bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The uplift of the Eastern Anatolian Plateau unraveled by river network analysis.
Authors: Molin Paola , Sembroni Andrea , Faccenna Claudio , Ballato Paolo
Published: June 2022

Continental collisional zone may include high-standing plateaus, both internally and externally drained. When endorheic basins are integrated into external drainage networks, the rivers could retain first order information on the capture as well as the interplay between climate and tectonic processes. The Eastern Anatolian Plateau (EAP) of the Arabia-Eurasia collision zone is one of the most representative examples of collisional plateau. It has a mean elevation of ~2000 m, presents three main endorheic basins (Van, Sevan and Urmia lakes), and is mostly drained by three river networks: the Kura-Arax drainage system to the NE, the Ҫoruh to the NW, and the Euphrates-Tigris to the SW. Seismic data indicate the presence of a thinned or totally removed lithospheric mantle beneath the plateau explaining the high heat flow and the late Cenozoic volcanic activity in the area. Despite the great number of studies on the EAP, its uplift history is still debated.

In this study we quantitatively investigated the drainage systems (river longitudinal profiles and chi-plots) and the general topographic features (swath profiles, slope, local relief, filtered topography) of the EAP. The results describe a topographic configuration characterized by a high-standing, low-relief plateau centered in the area of Lake Van, but strongly disrupted by tectonic structures with the formation of local topographic highs and lows that include endorheic basins. The fluvial network pattern is strongly disorganized and controlled by active tectonic structures. The irregular longitudinal profiles indicate that rivers are in a transient state of disequilibrium because of regional uplift, capture events or local tectonic activity. The presence of an uppermost fluvial segment characterized by low channel steepness suggests that the plateau interior has not been reached yet by the erosive wave produced by uplift. The chi-plots of the rivers draining the EAP suggest a complex uplift history, evidencing differences between the northern and the southern portions of the plateau in terms of uplift history and drainage system evolution. This uplift pattern is partially confirmed by the stratigraphic record documenting a southward younging transition from a marine to a continental depositional environment. In conclusion, the EAP is a high-standing plateau where the integration of hydrography into it is ruled by regional differential uplift and active tectonic structures.
Large-Scale Flood Model Simulations Reveal the Significant Role of Changing Channel Conveyance Capacity in Driving Altered Flood Hazard
Authors: Darby Steve ,   EVOFLOOD Team
Published: June 2022

Flooding is the deadliest and most costly natural hazard on the planet, affecting societies across the globe. Nearly one billion people are exposed to the risk of flooding in their lifetimes and around 300 million are impacted by floods in any given year. The impacts on individuals and societies are extreme: each year there are over 6,000 fatalities and economic losses exceed US$60 billion. Moreover, these problems will become much worse in the future: There is now clear consensus that climate change will, in many parts of the globe, cause substantial increases in the frequency of occurrence of extreme rainfall events, which in turn will generate increases in peak flood flows and flood increased areas of land.

Faced with this pressing global challenge, reliable tools are required to predict how flood hazard and exposure will change in the future. Existing state-of-the-art Global Flood Models (GFMs) are now widely used to simulate the probability of flooding across the Earth, but in some instances the predictive ability of current models is constrained by a fundamental limitation. Specifically, current GFMs treat rivers and their floodplains essentially as 'static pipes' that remain unchanged over time. In reality, river channels evolve through processes of erosion and sedimentation, driven by the impacts of diverse environmental changes (e.g., climate and land use change, dam construction), which lead to changes in channel flow conveyance capacity and floodplain connectivity.

In this paper we demonstrate the extent to which flood model predictions of flood inundation are sensitive to altered representations of channel morphology, across large spatial scales. In our GFM the channel bathymetry is inverted from bank elevation given an assumption of bankfull discharge (typically 1 in 2 year). By changing the bankfull discharge and recomputing the bathymetry it is therefore possible to simulate the impact of conveyance changes, driven by channel erosion and sedimentation, on flood hazard. Here we conducted a suite of simulations for test sites within the Mississippi River basin, at which long term change or variability in bankfull conveyance have been constrained by direct observations at gauging stations.    

Our results clearly indicate that in-channel changes are significant in driving altered flood hazard. It follows that until GFMs are able to fully account for morphological changes predicting the evolution of future flood hazard, understanding its underlying causes, or quantifying associated uncertainties, will remain very challenging.
Geodiversity and valorization of abiotic objects in the Tuchola Forest Biosphere Reserve (N Poland)
Authors: Jamorska Izabela , Belzyt Szymon , Wysocki Włodzimierz , Krawiec Arkadiusz
Published: June 2022

