induced stratification and thereby reducing saltwater intrusion. Sea‐level rise or discharge peak reduction increases saltwater intrusion. However, a fully coupled model accounting for sediment effects predicts a much larger increase in saltwater intrusion compared to noncoupled models. Whether this effect is important depends on estuarine sediment concentrations and therefore the potential role of sediments should be carefully investigated before applying a noncoupled model. This work highlights not only the relevance of a suspended sediment decline but also the use of fully coupled models for predicting saltwater intrusion in turbid estuaries and has broad implications for freshwater resource management in turbid estuarine systems influenced by human interventions and climate change.

Microscale iron spherules as a trace of metallurgical activity in Old-Polish Industrial District river valleys

Abstract In the last few centuries, a metallurgical industry based on forges driven by water wheels developed in many European valleys. One such area is the Old-Polish Industrial District (OPID) in Central Poland, which is one of the largest of this type of industrial center. Metallurgical activity developed here from the Prehistoric to modern times. The transformation of metallurgical technology led to the collapse of production, and the ongoing renaturation obliterated most of the traces of former industrial activity. The Magnetic Spherule Separation method used so far in Western Europe, and recently in Poland, has been able to detect traces of former metallurgical activity preserved in alluvium. Fluvial deposits contain microscopic, perfectly spherical iron hammerscales formed during metallurgical production. The results of the study of the alluvium of selected rivers in the OPID indicate the presence of iron spherules of various origin and facies in the sediments of the floodplain, which accumulated during the period of metallurgical activity and were redeposited in modern times. This allows us to estimate, among other things, the age, rate of accumulation and impact of anthropopressure on sedimentation conditions.

RADIOCARBON DATING AND FRESHWATER RESERVOIR EFFECTS OF AQUATIC MOLLUSKS WITHIN FLUVIAL CHANNEL DEPOSITS IN THE MIDWESTERN UNITED STATES

ABSTRACTLate Quaternary fluvial channel deposits are notoriously difficult to date. In the midwestern United States, shells of aquatic mollusks can be found within many fluvial channel sediments and therefore can be radiocarbon (14C) dated to determine the age of the deposits. However, carbonate platform rocks are abundant in this region, potentially causing freshwater 14C reservoir effects (FRE) in mollusk shells. We 14C dated 11 aquatic gastropod and bivalve shell samples from specimens collected live from a stream in southwestern Ohio during three different years to assess the modern 14C reservoir effect. Modern samples yielded an average 14C FREmodern of 518 ± 65 14C yrs for 2020 (n=5), 640 ± 34 14C yrs for 2021 (n=2), and 707 ± 76 14C yrs for 2022 (n=4). We also 14C dated matched pairs of organic wood or charcoal and aquatic mollusk shells from late Pleistocene and Holocene deposits in the Four Mile Creek floodplain to determine the FREfossil. These samples, free of any potential influence from nuclear bomb testing, yielded an overall weighted mean FREfossil of 1029 ± 345 14C yrs. We then assess the advantages and limitations of both the FREmodern and FREfossil methods for determining freshwater reservoir effects. Finally, we apply the FREfossil correction to a series of shell ages from fluvial terrace deposits as a case study. The results indicate that although there is a 14C FRE in streams from the midwestern United States, aquatic shells can provide robust age control on fluvial channel deposits. More research is needed to understand the spatial and temporal variability of FREs, as well as any species effects, among various watersheds across the midwestern United States.

Sedimentary texture of crevasse splays formed by present-day and palaeofloods against the background of floodplain geomorphology and lithofacies exposed in channel cut banks (in the Vistula River valley between Warsaw and Płock, Poland)

Abstract On the floodplain of a sandy, braided river in the Central European Lowland, we studied the sedimentary texture of two crevasse splays, which were: (1) formed due to a levee breach in the 2010 flood, and widely documented by hydrological, bathymetric and LIDAR data, (2) developed under natural conditions when the channel was not embanked by artificial levees (dikes). We compare the sedimentological results with a geomorphological map, a model of the floodplain geomorphology showing different facies of fluvial deposition derived from a meandering river, and deposits in cut banks of the river channel. The statistical parameters of the grain size composition and geomorphic features of the splay, shaped by overbank flow through the broken embankment, are similar to the natural landform. Most of the cut banks (60% of alluvial deposits were mapped there) consist of lithofacies representing proximal floodplain; 30% were distal floodplain (muds), and 10% channel (coarse sand with gravel, pebbles and cobbles). We speculate about the palaeogeography of the Lower Vistula, and the origin of muds and coarse deposits in the banks of the channel. We link these unusual sediments with avulsion, deposition in side arms during ice-jam conditions, and dredging of the channel bottom by suction excavator, which reached the fluvioglacial, suballuvial layer on the bedrock protrusion.

