The Role of Geomorphology in the Quaternary

The advances in understanding of Quaternary geomorphology in the latter half of the 20th Century were closely linked with the improved knowledge of Quaternary climatic fluctuation, principally derived from isotopic evidence from ocean and ice cores. An important goal was finding terrestrial sedimentary records that can be correlated with the globally applicable isotopic sequence. From a geomorphological viewpoint, river terraces are paramount, particularly since they can provide semi-continuous sequences that record palaeoclimate and landscape evolution throughout the Quaternary, as well as the interaction of rivers with glaciation, sea-level change and notable geomorphological events. In coastal areas, shoreline terraces and raised beaches can provide similar sequences. The chapter discusses the progress made in understanding these archives and, in particular, the various mechanisms for dating and correlation, as well as touching upon contributions from other environments, namely slopes and karstic systems, as well as the role of soils in deciphering geomorphological evidence.

Late Quaternary geomorphology and geoarchaeology in the rivers of the Holy Cross Mountains region, central Europe

Late Quaternary terraces and sediments in the Holy Cross Mountain region of Poland, emplaced within an environment that had evolved following multiple Pleistocene glaciations, provide evidence of increasing anthropogenic influence on landscape development since the Middle Ages, as revealed by research in the Kamionka, Kamienna, Czarna Konecka, and Nida valleys. The development of the “anthropogenic small-scale water retention system” (ASWRS), including numerous artificial ponds, channels, and forges and mills along the watercourses, resulted in changes in river patterns, with additional anthropogenic channels, which in turn reduced the maximum flood-stage levels during the Little Ice Age. With the collapse of the industries and the disappearance of the ASWRS, several major flood events took place. Unknown in the earlier Holocene, and caused by hydrotechnical failures, the geomorphic effects of these catastrophic flash floods significantly exceeded those of natural processes.