The area of the Tuchola Forest Biosphere Reserve (TFBR) is unique, both in terms of landscape and nature. It is constitutes one of the largest forest complexes in the northern part of Poland, which belongs to the plains of Central Europe. It is situated in the postglacial area within the range of the Weichselian glaciation (Last Glaciation, Vistulian).  The study aims to provide a qualitative assessment of geodiversity by evaluation of abiotic nature objects. The geotourist evaluation of the geosites in TFBR has been conducted on the basis of the criteria proposed by Dmytrowski and Kicińska with modifications by authors. The geotouristic evaluation of 32 geosites, including mining heritage, petrological, sedimentological, geomorphological  as well as hydrological and hydrogeological sites, located in the area of Tuchola Forest Biosphere Reserve (TFBR). The evaluated geosites represent both perfect examples of typical features for the physiography of the TFBR as a young glacial landscape and values proving the uniqueness of the area on both regional and international scale. The authors proposed geosites that require improving their accessibility to enhance the geotourist attractiveness, recognized the necessity of marking out geotourist trails in the most attractive and diversified areas, and noticed the influence of extreme weather phenomena (whirwinds) on changes in geotourist attractiveness of some geosites. It is believed that the results of the conducted evaluation may favorably affect the importance, position and publicity of the whole area by supplementing the well-recognized biodiversity with geodiversity presented in the study.
Water origin and quality of rock glacier springs. Case studies in the Swiss Alps.
Authors: Del Siro Chantal , Scapozza Cristian , Perga Marie-Elodie , Lambiel Christophe
Published: June 2022

While the knowledge of the dynamics and internal structure of rock glaciers is well developed, a lack of understanding of their hydrological functioning is observed in the scientific literature. In particular, the origin and the quality of the water emerging from rock glaciers are not well known, together with its contribution to aquatic systems. Since rock glaciers are becoming increasingly important water sources under the influence of climate change, it is essential to improve knowledge about the modification of the hydrological regime of these high altitude debris accumulation, in particular by tracing ice melt in rock glacier outflows, and to quantify the impact of ground ice melting on the hydrochemistry of Alpine water systems. In this research, we combined isotopic and physico-chemical analyses for six rock glacier outflows in the Swiss Alps during the 2020 summer season. Chemical and isotopic analyses were also performed in sources not fed by rock glaciers at all study sites. The ionic content (SO42-, Ca2+, Mg2+, NO3-) measured in water emerging from active rock glaciers and ice-patches was higher than that detected in sources not fed by rock glaciers. Water emerging from active rock glaciers and ice-patches was also characterized by an increase in electrical conductivity and in ionic content (SO42-, Ca2+, Mg2+), and by isotopic (δ18O) enrichment during the warm season. The seasonal evolution of these physico-chemical and isotopic parameters could indicate the water supply related to ground ice melting in water emerging from active rock glaciers and ice-patches. We assume that the cryosphere stored atmospheric pollutants and other chemical elements during a colder period in the recent past (1960s-1980s) and that the current melting of rock glacier ice releases these chemical compounds in the Alpine water systems. The hydro-chemical processes taking place in active rock glaciers were summarized in a conceptual model based on the results of this study.
Project RED: A challenging student project on space sciences and planetary geology
Authors: Parenti Carlotta , Cadei Massimiliano , Fabbiani Cecilia , Malagutti Fabio , Rossi Sofia
Published: June 2022

Project RED started in 2019 at the Department of Sciences and Methods for Engineering of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (Italy) as a team of BSc, MSc and PhD students passionate about robotics, aerospace and planetary sciences. Since 2021, the team has included students from the Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences. The objective of Project RED is to design and build a prototype of a rover for extraterrestrial exploration with which to compete in the European Rover Challenge (ERC), an annual international competition based on real ESA and NASA missions. The competition consists in a short traversal of an autonomous rover on the “Mars Yard” (i.e., the ERC competition area simulating a real Martian region) aiming at executing a science-driven exploration based on a coherent geological and geomorphological interpretation of the “landing site” surface. Project RED has participated in the 2021 edition of ERC and is now preparing for 2022 edition of ERC.

To cope with the ERC tasks, the Project RED team comprises divisions of engineering and geology students who carried out different activities, such as the building of the rover and the geological analyses of the Martian surface. In particular, the main activities of the geology students (“Science Division”) aim at reconstructing the geological setting of a surface portion of the planet with particular attention to the analysis of a landing site where a hypothetic rover will be directed. The analysis foresees the characterization of the Martian surface from a geological, geomorphological, chemical and mineralogical viewpoint, recognizing and interpreting the origin of landforms and their chronostratigraphy.

The study area selected for the 2021 edition of ERC was northern Elysium (135-155E, 22-35N), situated in the eastern hemisphere of Mars. The Science Division reviewed existing literature, thematic maps and high-resolution satellite images. All data were analyzed in a Geographic Information System (GIS) environment. Landforms were identified through CTX images and HiRISE images and mapped in a georeferenced system (Mars2000 Equidistant Cylindrical clon0), leading to the production of extracts of geomorphological sketch maps. The results highlighted that the Elysium region has been affected by different geological processes, such as tectonic, fluvial, mass-wasting and volcanic ones associated with channel formation, faulting and volcano/ground-ice modifications. The main geological features found in the study area are: (i) fractures, (ii) narrow linear depressions, (iii) lobate scarps, (iv) rimcrests and (v) impact craters.

