Quaternary History Research Articles

Quaternary history of the Kiseiba Oasis region, southern Egypt

Kiseiba Oasis and depression are located in southern Egypt between the Selima Sand Sheet to the west and the Nile to the east, an important area that hosted Late Cenozoic drainage, Middle Pleistocene lakes, and numerous Paleolithic and Neolithic cultural sites. A synthesis of orbital data, field surveying and near-surface stratigraphy provides new insights into the Quaternary history of this region. Shuttle Imaging Radar data show a complex of fluvial channels that are due to stringers of surficial fluvial lag, subsurface fluvial deposits, and areas of deep alluvium. Three topographic surfaces are described: 1) the Atmur El-Kibeish, above 230 m elevation, which displays a linear pattern of light radar returns, possibly formed from northeast drainage; 2) the Acheulean Surface, at 200 m elevation, that has dark radar patterns resulting from thick alluvium bounded by pebble sand and calcrete strata, and 3) the Kiseiba Surface, below 190 m, that has a complex series of surface and subsurface fluvial and aeolian sediments. Initial drainage from the Early through Middle Pleistocene was to the northeast, which may have lasted through the Last Interglacial. Later reworking of sediments during the Last Glacial Maximum and the Holocene resulted in topographic inversion, with any subsequent local drainage on the Kiseiba Surface to the southwest, towards the Kiseiba Scarp.

Phylogeography of Monochamus galloprovincialis, the European vector of the pinewood nematode

We reconstructed the phylogeography of European populations of Monochamus galloprovincialis (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae), the European vector of the pinewood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus. This study investigated the Quaternary history of M. galloprovincialis and tested whether environmental parameters and/or host tree species influenced the genetic structure of M. galloprovincialis populations. Twelve polymorphic microsatellite loci and a Bayesian analysis were applied to 1098 individuals of M. galloprovincialis from 45 European locations. The continental populations formed five main genetic clusters, typical of postglacial recolonization routes observed for temperate biota associated with pine trees. The distribution of clusters formed boundaries along mountain ranges, indicating a potential role of elevation as a large-scale barrier to dispersal for this species. The correlation between environmental parameters and the distribution of genetic clusters of M. galloprovincialis was investigated using a partial redundancy analysis and showed an effect of precipitation rather than host tree species. From an applied perspective, these results suggest that climatic conditions and elevation may constitute barriers to the dispersal of M. galloprovincialis and the associated PWN.

Late Quaternary stratigraphy of the La Janda Basin (SW Spain) - first results and palaeoenvironmental significance

The La Janda basin in southern Spain is a near-shore geo-bio-archive comprising a variable Quaternary depositional history, with shallow marine, lacustrine, palustrine, and terrestrial strata. In the 1930s the lake was drained and is serving now as a huge agricultural area. The 33 m-core recovered in fall 2016 along with several shallower drill cores up to c. 15 m, reveals insights into a unique mixed terrestrial palaeo-environmental archive in Andalucia influenced by the Atlantic Ocean and hence the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) within the Gulf of Cadiz. The basin's evolution was influenced both by the postglacial marine transgression and by an active tectonic fault controlling most of the accommodation space by causing subsidence. Our long core was accompanied by further corings along an E-W striking transect in order to reveal also the relation of the influence of tectonic activity with sedimentary sequences. Multi-Sensor Core Logging has been completed. Results of sedimentological, geochemical and micropalaeontological analyses will be presented in the frame of the climate variations during the Late Pleistocene and the Holocene, along with a preliminary age-depth model based on radiocarbon (AMS-14C) and optical stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating techniques. Our investigations ultimately aim at providing valuable information on major Late Pleistocene to Holocene climatic and palaeo-environmental fluctuations in the southernmost part of the Iberian Peninsula.