The long-term dynamics of invasive signal crayfish forcing of fluvial sediment supply via riverbank burrowing

Animals are important drivers of sediment dynamics. Invasive signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) have been shown to supply sediment to rivers by burrowing into riverbanks. Burrowing directly transfers excavated sediment into the river and also has an additional indirect affect by promoting riverbank failure. While previous research has isolated burrow densities at a point in time, rates of burrow construction and of burrow loss due to erosion are unknown, which introduces uncertainty into estimates of how much sediment burrows contribute to rivers. Here we report results from a 5-year study that evaluated the temporal dynamics of crayfish populations, rates of burrow loss due to erosion, and the mass of sediment directly supplied to rivers by burrow excavation. At ten reaches across five lowland streams in England, we estimated the mass of sediment displaced by 1861 new and previously constructed burrows. Both crayfish and burrow densities were variable over time, suggesting that burrows contribute temporally variable amounts of fine sediment to riverine systems. 42 % of observed burrows were constructed within the previous 365 days, and individual burrows lasted on average 461 days. Applying this to comparable historical data, an average of 2.0 t km−1 a−1 of sediment was excavated to construct burrows in the study reaches, which is eight times more than estimated in previous studies. Whilst total burrow densities in each year were not consistently correlated with contemporary crayfish densities, the mass of sediment excavated over the prior year was strongly correlated with contemporary crayfish densities. Current fine sediment management practices are largely aimed at controlling fine sediment delivery, predominately from agricultural activities, but biotic burrowing into riverbanks may represent an important and overlooked source of fine sediment supply. Incorporation of biotic processes in sediment dynamics would improve the accuracy of fluvial sediment budgets and enhance the knowledge base underpinning effective fine-sediment management practices.

Investigating weathering signatures in terrestrial muds: Can climatic signatures be separated from provenance?

Siliciclastic muds (clay- and silt-sized sediment) concentrate physical and chemical weathering products. However, both rock composition and climate can affect the mineralogy and geochemistry of these sediments. We quantitatively assessed the influence of provenance and climate on muds collected from end-member climates to test, which, if any, of these potential weathering signatures are indicative of climate in fine-grained, fluvial sediments. Granulometry, mineralogy, and geochemistry of the studied muds indicated that provenance and mineral sorting hinder interpretation of (paleo)climate signals. These issues also affect chemical index of alteration (CIA) values, as well as mafic-felsic-weathering (MFW), Al2O3−(CaO* + Na2O)−K2O (A-CN-K), and Al2O3−(CaO* + Na2O + K2O)−(FeOT + MgO) (A-CNK-FM) ternary plots, decreasing their utility as paleoclimate proxies. CaO content is heavily weighted within the calculations, resulting in even felsic-sourced sediment commonly plotting as mafic owing to the relative enrichment in CaO from preferential sorting of Ca-rich minerals into the mud-sized fraction during transport. These results cast doubt on the indiscriminate use of CIA values and ternary plots for interpreting chemical weathering and paleoclimate within muds, particularly from glacial systems. Most notably, the positive correlations between CIA and climatic parameters (mean annual temperature and mean annual precipitation) diminished when sediments that had formed in nonglacial settings were filtered out from the data sets. This implies that CIA may only be applicable when used in nonglacial systems in which the composition of the primary source material is well constrained—such as soil/paleosol profiles. Within this end-member climate data set, CIA was only useful in discriminating hot-humid climates.

Modern Sedimentation Patterns in Lake Issyk Kul (Kyrgyzstan), Derived From Surface Sediment and Inlet Stream Samples