These analyses were performed in order to determine and trace the most suitable and safest path to be followed by the rover during the ERC competition avoiding potential obstacles.
Machine learning-based identification of the geomorphological units of the Northeastern sector of the San Luis Province - Argentina
Authors: Magdalena Ulises Rodrigo , Luoni Juan Pablo Zbrun , Ribeiro Guillermo , Amorim Raul Reis
Published: June 2022

Advances in the access and processing of morphometric data from Remote Sensing and associated with the computational progress in terms of data storage and optimization through computational algorithms allow us to determine the boundaries of the geomorphological units demarcated by conventional procedures, enabling the exploration of hypotheses on landscape dynamics. Thus, this manuscript aims to delimit the geomorphological units of the Northwest of the San Luis Province - Argentina, through the Geological Chart 3366-II Villa de Merlo, of the National Program of Geological Charts of the Argentine Republic of the Servicio Geológico Minero Argentino (SEGEMAR). We used the random forest algorithm in this manuscript. We concluded that the results sometimes generalize the geomorphological units bounded by conventional methods. Still, in other cases, these boundaries get refined and allow us to explore the hypothesis of the subdivision of the “Piedemonte Occidental” Unit into “Piedemonte Superior” and “Piedemonte Inferior”. Furthermore, the results point out the shortcomings of the random forest presented as a black-box and eventually overestimate some geomorphological units in incorrect regions. However, this algorithm is still an important support tool for interpreting landscape dynamics.

KEYWORDS: geomorphology, random forest, landscape, spatial planning, digital cartography, remote sensing.
Hydrologic connectivity in a prairie hillslope seep system, Texas, USA
Authors: Slattery Michael , Blair-Kucera Sharra , McKone Peter
Published: June 2022

Groundwater seeps are characteristic hydrological and ecological features of many landscapes, yet their hydrology remains poorly understood. Within the North Central Texas Grand Prairie Ecoregion, seep systems developed in soils over interbedded limestone and marl are prevalent. However, previous attempts to gather data on runoff generation from these systems, and to assess their connectivity and contribution to headwater stream hydrology, have been unsuccessful due to widespread drought across the state, principally between 2010 and 2015. A priori reasoning suggests that seeps must contribute flow to headwater streams, but no work to date has been able to document or quantify those contributions.

In this paper, we document a hitherto undiscovered hillslope seep system in Somervell County, Texas. The overall aim of our research is to gain a deeper understanding of the hydrology of these seep systems and to determine whether they function (and can therefore be classified) as wetlands. To achieve this, we (1) quantify the spatial and temporal variability of soil moisture and matric potential across the hillslope seep system; (2) assess the relationship between changes in soil moisture and vegetation; and (3) quantify the magnitude and timing of runoff generation from the seep system to channel flow. We hypothesized that these systems might qualify as isolated wetlands during non-drought conditions, and our field measurements and wetland delineations demonstrate this to be true. The findings of this study indicate that, while these wetlands are separated by a glade and barrens, they are hydrologically connected to the associated headwater stream via overland flow occurring during storm events. Moreover, they remain hydrologically connected to the main channel for prolonged periods via seeping after a precipitation event. Our research provides a more complete understanding of how these seep systems behave as intermittent wetlands which could serve to improve habitat management and conservation of riparian areas within Texas.
Landslides in a changing tropical environment: the North Tanganyika–Kivu rift region, Africa
Authors: Dewitte Olivier , Depicker Arthur , Maki Mateso Jean-Claude , Bielders Charles , Deijns Axel , Dewaele Stijn , Govers Gerard , Jacobs Liesbet , Kanyiginya Violet , Kervyn François , Kervyn Matthieu , Kubwimana Désiré , Mugaruka Bibentyo Toussaint , Nzolang Charles , Sibomana Pascal , Twongyirwe Ronald , Vanmaercke Matthias , Dille Antoine
Published: June 2022

Tropical mountainous regions are commonly identified as landslide hotspots with particularly vulnerable populations. Anthropogenic factors are assumed to play a role in the occurrence and impact of landslides in these populated regions, yet the relative importance of these human-induced factors remains poorly documented. In this work, we explore the impact of forest cover dynamics, agricultural land management practices, urbanisation, roads, and mining/quarrying activities on the occurrence of landslides and their associated risk in the North Tanganyika–Kivu Rift, an area that stretches at the border of four countries in Africa. Using a holistic approach that combines extensive fieldwork, optical and SAR/InSAR satellite remote sensing, time-series analysis, UAS image acquisition, historical photograph processing, citizen science and geomorphic marker understanding, our study demonstrates the role of human activities on the frequency, size and deformation patterns of landslides in the region, in both rural and urban environments. The interaction between uplift associated with the continental rifting in the region, fluvial incision, and the (human-induced) landslides are also key elements that are considered in our analysis. Overall, we highlight the need to consider the human context when studying hillslope instabilities in regions under anthropogenic pressure.
Rock wall freeze-thaw dynamic in a climate change context
Authors: Birien Tom , Gauthier Francis , Fortier Daniel
Published: June 2022