Distribution of ostracods in west-central Argentina related to host-water chemistry and climate: implications for paleolimnology

Ecological and biogeographical studies of Neotropical non-marine ostracods are rare, although such information is needed to develop reliable paleoecological and paleoclimatic reconstructions for the region. An extensive, yet little explored South American area of paleoclimatic interest, is the arid-semiarid ecotone (Arid Diagonal) that separates arid Patagonia from subtropical/tropical northern South America, and lies at the intersection of the Pacific and Atlantic atmospheric circulation systems. This study focused on the Laguna Llancanelo basin, Argentina, a Ramsar site located within the Arid Diagonal, and was designed to build a modern dataset using ostracods (diversity, spatial distribution, seasonality, habitat preferences) and water chemistry. Cluster and multivariate analysis of the data indicated that salinity is the most significant variable segregating two ostracod groups. Limnocythere aff. staplini is the only species that develops abundant populations in the saline ephemeral Laguna Llancanelo during almost all seasons, and is accompanied by scarce Cypridopsis vidua in summer. The latter species is abundant in freshwater lotic sites, where Ilyocypris ramirezi, Herpetocypris helenae, and Cyprididae indet. are also found in large numbers. Darwinula stevensoni, Penthesilenula incae, Heterocypris incongruens, Chlamydotheca arcuata, Chlamydotheca sp., Herpetocypris helenae, and Potamocypris smaragdina prefer freshwater lentic conditions (springs), with C. arcuata and Chlamydotheca sp. found only in the Carapacho warm spring, which has a year-round constant temperature of ~20 °C. Seasonal sampling was necessary because some taxa display a highly seasonal distribution. Species that were recorded have either subtropical or Patagonian affinities, although a few taxa are endemic or common to both regions. These data can serve as modern analogues for reconstructing the late Quaternary history of the area, and to investigate the extent and position of the arid/semiarid ecotone (Arid Diagonal) during past glacial/interglacial cycles.

Terrace formation in the upper Bengal basin since the Middle Pleistocene: Brahmaputra fan delta construction during multiple highstands

AbstractFloodplains, paleosols, and antecedent landforms near the apex of the Brahmaputra fan delta in north‐central Bangladesh preserve cycles of fluvial sediment deposition, erosion and weathering. Together these landforms and their associated deposits comprise morphostratigraphic units that define the river's history and have influenced its channel position and avulsion behaviour through the Late Quaternary. Previously, temporal differentiation within these units has not been sufficient to decipher their sequence of deposition, an important step in understanding the spatial pattern of migration of the Brahmaputra River. Holocene units in this region are fairly well established by radiocarbon dating of in situ organic material, but pre‐Holocene units are considered Pleistocene‐aged if organic material is dated >48 000 year BP (the limit of radiocarbon dating) or the sediments are positioned beneath a prominent paleosol, interpreted as a buried soil horizon that developed during a previous sea level lowstand. In such cases, these morphostratigraphic units have been broadly interpreted as Pleistocene without knowing their absolute depositional ages or relative evolutionary chronology. Here we use detailed sediment analysis to better differentiate morphostratigraphic units at the Brahmaputra's avulsion node, establishing the sequence of deposition and subsequent weathering of these bodies. We then test this relative chronology by luminescence dating of the sands beneath these landform surfaces. This work provides the first absolute depositional age constraints of terrace sediments for the Middle to Late Pleistocene Brahmaputra River and upper Bengal basin. The luminescence ages are complemented by detailed compositional trends in the terrace deposits, including clay mineralogy and the degree of weathering. Together, these newly dated and carefully described morphostratigraphic units reflect eustasy‐driven cycles of terrace development by way of highstand floodplain deposition and subsequent lowstand exposure and weathering, along with active tectonic deformation. Defining this Late Quaternary history of terrace development and position of the Brahmaputra River is a first step toward an integrated understanding of basin and delta evolution over multiple glacioeustatic cycles and tectonically relevant timescales.

About this title ‐ Engineering Geology and Geomorphology of Glaciated and Periglaciated Terrains – Engineering Group Working Party Report

The Engineering Group of the Geological Society Working Party brought together experts in glacial and periglacial geomorphology, Quaternary history, engineering geology and geotechnical engineering to establish best practice when working in former glaciated and periglaciated environments. The Working Party addressed outdated terminology and reviewed the latest academic research to provide an up-to-date understanding of glaciated and periglaciated terrains. This transformative, state-of-the-art volume is the outcome of five years of deliberation and synthesis by the Working Party. This is an essential reference text for practitioners, students and academics working in these challenging ground conditions. The narrative style, and a comprehensive glossary and photo-catalogue of active and relict sediments, structures and landforms make this material relevant and accessible to a wide readership.