AbstractThis study provides a descriptive characterization of the modern sedimentary processes in Lake Issyk Kul, Kyrgyzstan, important for the selection of a suitable coring or deep‐drilling site, interpretation of future core data and applicability of proxies. The quasi‐equidistant sampling grid of 66 sediment surface samples covers the entirety of the lake basin and is complemented by 10 samples from the major inflows. The methodological approach includes geochemical, granulometric, lipid biomarker, diatom, and statistical analyses. The quantitative and qualitative changes in sediment composition yield information on its generic origin and prevailing transport and depositional environments. The composition of the surface sediments in Issyk Kul is highly heterogenous. Nearshore deposition is mainly controlled by wave action and by fluvial sediment supply with highest quantities of detrital input coming from the high‐energetic, eastern tributaries. Sediments in the deep central basin are mainly produced in situ and dominated by authigenic calcite. Biogenic accumulation is overall low, except for the western extremity of the lake, where the nearshore, shallow‐water, and low‐energetic environment favors aquatic productivity and subsequent preservation of organic material and diatoms. Redeposition of sediments is a dominant process along the slopes across the southern and western basin floor, where run‐out distances of mass movement deposits are up to 5 km. Directional sediment transport by lake currents appears to be less important, except for the transport of very fine‐grained organic matter. Biomarker‐inferred temperature reconstructions suggest lake surface temperatures of ∼15°C in the western littoral zone and in Tyup Bay and a decrease to ∼13°C basinward.

Late Quaternary river evolution and its response to climate changes in the upper Mekong River of the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau

Multiple continental-scale large rivers originate from the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau (QTP), known as the “Asia Water Tower”, because of glacial melting. However, the timing of fluvial processes in the headwaters of these large rivers and their correlation with global climate changes remain uncertain. Among these rivers, the Mekong River, the third-longest in Asia, flows through the southeastern QTP. In this study, we investigated fluvial terraces, buried paleochannels, hillslope-derived colluvium, and remnants of dammed lake in the Nangqian Basin, which is in the headwaters of the Mekong. We reconstructed the fluvial aggradation and incision history employing optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating. Our results suggest that orbital-scale climate changes have significantly influenced fluvial processes in the Nangqian Basin since the Late Pleistocene. During marine isotope stage (MIS) 3 (57–29 ka), a relatively warm period within the last glacial epoch, the Nangqian Basin experienced aggradation of fluvial sediment. Subsequently, during the later part of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) (21–17 ka), episodic landslides and debris flows caused valley infilling, resulting in river blockage and the formation of a dammed lake. At around 16 ka, the Mekong in the Nangqian Basin shifted from aggradation to fluvial incision. Since the late Holocene, the basin returned to aggradation, forming a new terrace at around 1.1 ka. This may be due to the combination of decreased stream power and increased sediment supply, potentially linked to intensified human activities and its associated vegetation degradation. Overall, our study highlights the close links between glaciation and fluvial processes in the region. Specifically, we propose that the observed aggradation pattern during the last glacial period on the plateau primarily resulted from substantial detrital input from glacier activities. The transition from aggradation to incision during the last deglacial period is likely influenced by increased discharge from glacier meltwater. The presence of colluvium interbedded within the late LGM fluvial sediment sequences highlights the significant impact of climate changes on fluvial processes in the headwater areas of the QTP, especially those events stemming from hillslope activity, such as landslides and debris flows.

Luminescence fingerprints fluvial sediment transport from the Tibetan Plateau to the Bangladesh Delta

Fluvial sediment fingerprinting employs various methods, directly link sink and source. However, the identification and quantification of the transformation that sediments experience during fluvial transport remain unclear. The luminescence properties of quartz and K-feldspar change during the burial/exposure to sunlight cycles undergone by fluvial sediments, potentially allow scientists to trace fluvial sediment transport. Here, we report on changes in luminescence properties in active river bars from source to sink along the Yarlung Tsangpo-Brahmaputra River system. Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) sensitivities and residual doses of quartz and K-feldspar within the fluvial sediments are used for the fingerprint method. Source rock is identified as the primary determinant of regional variations in quartz OSL sensitivities within fluvial sediments along the Yarlung Tsangpo River, while transportation distance governs local changes. Samples from narrower river channels with higher normalized channel steepnesses (Ksn) along the Yarlung Tsangpo River exhibit higher residual doses. Furthermore, the Brahmaputra River exhibits higher residual dose values compared to the Old Brahmaputra River. The sediments' residual doses are therefore employed to fingerprint fluvial erosion ability. Our luminescence fingerprint results indicate that coarse-grained fractions experience a “dilution” effect due to the input of new sediments after traveling approximately 50-200 km along the Yarlung Tsangpo River and about 50-100 km along the Brahmaputra-Old Brahmaputra River course. The comparison of luminescence (quartz and feldspar) and detrital zircon fingerprinting within the fluvial sediment holds the potential to trace weathering and erosion cycles during transportation in large river contexts.