Meteorological conditions control the impact of mechanical and chemical weathering on rock wall erosion and contribute strongly to rock wall instability. The predominant role of frost weathering on rock wall erosion has been demonstrated. Three kinds of freeze-thaw cycles are commonly defined and related to rockfall frequency and magnitude: daily, seasonal and perennial (permafrost). However, the spatiotemporal distribution of freeze-thaw cycles at a fine spatial scale remains poorly studied. This study aims to further define freeze-thaw cycles, to model the freeze-thaw dynamic and to explore the respective influence of solar radiation exposure, thermal absorptivity, lithology, degree of weathering as well as climate change on freeze-thaw dynamic at a fine spatial scale. Four thermistor sensors were inserted in horizontal boreholes 3 to 5.5 meter deep in different north and south facing rock wall structure with changing geology from massive conglomerate to highly stratified and fractured sedimentary rocks. These measurements, combined with weather conditions recorded locally, provide information on the freeze-thaw dynamic and allow to validate thermodynamic simulations run with the WUFI® software. Results show that there is a diversity of daily freeze-thaw cycles and that they can interact with the seasonal freezing front. For a north exposed rock wall, the change in solar radiation exposure to the south-west leads to 247% more surface freeze-thaw events but to a 20% decrease of these cycles at 50 cm depth. The change in lithology or in degree of weathering of the first meters of rock mainly influences the maximum depth of the freezing front, the depth of winter thaw events, as well as the rate of spring thaw. The freeze-thaw front modeled in this study reached an average depth of 420 cm for the period 1980-2009 against 208 and 111 cm respectively for the period 2070-2099 with the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios. For these same periods, the duration of the seasonal freeze-thaw front decreases respectively from 149 days to 102 and 36 days according to the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios. This study demonstrates the great sensitivity of freeze-thaw dynamic to the modification of topographic or climatic variables. Spatial change as rock wall exposure or temporal change as climate warming have significant repercussions on the effectiveness of frost weathering both on the periods of occurrence and on the depths concerned. Moreover, daily and seasonal freeze-thaw cycles are complex phenomena and because of their frequent interactions, they cannot be analyzed separately.
Rockfall forecasting models along the roads of northern Gaspésie (Eastern Canada)
Authors: Gauthier Francis , Laliberté Jacob , Birien Tom
Published: June 2022

Rockfalls are major natural hazard for road users and infrastructures in northern Gaspésie (Eastern Canada) where nearly 25 kilometers of road runs along 10 to 100 m high flysch rockwall. The Ministère des Transports du Québec (MTQ) has recorded more than 17 500 rockfalls that have reached the roadway since 1987, which represents a nearly permanent danger for users. In the late 90s, protective berms were erected to reduce the number of rocks reaching the roadway. Despite the efficiency of these infrastructures, more than a hundred events are still recorded each year. Based on previous studies showing that rock instabilities in this type of geology is strongly correlated with meteorological events, we used different machine learning methods (logistic regression, classification tree, random forest, neural network) to design the best operational rockfall prediction model. Three event variables based on different rockfall frequency and magnitude thresholds were created. 94 weather variables were used to explain and predict events. Results show that 24h to 120h mean daily temperature above 0oC and thawing degree-days are the most effective variables explaining the occurrence of winter and spring rockfall events. In summer, rainfall intensity is the most effective explanatory variable. The performance of the models has been optimized using a testing data set and then tested in an operational context using Environment Canada 24h and 48h HRDPS (high resolution deterministic prediction system) weather forecast model. A rockfall danger scale based on the probability of occurrence of medium and large magnitude rockfalls is proposed. These models can be used operationally as decision support tools to predict days with high event probability.
Women representation in UNESCO Global Geoparks of Portugal
Authors: Friedrich Garcia Luiza , Henriques Maria Helena
Published: June 2022