Analysis of structure and composition of soil cover in the Salym-Irtysh interfluve based on updated medium-scale soil map

Specific features of the structure and composition of the soil cover in the Salym-Irtysh interfluve, Western Siberian Lowland, are studied with consideration of the capabilities of digital mapping. The properties of predominating and accompanying soils, which determine the modern status of boreal landscapes, are evaluated. Aspects of genesis and the Quaternary history of the investigated region are analyzed by a comparative approach. Possible trends of soil-plant cover transformation under climate changes are discussed.

Reviews of Books and Maps

AGRICULTURE IN THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND, by Desmond A. Gillmor (Geography of world agriculture, volume 7). Budapest: Akademiai Kiado, 1977. 202 pp.PEASANT OPENFIELD FARMING AND ITS TERRITORIAL ORGANISATION IN COUNTY TIPPERARY, by Ingeborg Leister.Marburg: Marburger Geographische Schriften, 1976. 100 pp.SOURCES FOR LOCAL STUDIES, by William Nolan. Department of Geography, Carysfort College, 1977, 61 pp.COUNTY LEITRIM RESOURCE SURVEY. Part III ‐ Demography, Sociology and Economics. Dublin: An Foras Taluntais, 1975. 101 pp. £2.00.THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE IRISH TOWN, edited by R. A. Butlin. London: Croom Helm, 1977. 144 pp. £6.95.NATIONALISM AND SOCIALISM IN TWENTIETH‐CENTURY IRELAND, by E. Rumpf and A. C. Hepburn. Liverpool: the University Press, 1977. 275 pp. £15–25.THE QUATERNARY HISTORY OF THE IRISH SEA, edited by C. Kidson and M. J. Tooley. Liverpool: Seel House Press, 1977. 345 pp. £16.00.MEDIEVAL MOATED SITES OF S.E. IRELAND, by Terence B. Barry. London: British Archaeological Reports, 35, 1977. 247 pp., £4.70.LIFE AND TRADITION IN RURAL IRELAND, by Timothy P. O'Neill. London: J. M. Dent & Sons, 1977. 122 pp. £9.95.SERVICE‐TYPE EMPLOYMENT AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT, by Michael J. Bannon, James G. Eustace and Mary Power. Dublin: Stationery Office, National Economic and Social Council report no. 28, undated (1977) 142 pp. £0.55.CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR, MOTIVATION AND PERCEPTION : A STUDY OF DUBLIN, by A. J. Parker. Dublin: Department of Geography, University College, 1976. 265 pp. £2.50.SOILS OF COUNTY WESTMEATH, by T. F. Finch. Dublin: An Foras Taluntais, National Soil Survey of Ireland, Soil Survey Bulletin No. 33, 1977. 100 pp. £5.THE SUGAR INDUSTRY IN IRELAND, by Michael Foy. Dublin: Comhlucht Siúicre Éireann Teo., 1976. 159 pp.THE RELEVANCE OF THE INTERNATIONAL HYDROLOGICAL DECADE TO ULSTER, by R. Common. Belfast: Department of Geography, Queen's University, Departmental Research Paper No. 1, 1977. 160 pp.THE CHANGING FORTUNES OF MARGINAL REGIONS, edited by P. G. Sadler and G. A. Mackay. Aberdeen: Institute for the Study of Sparsely Populated Areas, undated. 163 pp. £2.85.DUBLIN'S WOOD QUAY, by Nuala Burke. Drumconrath: Civic Heritage Publications, 1977. 46 pp. £3.30.MAP REVIEWTHE BURREN: A MAP OF THE UPLANDS OF NORTH‐WEST CLARE, EIRE, by T. D. Robinson: Cill Ronain, published by the author, 1977. 92 cm × 65 cm. £1.10.

Quaternary history and landscape evolution of a high-altitude intermountain basin at the western end of the Himalayan-Tibetan orogen, Waqia Valley, Chinese Pamir

Quaternary valley fills and landforms in the Waqia valley of the Chinese Pamir were examined using geomorphic mapping, geomorphic and sedimentological analysis of landforms and sediments, and cosmogenic 10Be surface exposure dating. Six sets of moraines (M-1 to M-6) are identified and date to the penultimate or an older glacial cycle (M-1), penultimate glacial cycle (M-2), early last glacial and probably Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage (MIS) 4 (M-3), MIS 2 (M-4), Late Glacial (M-5), and early Holocene (M-6). Younger moraines are also present, but these were not examined in detail. Alluvial fans and outwash/river terraces are present throughout the valley. Four surfaces on alluvial fans and river terraces were dated to ~580ka (T-1), ~120ka (T-2), ~100ka (T-3), and ~70ka (T-4). Large landslide and lacustrine deposits are common within the valley fills and represent periods of major slope instability and possible damming of drainages. Glacial processes dominate the western side of the valley; landsliding is the leading process on its eastern side. Defining the nature and timing of landform formation in this valley highlights the punctuated nature of landform evolution in the Himalaya and Tibet and provides a framework for considering the abundant valley fill successions elsewhere in the orogen.