Constraining flow and sediment transport intermittency in the geological past

Quantitative investigations of ancient rivers usually provide insights into either instantaneous or mean flow conditions. There is a critical gap between these time scales of investigation, which reflects the intermittency of flow and sediment transport, and closing this gap is crucial to fully explore the dynamics and evolution of ancient fluvial landscapes. Here, we combined fluvial stratigraphic data sets, flow and sediment transport models, and paleoclimate general circulation model (GCM) results to develop new methods to estimate intermittency in the geological past, specifically flow intermittency factors (Iw) and sediment transport intermittency factors (Is), and we show how they can be used to explore past hydrograph shapes. We illustrated these methods using the Upper Cretaceous Last Chance Ferron Sandstone in Utah, western United States. For sand-transporting flow conditions in Last Chance Ferron rivers, we estimated Iw values of 0.54−0.90, which imply that channel-forming conditions were sustained for the majority of the year, consistent with perennial systems in which relatively large discharges were sustained. In contrast, for gravel-transporting flow conditions, Iw values of 0.28−0.38 suggest that the largest formative flows may have occupied Last Chance Ferron rivers for nearly a third of the year, which could be explained by a monsoonal system in which high-magnitude discharge events were sustained, or a subtropical system in which high-magnitude discharge events had short durations but high frequencies. Meanwhile, Is values of 0.075−0.15 suggest that annual sediment budgets could have been transported in as little as 10 days and up to 2 months, if channel-forming conditions were sustained, and these values highlight that small changes in the duration of channel-forming conditions could significantly impact sediment budgets. Our results are consistent with independent facies- and proxy-based insights into Last Chance Ferron rivers, which point to a perennially wet system characterized by a monsoonal or subtropical discharge regime. Further, our results highlight new opportunities to use paleoclimate GCMs to constrain intermittency factors in the geological past. Going forward, paleoclimate GCMs will be particularly useful where the rock record is incomplete or inaccessible, or where stratigraphic approaches are limited, and they will enable us to tackle pertinent research questions pertaining to past surface processes on both Earth and other planets.

The Neogene to Quaternary evolution of the Neuquén Andes broken foreland forced by tectonic, climatic and surface processes (southern Central Andes)

The Andes offer a distinctive example of the intricate interplay among climate, tectonics, and surface processes. This is exemplified by the mountain range's north-south orientation, which contrasts with the prevailing east-west wind direction. This interplay controls the uplift evolution of the broken foreland and thus the sediment transfer and erosion from mountain ranges to their forelands. The Neuquén Andes is a peculiar segment of the southern Central Andes, registering dramatic North-South variabilities in elevation, climate, and tectonic intensities established during the Neogene and Quaternary. In this study, we aimed to identify the tectono-stratigraphic evidence of the Neogene to Quaternary evolution of paleo-environments and drainage networks in the intramountainous basin of Pampa de Agua Amarga in the broken foreland of the southern Neuquén Andes of Argentina.Starting with a non-depositional and/or erosional phase during the Paleogene, the Pampa de Agua Amarga Basin underwent several phases of syn-orogenic sedimentation in the late Oligocene to early Miocene. The basin gradually shifted from a lacustrine to an alluvial depositional environment, with alluvial deposits becoming dominant in the mid-Miocene and fluvial deposits dominating in the Pliocene. A significant event occurred during the late Pliocene to early Pleistocene when coarse fluvial deposits were deposited, marking the last aggradation phase. In the early Pleistocene, the onset of incision triggered the drainage system to cut through the downstream topographic barrier. The excavation of the basin was abrupt, as evidenced by a mid-Pleistocene stepped fluvial terrace and alluvial fan that filled a large canyon across the southern end of the downstream topographic barrier.The study confirms the regional trend that Miocene basin infill is related to dry climate and high tectonic uplift, which overwhelmed the erosive power of the drainage network. The lowering of tectonic uplift intensity in the southern Neuquén Basin during the Plio-Pleistocene, along with sudden fluctuations in the global colder and wetter climate, ultimately led to the excavation of the intramountainous basin. The Westerlies Wind Belts generate high precipitation rates in the southern Neuquén Andean Cordillera, feeding the Negro River catchment in the retroarc Andean broken foreland. Consequently, the erosive power of the Negro River catchment overcame the declining tectonic uplift, causing significant erosion of the entire broken foreland and Cordillera of the southern Neuquén Andes. Conversely, more intense tectonic uplifts in the northern Neuquén Andes built a more effective orographic barriers that limited precipitation rates of both the Westerlies Wind Belt and South America Summer Monsoon, and preserved the intramountainous basins and mountain interior from erosion.