UNESCO Global Geoparks (UGGps) are single, unified geographical areas where sites and landscapes of international geological significance are managed with a holistic concept of protection, education and sustainable development. In this sense, it is expected that UGGps, directly or indirectly in their activities, meet the necessary conditions for the implementation of an effective sustainable development for its inhabitants, therefore contributing to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This work analyzes how Portuguese UGGps and Aspiring UGGps are committed with one of these SDGs: achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls by ensuring women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunity for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic, and public life (SDG5). To this end, it was evaluated the gender composition in the management structure of five UGGps (Açores, Arouca, Estrela, Naturtejo and Terras de Cavaleiros,) and three Aspiring UGGps (Algarviensis, Oeste and Viana do Castelo) of Portugal. Data were collected from the geopark website, when available, and refers to gender composition of the governing bodies of each geopark. Unlike all the others, the Naturtejo UGGp website does not present any information on this issue. Results show that the gender composition of the managing team of the analyzed geoparks is quite diverse. While the Arouca UGGp shows a stronger representation of women (71%), Estrela UGGp (64%) and Viana do Castelo Aspiring UGGp (80%) are dominated by men. In the remaining geoparks, the gender composition is quite balanced, although leadership positions are mainly occupied by men; only the Arouca UGGp is coordinated by a woman. The lack of diversity in geosciences is a problem that affects everyone, and everyone has a responsibility to look around them, recognize the situation for what it is, and take the appropriate actions to make the necessary changes. Progress has been made, but women remain vastly outnumbered in geoscienctific issues when compared to men, particularly at higher levels of employment. The UNESCO Global Geoparks Secretariat has an ethical obligation to broaden their diversity and reduce the gender gap in decision making positions among the geoparks managing teams. And it should therefore advice applicants to provide opportunities of reducing the gender bias in decision making positions when new geoparks´ proposals are submitted and/or when existing geoparks are subject to revalidation, or to area or name modifications.
Frequency of Boulders Transport during Large Floods in Hyperarid Areas using Paleoflood Analysis – An Example from the Negev Desert, Israel
Authors: Greenbaum Noam , Schwartz Uri , Carling Paul , Bergman Nati , Mushkin Amit , Zituni Rami , Benito Gerardo , Halevi Rafi , Porat Naomi
Published: June 2022

Direct measurements of boulder entrainment in desert wadis are not available. The 2004 flood (peak discharge - 470 m3 s-1; recurrence interval - 120 years) in the hyperarid, ungauged Nahal Hatzera ephemeral stream (45 km2), which drains the Small Erosional Crater (SEC; Makhetesh in Hebrew) in the Negev Desert Israel, transported and deposited 0.85-2.1 m concrete boulders and slabs detached from infrastructure upstream as well as natural boulders. EDM and drone air-photographic surveys documented the geometry of the study reach and the location of boulders. Analyses of flood slackwater deposits established a paleoflood record of 23 floods with peak discharges of 200-760 m3 s-1, during the last 600 years. 1-D HEC-RAS hydraulic analysis provided water surface profiles, discharges and hydraulics, along the study reach and velocity, shear stress and stream power for each boulder Xsection.. MAX program and Pearson 3 distribution were used for flood frequency analysis. Most of the concrete boulders were deposited in the sub-critical backwater of channel constrictions where velocities were 1.5-2.1 m s-1. The largest boulders were deposited in super-critical flow where velocity was 8-9.2 m s-1. The sandy alluvial channel enables to transport these concrete boulders, reflecting the unstable, active sandy layer of the channel bed over which the boulders moved. The maximum flood shear stress and stream power characterize medium-large floods with return period of 20-120 years rather than the largest floods, which produce larger extension of backwater ponding upstream of constrictions. The combination of the flood frequency analysis and the hydraulic parameters of the flood enables to reconstruct the frequency of the tractive forces that transported these boulders. Boulders <2.1 m and weighing <15 tonnes can be transported at least once in 120 years. The shear stress and stream power indicate that the moderate-large floods are the most geomorphically effective floods rather than the largest floods in Nahal Hatzera basin. Nevertheless, the 'geomorphic effectiveness' of the 2004 flood – a typical desert flash flood, was small based on the minor changes along the channel and banks indicating that their resistance thresholds were not exceeded and energy expenditure was mainly on boulders entrainment and transport. 

 
Martian Pit Shadow Extractor (MAPS): Determining the Apparent Depths of Martian Pits from the Morphology of their Shadows
Authors: Le Corre Daniel , Mason Nigel , Bernard-Salas Jeronimo , Mary David , Cox Nick
Published: June 2022

This presentation for the ICG2022-25: Planetary Geomorphology session of the 10th International Conference of the International Association of Geomorphologists (IAG) aims to describe the purpose, methodology, and testing results of the Martian Pit Shadow extractor (MAPS) tool. The challenges that were faced in its development, particularly in relation to the geomorphology of these features, will also be discussed. MAPS itself is an automated Python framework which employs K-Means clustering to extract the shadow from a cropped red-band Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter HiRISE image of a Martian pit and measure its width.  MAPS also exploits the sensing information provided for each HiRISE image in order to determine the apparent depth (the depth of the pit at the edge of its shadow).  MAPS is intended to be used after a machine learning model, or another automated method, has detected Martian pits in HiRISE imagery, such that it can be applied to cropped images without the need for manual labelling. While MAPS has currently only been applied to Martian pits imaged by the HiRISE camera, its overall method would be highly applicable to data taken by other sensors, or data taken of other planetary surfaces.

Martian pits are circular-to-elliptical geological depressions commonly seen on the surface of Mars, as well as on other terrestrial planetary surfaces. Their morphologies are most distinguishable from impact craters by the lack of an elevated rim. They are generally formed by gravitational collapse into an underground void, or by the evacuation or removal of subsurface material.  Pits are heavily studied for both their geological significance, but also because of their implications on future space exploration. Current methods can calculate the apparent depths of Martian pits by considering the Sun’s position in the sky and manually measuring the widths of their shadows in remote-sensing imagery. However, an automated method of shadow extraction and depth calculation allows for analysis of far larger numbers of Martian pits, which could be used for further research or engineering use.