Phylogeography of Quercus aquifolioides provides novel insights into the Neogene history of a major global hotspot of plant diversity in south‐west China

AbstractAimHotspots of biodiversity are often associated with areas that have undergone orogenic activity during recent geological history. Mountain uplifts are known to catalyse species radiation but their impact on evolutionarily stable taxa such as many trees remains little understood. The oak Quercus aquifolioides is endemic to yet widely distributed across the Hengduanshan Biodiversity Hotspot in the Eastern Himalayas. Here, we investigate how the region's Neogene and Quaternary history has driven the species' past population dynamics and the resulting extant patterns of intraspecific diversity.LocationHengduanshan Biodiversity Hotspot in SW China.MethodsWe sampled 58 populations throughout the species range and genotyped a total of 959 individuals at four chloroplast DNA fragments and 11 nuclear microsatellite loci. Phylogenetic reconstructions, molecular dating techniques and ancestral area reconstructions were used in combination with population genetic statistics to infer the biogeographical history of Q. aquifolioides. The phylogeographical study was complemented by a survey of fossil records and a niche modelling exercise.ResultsCombined molecular and fossil evidence indicates that Q. aquifolioides descended during the late Miocene from the central Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau into Tibet and the western Sichuan Plateau, and from there, into the area of highest endemism in the Hengduan Mountains sensu lato. Great apparent population stability and a haplotype ‘radiation’ in this area contrasted with marked extinction–recolonization dynamics and reduced population diversity in Tibet. We found evidence for extremely limited seed gene flow but extensive pollen gene flow (global FST: cpDNA = 0.98, nSSR = 0.07) with signals of asymmetric pollen dispersal from the Hengduan Mountains into Tibet.Main conclusionOur results provide insights of unprecedented detail into the ancient biogeographical history of the Hengduanshan Biodiversity Hotspot, suggesting that past environmental changes in the region may have catalysed radiative diversifications within species much in the same way as among species.

Grave Matters: Mediating Corporeal Objects and Subjects through Mortuary Practices

Grave Matters: Mediating Corporeal Objects and Subjects through Mortuary Practices

Acceleration of thaw slump activity in glaciated landscapes of the Western Canadian Arctic

Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of thermokarst, but the influences of regional climate and physiography remain poorly understood. Retrogressive thaw slumping is one of the most dynamic forms of thermokarst and affects many areas of glaciated terrain across northwestern Canada. In this study, we used airphotos and satellite imagery to investigate the influence of climate and landscape factors on thaw slump dynamics. We assessed slump size, density, and growth rates in four regions of ice-rich terrain with contrasting climate and physiographic conditions: the Jesse Moraine, the Tuktoyaktuk Coastlands, the Bluenose Moraine, and the Peel Plateau. Observed increases in: (1) the area impacted by slumps (+2 to +407%), (2) average slump sizes (+0.31 to +1.82 ha), and (3) slump growth rates (+169 to +465 m2 yr−1) showed that thermokarst activity is rapidly accelerating in ice-rich morainal landscapes in the western Canadian Arctic, where slumping has become a dominant driver of geomorphic change. Differences in slump characteristics among regions indicate that slump development is strongly influenced by topography, ground ice conditions, and Quaternary history. Observed increases in slump activity occurred in conjunction with increases in air temperature and precipitation, but variation in slump activity among the four regions suggests that increased precipitation has been an important driver of change. Our observation that the most rapid intensification of slump activity occurred in the coldest environment (the Jesse Moraine on Banks Island) indicates that ice-cored landscapes in cold permafrost environments are highly vulnerable to climate change.

