Latest Quaternary papers

Aeolian sands are widespread in the European sand-belt. While there is a consensus about the timing of increased aeolian activity and, in contrast, of surface stabilization during the Lateglacial, knowledge about Holocene aeolian dynamics is still very sparse. It is generally assumed that aeolian processes have been closely connected to human activities since at least the Neolithic period. A compilation of 189 luminescence dates from aeolian sands of Holocene age and 301 14C-dates from palaeo-surfaces, comprising palaeosols, buried peats and archaeological features from the whole sand-belt, is plotted as histograms and kernel density plots and divided into sub-phases by cluster analysis. This is also done separately for the dates from the areas west and east of the river Elbe. Our results show that aeolian activity did not cease with the end of the Younger Dryas but continued in the whole European sand-belt until the Mid-Atlantic (c. 6500 a BP), presenting evidence of vegetation-free areas at least at the local scale. During the subsequent time period evidence of aeolian sedimentation is sparse, and surface stabilization is indicated by a cluster of palaeo-surfaces ascribed to the early Subboreal (c. 5000 cal. a BP). The agglomeration of luminescence ages around 4000 years is probably connected with intensified land use during the Late Neolithic. Younger phases of aeolian sedimentation are indicated by clusters of luminescence ages around 1800 years, a group of luminescence ages from the Netherlands and NW Germany around 900 years, and a group of ages around 680 years in Germany. Among the dates from palaeo-surfaces, clusters were identified around 2700, 1300 and 900 cal. a BP as well as around 690 cal. a BP in the western part and 610 cal. a BP in the eastern part of the sand-belt. The clusters within the luminescence ages and the 14C-dates coincide with phases where increased human impact can be deduced from archaeological and historical sources as well as from environmental history.

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A cryptotephra layer from the eruption of Hekla in 1947 has recently been discovered in Irish peatlands. This tephra layer represents the most recent deposition of volcanic ash in the UK prior to the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in 2010. Here we examine the concentration and geochemistry of the Hekla 1947 tephra in 14 peat profiles from across Northern Ireland. Electron probe microanalysis of individual tephra shards (n = 91) reveals that the tephra is of dacitic–andesitic geochemistry and is highly similar to the Hekla 1510 tephra, although spheroidal carbonaceous particle profiles can be used for successful discrimination of the two layers. The highest concentrations of Hekla 1947 are found in western sites, probably reflecting the pathway of the ash fall event due to the prevailing wind direction. Comparable tephra concentrations from two cores (1 km apart) from a single bog and from nearby sites may suggest that tephra shard concentrations in peat profiles reflect ash fallout densities across a specific region, rather than site-specific factors associated with peatlands. This paper firmly establishes Hekla 1947 as a useful chronostratigraphic marker for the twentieth century, although within a restricted zone. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Three IITians are among the eight young scientists have won the prestigious Scopus award instituted by the National Academy of Sciences and Elsevier, a leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services.

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Chunhai Li, Yunfei Zheng, Shiyong Yu, Yongxiang Li, Huadong Shen

Robert McKay, Tim Naish, Ross Powell, Peter Barrett, Reed Scherer, Franco Talarico, Philip Kyle, Donata Monien, Gerhard Kuhn, Chris Jackolski, Trevor Williams

Yongqiang Zong, Kangyou Huang, Fengling Yu, Zhuo Zheng, Adam Switzer, Guangqing Huang, Ning Wang, Min Tang

David W. Stahle, Dorian J. Burnette, Jose Villanueva, Julian Cerano, Falko K. Fye, R. Daniel Griffin, Malcolm K. Cleaveland, Daniel K. Stahle, Jesse

Chuki Hongo

E.K. Magyari, G. Jakab, M. Bálint, Z. Kern, K. Buczkó, M. Braun

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It is a scientist's mission to try to remain unbiased. However, certain factors play a role in scientific analyses that are not controlled by conscious thought. These factors are potentially very important in areas of science where interpretations are based on a scientist's ability to identify patterns or structures. One such area is the micromorphology of glacial sediments. In this paper we investigate the role of an analyst's experience in relation to pattern perception with specific reference to turbate microstructures in glacial diamictons. An experiment was conducted on 52 participants, which demonstrated that, as may be expected, more experienced (glacial) micromorphologists tend to exhibit a higher sensitivity-to-signal, but that complete novices, if given clear instructions, can reach levels of sensitivity similar to those of experts. It also showed, perhaps more surprisingly, that response bias does not decrease with experience. We discuss psychological factors, such as the drive for success and consistency, that may have contributed to these results and investigate their possible implications in the micromorphological analysis and interpretation of glacial sediments.