There is scope for future work in calibrating the parameters of the MAPS tool, such as the number of clusters that the K-Means algorithm segments images into, as well as the maximum emission angle that is allowed for an input image. The latter was shown in testing to lead to the same features exhibiting significantly different morphologies, despite similar lighting conditions. This may be possible by testing the tool upon artificially created elevation data and images of pits. Other improvements are foreseen by considering the geomorphology of the surrounding Martian surface as a means of calibrating the distribution of the non-shadow pixel values and of controlling their false discovery rates.
Exploring the role of sediment and wood transport during flash floods in the Darro River crossing the city of Granada (Spain) 
Authors: Vazquez-Tarrio Daniel , Mateos-Ruiz Rosa M. , Ruiz-Villanueva Virginia , Iglesias-Asenjo Sergio , Diez-Herrero Andres
Published: June 2022

Mountain rivers can convey significant amounts of coarse sediment (gravel, cobble), and large wood pieces; both recruited from river margins and valley slopes. The erosion, transport, and deposition of this material may endanger human infrastructures, such as bridge piles, canals, or weirs, notably increasing flood hazards and potential damages. Therefore, sediment and large-wood dynamics should be considered in the flood hazard evaluation, particularly in mountain areas. However, traditional flood hazard assessment often relies solely on hydraulic models assuming non-movable riverbed and no sediment or wood supply. These assumptions neglect the important role that sediment-transport and geomorphic changes have on the evolution of water levels during floods, potentially leading to strong under- or over-estimations of related hazards.   

In this work, we developed a methodological framework that incorporates sediment- and wood-transport to assess flood hazards in the Darro River (Andalusia, Southern Iberian Peninsula); a mountainous torrent turned into an urban river characterized by a flash-flood regime, and high sediment and wood supplies. We selected a river reach, 3 km in length, where the river Darro crosses the city of Granada. The monumental city of Granada is highly populated and welcomes >5 million visitors every year; so, the reliability of previous flood-hazard assessments, without considering sediment and wood transport, was questioned by river managers. The selected study reach includes an area of high urban pressure where the river flows under a vault. Thus, it is crucial to consider the sediment and wood transport, as they could potentially trigger a catastrophe (as already happened in 1951, when the vault partially collapsed).

We conducted a field survey to identify mobile-sediment patches and large-wood jams along the selected reach. Sediment patches were sampled following the Wolman method to characterize the grain-size distribution. Wood pieces were measured, and characterized in terms of size, position and susceptibility to be incorporated into flood flows. This information is being used to build a 2D hydraulic and morpho-sedimentary (assuming a mobile bed) numerical model (IBER software), coupled to a specific module (IBERwood) that simulates wood transport and deposition. A scenario-based approach is used to explore the effect of sediment and wood supplies on the flooded area, the flow depth and the velocities.  This contribution will show preliminary results.

This work has been developed in the framework of the RISKCOAST project: “Development of tools to prevent and manage geological risks on the coast linked to climate change” (Ref: SOE3/P4/E0868) funded by the Interreg SUDOE programme.
Glacial curvilineations (GCLs) at the southern periphery of the last Scandinavian Ice Sheet: distribution, morphological characteristics and origin
Authors: Wysota Wojciech , Adamczyk Aleksander , Piotrowski Jan A. , Weckwerth Piotr
Published: June 2022

Glacial curvilineations (GCLs) are spectacular landforms recently discovered along southern periphery of the last Scandiavian Ice Sheet (SIS). They were first described in central Poland (Lesemann et al., 2010, 2014) as multiple parallel, winding ridges several metres high and up to several kilometres long, systematically arranged in groups occurring in tunnel valleys, which form a complex and extensive geomorphic network. Lesemann et al. (2010, 2014) hypothesised that GCLs were likely eroded from older sediments carved by channelised subglacial meltwater flows. More recently, Clark and Livingstone (2018) detected GCL sets along the southern margin of the Laurentide Ice Sheet and suggested that they were produced by subglacial slope failures in tunnel valleys or near the shores of subglacial lakes.

An inventory of GCLs occurrences along the SIS margin in Poland, Germany and Denmark based on the analysis of high-resolution LiDAR digital elevation models is presented. We document a total 59 GCL fields and focus on the geomorphic characteristics of the 43 most conspicuous ones. Each of these fields consists of smaller units called GCL swarms, 137 in total. Based on the landscape characteristics of the GCLs in relation to the tunnel valleys they occur in, three types of tunnel-valley relationships were distinguished: simple tunnel valleys, compound tunnel valleys and tunnel-valley complexes.

The morphological characteristics and internal composition support the origin of GCLs as erosional remnants of antecedent landscapes carved by pressurized meltwater flows in subglacial channels (Adamczyk et al., 2022).

This study was carried out as part of the scientific project financed by the National Science Centre (NCN) in Poland, project no. 2018/31/B/ST10/00976.