Simulating the thermal regime and thaw processes of ice-rich permafrost ground with the land-surface model CryoGrid 3

Abstract. Thawing of permafrost in a warming climate is governed by a complex interplay of different processes of which only conductive heat transfer is taken into account in most model studies. However, observations in many permafrost landscapes demonstrate that lateral and vertical movement of water can have a pronounced influence on the thaw trajectories, creating distinct landforms, such as thermokarst ponds and lakes, even in areas where permafrost is otherwise thermally stable. Novel process parameterizations are required to include such phenomena in future projections of permafrost thaw and subsequent climatic-triggered feedbacks. In this study, we present a new land-surface scheme designed for permafrost applications, CryoGrid 3, which constitutes a flexible platform to explore new parameterizations for a range of permafrost processes. We document the model physics and employed parameterizations for the basis module CryoGrid 3, and compare model results with in situ observations of surface energy balance, surface temperatures, and ground thermal regime from the Samoylov permafrost observatory in NE Siberia. The comparison suggests that CryoGrid 3 can not only model the evolution of the ground thermal regime in the last decade, but also consistently reproduce the chain of energy transfer processes from the atmosphere to the ground. In addition, we demonstrate a simple 1-D parameterization for thaw processes in permafrost areas rich in ground ice, which can phenomenologically reproduce both formation of thermokarst ponds and subsidence of the ground following thawing of ice-rich subsurface layers. Long-term simulation from 1901 to 2100 driven by reanalysis data and climate model output demonstrate that the hydrological regime can both accelerate and delay permafrost thawing. If meltwater from thawed ice-rich layers can drain, the ground subsides, as well as the formation of a talik, are delayed. If the meltwater pools at the surface, a pond is formed that enhances heat transfer in the ground and leads to the formation of a talik. The model results suggest that the trajectories of future permafrost thaw are strongly influenced by the cryostratigraphy, as determined by the late Quaternary history of a site.

Quaternary history of an endemic passerine bird on Corsica Island: Glacial refugium and impact of recent forest regression

Molecular studies support the hypothesis that Corsica Island was a glacial refugium for a number of forest birds during the Pleistocene. We focused on the Corsican nuthatch (Sitta whiteheadi), an endemic passerine strongly associated with the laricio pine (Pinus nigra laricio). The range of laricio pine has been impacted by the Pleistocene glacial periods and forest has been recently fragmented by cutting and fires. Using both molecular (mitochondrial and nuclear) and morphological characters, we assessed the variation within the nuthatch population. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that the Corsican nuthatch endured through the late Pleistocene and Holocene climatic variations, and sustained the subsequent cycles of forests reduction/expansion. The results also suggest that the recent anthropization of the landscape resulted in the isolation of a cluster of populations in the northern part of the island. The fragmentation of the habitat of the nuthatch may impede the future of the bird by creating isolated population units between which the gene flow is reduced.

Channels and gullies on the continental slope seaward of a cross-shelf trough, Labrador margin, eastern Canada

The Labrador Shelf is characterized by several cross-shelf troughs separated by intervening shallower banks. The troughs were probably occupied by fast-flowing ice streams in the Late Pleistocene. Hopedale Saddle trough has a long Quaternary history of till progradation at the shelf edge, and the modern continental slope developed over a major 0.3 Ma shelf-edge failure complex. The upper slope exhibits a series of relatively narrow and deep gullies, whereas the mid-slope contains wider and shallower channels that are locally anastomosing (Fig. 1a). The erosional submarine landforms on the slope are likely to be linked to the delivery of dense sediment-rich meltwater to the shelf edge from a full-glacial ice stream (Piper et al. 2012). Fig. 1. Multibeam bathymetry and seismic profile of gullies and channels on the continental slope in the central Hopedale Saddle region, offshore of Labrador. ( a ) Swath-bathymetric image. Examples of areas of convergent (C) and divergent (D) channel sections are labelled. IL, inner levee; T, incised-thalweg channel. White arrows indicate examples of artefacts. Acquisition system Kongsberg EM300. Frequency 30 kHz. Grid-cell size 10 m. ( b ) Location of study area (red box; map from GEBCO_08). ( c ) Seismic-reflection profile x–x′ across several channels along the mid-slope (located in (a)). VE×17. Acquisition system Sleeve-gun. Frequency 120–850 Hz. MIS, Marine Isotope Stage; GFD, glacigenic debris-flow; H, Heinrich Layer. ( d ) Enlarged oblique …

The Quaternary History of The Western Desert of Egypt as Recorded in The Abu EI-Egl Playa