References

Adamczyk A., Wysota W., Piotrowski J. A., 2022. Inventory of glacial curvilineations (GCLs) at the southern periphery of the Scandinavian Ice Sheet. Geomorphology, 400, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2021.108094.

Clark, C.D. & Livingstone, S.J. (2018): Glacial curvilineations found along the southern sector of the Laurentide Ice sheet and a hypothesis of formation involving subglacial slope failure in tunnel valleys and subglacial lakes. ESPL 43, 1518–1528.

Lesemann, J.-E., Piotrowski, J.A. & Wysota, W. (2010): „Glacial curvilineations”: New glacial landforms produced by longitudinal vortices in subglacial meltwater flows. Geomorphology 120, 153-161.

Lesemann, J.-E., Piotrowski, J.A. & Wysota, W. (2014): Genesis of the ‘glacial curvilineation’ landscape by meltwater processes under the former Scandinavian Ice Sheet, Poland. Sedimentary Geology 312, 1-18.
Biogeomorphological Wetland Formation and Long-term Human Interactions in Mesoamerica
Authors: Beach Timothy , Beach Sheryl , Krause Samantha , Smith Byron , Doyle Colin
Published: June 2022

Our recent work shows that wetlands in Mesoamerica are declining rapidly in recent decades from agricultural expansion and deforestation.  We have also shown the long human use of these wetlands over at least the last 2,000 years and possibly since the middle Holocene through several studies in Belize, Mexico, and Guatemala.  In this paper we use high resolution surface mapping based on Lidar that covers more than 500 square kilometers of forested areas with field-based biogeomorphological and archaeological verification to study the formation of Pre-Columbian indigenous wetland agricultural complexes. We present three examples from both our well-studied and newly studied sites in a range of wetland settings from perennial to seasonal riverine and karst depressions under different water chemistries.  The first well-known example is from the fluviokarst Rio Bravo Watershed in Belize that provides an example of how wetlands formed over the last two millennia under starkly different chemical conditions from low to high solute loads (mostly sulfate and calcium carbonate).  Second, we consider little known wetland canal and field systems in the seasonal, karst, upland depressions in Guatemala. Third, we consider more little-known riparian wetlands of the coastal Plain of Tabasco and Campeche.  For each region, we consider geomorphologic factors such as water and soil chemistry, biological factors such as vegetation change, and the evidence we have, from excavations, of human management of these systems.  We also compare more ‘natural’ and more anthropogenic models for their formation.  Next, we provide a new, updated estimate of the areal extent and human importance of these wetland complexes.  Finally, we consider how our findings are relevant for ‘natural’ and polycultural wetland restoration.  
Effective and sustainable river restoration: 4D monitoring of a large upland gravel-bed river 
Authors: Williamson Robert , Heritage George , Entwistle Neil
Published: June 2022

Naturally functioning gravel-bed rivers are dynamic, highly biodiverse, well connected to their floodplains. They provide valued services to mitigate downstream flood wave propagation and storage of supplied sediment. Human-altered environments, whether urban, agricultural or otherwise, have severely degraded channel form and function and have all but destroyed natural fluvial processes. They have been trained, straightened and dredged, with embankments further restricting flood waters, and management maintains the status-quo. These interventions have often resulted in an armoured plain river bed devoid of physical complexity to support stream metabolism, ecosystem productivity and biochemical function. Effective and sustainable river restoration; primarily through the structural alteration of channel form, requires an advanced mechanistic understanding of how flow and sediment transport regimes affect biota and ecosystem processes. Here we critically examine the 2021 restoration of Goldrill Beck, Cumbria, UK, using repeat drone based orthophotography and DTM outputs to quantify system response. Coupled with HEC-RAS 2D modelling we provide an insight into different river controls on the composition, structure, and dynamics of flow, sediment dynamics, habitat; and system resilience to a geomorphologically effective flood events.  The recorded changes are used to critically assess current approaches to river restoration and we suggest that a process-based approach to river restoration utilising improved scientific understanding of natural flood functioning and sediment dynamics is needed to address the challenges for ecosystem management that lie ahead.
Generation of high-resolution digital elevation models and orthomosaics from historical aerial photographs and LiDAR: quality assessment in the coastal beach-dune system of Es Trenc (Mallorca, Spain)
Authors: Mestre-Runge Christian , Lorenzo-Lacruz Jorge , Ortega-Mclear Aaron , Garcia Celso
Published: June 2022