In the Abu El-Egl playa basin between Kharga and Dakhla, below the Abu Tartur plateau, over 10 m thick thinly stratified sediments remain as long dissected ridges. On the basis of luminescence ages they were deposited during the humid period in the Sahara corresponding to MIS 5, up to a level of a lake at about 180 m a.s.l. The floor, at about 170 m a.s.l., consisting of homogenous loamy material and sands with an early Holocene luminescence age, surrounds the ridges. The playa floor was later occupied at about 7000 yr BP according to radiocarbon ages of charcoal from fireplaces and a sample of ostrich eggshell. The main erosion of the old lake sediments was assumed to have taken place during the humid period of MIS 3, before the subsequent arid period of MIS 2. This is supported by the finds of Middle Palaeolithic artefacts on the playa floor between the ridges of the eroded lake sediments.

The Late Quaternary History and Groundwater Quality of a Coastal Aquifer, San Diego, California

Prior to World War II, the City of San Diego, California, extracted millions of gallons of high-quality groundwater daily from alluvial gravels in the lower San Diego River Valley that have since become contaminated with brackish water and hydrocarbons. The origin of this brackish groundwater and of the Quaternary sedimentary geology of the valley is interpreted through archived reports, journal articles, U.S. Geological Survey data, and samples from new city wells in the alluvial gravels. Eocene sediments were inundated by seawater during the last interglacial period (ca. 120 ka), when sea levels were ∼19 ft (6 m) higher than present levels. The brackish groundwater present in these Eocene sediments appears to be relict seawater from this inundation. We hypothesize that the city’s pre–World War II well field—referred to herein as the Mission Valley Aquifer—was a buried channel gravel created following the Last Glacial Maximum of the Pleistocene Epoch (∼20 ka). As such, it would have been similar to other long (∼11 km, 7 mi) buried channel gravels along the southern Californian coast described in previous reports. We present evidence of groundwater freshening of the Eocene sedimentary rock that has led to increasing total dissolved solids in the Mission Valley Aquifer, which acts as a high-permeability drain for the valley. Freshening occurs as a Ca-HCO3 groundwater replaces a Na-Cl water, which we propose was derived from the marine inundation of 120 ka.

From source to sink: Exploring the Quaternary history of the Nile

From source to sink: Exploring the Quaternary history of the Nile

Pliocene–Quaternary contourite depositional system along the south-western Adriatic margin: changes in sedimentary stacking pattern and associated bottom currents

The Pliocene–Quaternary history of the south-western Adriatic margin, represented by a complex contourite depositional system, records the palaeoceanography of the basin and the interactions between oceanographic processes and the uneven slope morphology that resulted from tectonic deformation. Three main stages can be recognized: (1) during the Pliocene, a giant sediment drift formed on the southern flank of the slope-transverse Gondola anticline that focused and accelerated the flow of slope-parallel bottom currents; (2) since the early to middle Pleistocene transition, a reorganization of bottom-current pathways led to a sharp change in the sedimentary architecture of the margin that became dominated by the growth of contourite deposits; (3) as of 350 ka, landward-migrating contourites on the outer shelf (less than 120 m water depth) reflect the presence of bottom currents also in shallow waters. This analysis of the sedimentary stacking pattern of the contourite depositional system that developed along the south-western Adriatic margin since the Pliocene enables disentangling the processes that controlled changes in bottom-current activity, demonstrating that bottom-current deposits constitute the bulk of depositional sequences at the Milankovitch timescale.

The Quaternary of the River Trent: critical evidence for glaciation, river development and land uplift within and close to the limits of lowland glaciation in north Midland England

This Context Paper examines the findings of the Trent Valley Palaeolithic Project (TVPP) which have been published over the period 2010–2015 as a substantial book and a number of research and review papers. The findings of this project are significant for: (i) the glacial history of lowland England, with a case being made for a MIS 8 glaciation; (ii) understanding the history of the drainage of the region with identification of change from the pre-glacial Ancaster and Bytham rivers to the newly formed River Trent, which developed across the landscape glaciated during MIS 12 and (iii) presenting a case for the importance of ice-, water- and rock-loading and unloading upon the development of river systems over late Middle and Late Quaternary time. These three topics are placed in a wider context with respect to regional patterns of glacial and Quaternary history of Britain and northern Europe and some concepts underpinning the subjects.