The availability of high spatial resolution historical remote sensing products and advances in Structure from Motion (SfM), Multi-View Stereopsis (MVS) and LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) techniques offer a wide range of applications to understand landscape evolution and to monitor geomorphological changes. In this work, we apply an optimised SfM-MVS workflow based on minimising georeferencing error on black and white and colour historical photographs acquired in 1945 (American flight series A), 1979 (Spanish Interministerial Order), 1991 (Spanish Coastal Directorate General) and 2006 (PNOA flights) to generate 3D point clouds, Digital Elevation Models (DEM) and orthomosaics at 1 m resolution for the beach-dune system and coastal area of Es Trenc (southern Mallorca). In addition, we applied LiDAR techniques on the Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) point clouds collected by the PNOA LiDAR flights in 2014 and 2019 to generate DEMs. The use of these products in multi-temporal analysis requires quality control of their spatial accuracy due to the diversity of sources and technologies used. The first quality control was based on evaluating the SfM sparse cloud optimisation process in the orthomosaic georeferencing step by calculating the RMSE between the Ground Validation Points (GVP) surveyed with Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) readings and the predicted height values at the closest point of each SfM sparse cloud. The second quality control was based on systematically assessing the vertical accuracy of the dense MVS and ALS clouds as a step prior to point interpolation to generate DEMs at 1 m resolution. The height errors of these clouds were estimated by calculating the RMSE between the Ground Test Points (GTP) read by GNSS on the ground and the predicted values at the respective nearest point for each of the MVS and ALS cloud series. Preliminary results show that the optimised SfM-MVS method applied on historical imagery can generate high-resolution orthomosaics and DEMs with acceptable accuracy: RMSE in z ranges from 0.2 to 10 m, with the lower accuracy obtained for the 1945 DEM, due to the lower resolution and coarse grain size (texture) of the photographs used. Overall, these products in combination with current LiDAR-derived DEMs have great potential for monitoring historical landscape evolution in coastal ecosystems.
Seasonal evolution on reef fringed pocket beaches in a context of relative sea level rise.
Authors: Charroux Sarah , Jeanson Matthieu , Morisseau Sophie , Mercky Yann , Pennober Gwenaelle
Published: June 2022

In tropical environment, studies concerning pocket beaches dynamics are scare compared to open sandy beaches. Consequently, seasonal morphological adjustment of pocket beaches is still poorly understood and seasonal evolution rates are poorly quantified in these specific environments. Mayotte, a coral reef-fringed island in the Mozambique channel, western Indian Ocean, is characterised by a highly indent shoreline, submitted to important seasonal weather and sea variation conditions (monsoon and trade wind). Since 2018, Mayotte has undergone a seismic crisis characterized by clustered epicentres located offshore between 10 and 50 km east of the Main Island (Grande-Terre). This sismo-volcanic activity caused rapid subsidence and eastward movement of up to 20cm, leading to a relative sea level rise, the hydro-geomorphological consequences of which are the subject of investigations.

Beach profiles, sedimentary analysis and hydrodynamic surveys were conducted over four beaches located on the different facades of the island. The analyse of those survey data revealed that the alternation between monsoon and trade winds lead to a drift in the sediment transport, inducing seasonal beach rotations. During trade winds (austral winter), beaches show a tendency to erosion in their south part and accretion in their north part, this dynamic reverse during the wet season (austral summer).

This study provides the first elements of understanding the reef fringed pocket beaches morphodynamics at a seasonal scale, subsequently allowing an attempt to discriminate interannual variations and the possible impacts of subsidence as well as morphogenic thresholds.
First ESR chronology of the Duero River terrace system in Northern Spain
Authors: Moreno Davinia , Benito-Calvo Alfonso
Published: June 2022

Intraplate basins potentially preserve the most complete record of tectonic, geomorphic, and climatic evolution within the interior of continents. In the Iberian Peninsula, most of the largest Cenozoic sedimentary basins show a change from aggradation to degradation. Determining the cause of the transition from aggradation to degradation and how this was linked to tectonic, climatic, and geomorphic events hinges on the chronology of the fluvial network incision and excavation of the basins fill. Fluvial terrace staircases provide a direct record of exorheic river incisions and are known to be controlled by base-level changes, climatic changes, and tectonic uplift.

 The incision of most of the Iberian Peninsula basins appears to have initiated in the Quaternary but the precise timing of its initiation is actually poorly known and constrained. In order to overcome the lack of chronologies for these basins, in the following study, we studied the Duero basin and its terrace system. It is a major intracratonic basin bounded by Cenozoic structures and characterized by a maximum of 16 terrace levels from +141-144 m to +8-10 m, with the present alluvial plain at +4-5 m (Pérez-González et al., 1994). During the last decade, some tributaries (e.g. Arlanzón, Arlanza, or Esla) and the Duero itself have provided a few ages obtained by Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) (Moreno et al, 2012; 2016), Luminescence (Cunha et al., 2019) and Cosmogenic Nuclides dating (Rodríguez et al., 2020; Schaller et al., 2016; Antón et al., 2012), shedding some light on the chronological framework of the Duero basin.

In this work, ESR was systematically applied to the main river, the Duero River, dating 4 different fluvial levels spanning from the high to the medium levels: T2 (+135m), T3 (+114m), T5 (+90m), and T10 (+41m). ESR dates are coherent with the analyzed terrace system and allow defining the onset and development of the Duero valley in the center of the basin. Additionally, these results also allow the reconstruction of the incision response of the tributary system, comparing these ESR results with those previously published.

 

 