OSL Age Determination of Archaeological Stone Structures Using Trapped Aeolian Sediments: A Case Study from the Negev Highlands,Israel

Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating is widely applied to sediments in paleoenvironmental sciences. However, there are only limited examples determining the age of archaeological stone structures by OSL using dust deposits. The age of dust deposits associated with ancient buildings may be used to date the onset of settlement (sediment below structures), settlement activity (occupation layer), or the time after a settlement had been abandoned or destroyed (sediment between collapsed roofs and walls). In this study, OSL dating is applied to establish numerical dates for settlement structures situated in the Negev Highlands, Israel. Two archaeological sites are investigated to identify their occupation history, by dating nine samples of aeolian dust trapped within the remains of ancient buildings. The OSL dating technique is applied using coarse grain quartz and a standard single‐aliquot regenerative‐dose (SAR) protocol. It was possible to date the onset of sedimentation in a later phase of the human occupation or shortly after the sites were abandoned, to 3.7 ± 0.3 ka (Intermediate Bronze Age) at the central site and to 2.7 ± 0.2 ka (Iron Age) at the ephemeral site. These results are supported by archaeological evidence gained from pottery finds and the architecture of the ancient buildings.     

Environmental controls on the development of Mississippian microbial carbonate mounds and platform limestones in southern Montagne Noire (France)

Late Mississippian carbonates in southern Montagne Noire are dominantly domical to laterally‐accreted microbial mounds in some formations, as well as stratiform microbial limestones occurring in hundreds of olistoliths within a flysch basin, constituting pieces of a giant puzzle that are used to help reconstruct a platform in a region that is no longer preserved. Petrographic data of limestone samples from 14 continuous long sections of olistoliths have been analyzed statistically, using multivariate clustering (Q‐mode) of the components/matrix/cement and canonical correspondence analysis that allow the reconstruction of the environmental parameters of carbonate microbial communities in space and time. Clustering analysis separated microbial and non‐microbial facies. The calculation of indices along the various axes from canonical correspondence analysis allows recognition of the controlling factors of the mounds and microbial growth as being turbidity, light penetration, bathymetry and storms. Turbidity and light penetration are the primary factors controlling the morphology of the microbial limestones. Representation of the light penetration and bathymetry indices on the stratigraphical sections defines two vertical environmental gradients. Light penetration can be subdivided into euphotic, euphotic–dysphotic and dysphotic‐aphotic conditions. The representation of the bathymetry allows the subdivision of samples into a deeper outer ramp, external mid‐ramp and internal mid‐ramp. The curve distance from the section base = f (index) suggests a cyclicity for the platform that cannot be compared with the onlap curve defined from other cratonic areas (Moscow Basin), and thus the cyclic succession of the Montagne Noire is interpreted to have been mostly tectonically‐controlled. Integration of the data allowed the reconstruction of the original Mississippian carbonate platform, where, up to the Mikhailovian, it appears to correspond to a platform morphology, with narrow shallow water facies and wide turbiditic systems, whereas the width of shallow‐water settings expanded during the Venevian to the Protvian, forming a ramp or distally‐steepened ramp with widespread microbial limestones.     

A luminescence‐based chronology for the Harletz loess sequence,Bulgaria

The Harletz loess‐palaeosol sequence is located in northwestern Bulgaria and represents an important link between well‐studied loess sequences in eastern Romania and further sites to the west of the Carpathians (e.g. Serbia and Hungary). The aim of this study was to establish a chronostratigraphy of the deposits, using various methods of luminescence dating, together with basic stratigraphical field observations as well as magnetic properties. Luminescence dating was carried out using the quartz fine grain fraction and a SAR protocol, and the feldspar coarse grain fraction, applying the MET‐pIRIR protocol. Due to underestimation of the quartz fine grain fraction in the lower parts of the sequence, the resulting chronology is mainly based on the feldspar ages, which are derived from the stimulation temperature at 150 °C. A comparison with nearby sequences from Serbia, Hungary and Romania, and interpretations obtained through the stratigraphical and sedimentological signature of the sequence, supports the established chronology. Our data suggest that the prominent palaeosol (soil complex) in the upper quarter of the sequence was formed during MIS 5. It would follow that large parts of the Last Glacial loess overlying this palaeosol were probably eroded, and that the thick loess accumulation underlying this soil complex can be allocated to the penultimate glacial (MIS 6). A prominent MIS 6 tephra, which has been reported from other sequences in the area, is also present at Harletz.     

Short-period Rayleigh waves from near-surface events

Short-period fundamental-mode Rayleigh waves (Rg) are generally well recorded by short-period seismographs within about 600 km of seismic events, such as explosions, rockbursts and earthquakes, which occur in the upper 3 km of the crust. Studies of these waves from records at the Swedish seismograph network revealed their usefulness to elucidate both path and source properties. They exhibit normal dispersion which requires a superficial low-velocity layer of about 1 km thickness, in part probably weathered and fractured granite. This layer has considerably higher attenuation than underlying more competent rock. The existence of Rg in regional short-period records is a reliable indication of shallow focal depth, and, provided adequate calibration is available, quite accurate depth estimation would be possible from the amplitude ratio of Rg to Sg1.     

Global warming and South Indian monsoon rainfall—lessons from the Mid-Miocene

Precipitation over India is driven by the Indian monsoon. Although changes in this atmospheric circulation are caused by the differential seasonal diabatic heating of Asia and the Indo-Pacific Ocean, it is so far unknown how global warming influences the monsoon rainfalls regionally. Herein, we present a Miocene pollen flora as the first direct proxy for monsoon over southern India during the Middle Miocene Climate Optimum. To identify climatic key parameters, such as mean annual temperature, warmest month temperature, coldest month temperature, mean annual precipitation, mean precipitation during the driest month, mean precipitation during the wettest month and mean precipitation during the warmest month the Coexistence Approach is applied. Irrespective of a ~ 3–4 °C higher global temperature during the Middle Miocene Climate Optimum, the results indicate a modern-like monsoonal precipitation pattern contrasting marine proxies which point to a strong decline of Indian monsoon in the Himalaya at this time. Therefore, the strength of monsoon rainfall in tropical India appears neither to be related to global warming nor to be linked with the atmospheric conditions over the Tibetan Plateau. For the future it implies that increased global warming does not necessarily entail changes in the South Indian monsoon rainfall.     

A 20 ka sediment record from the Hajar Mountain range in N-Oman,and its implication for detecting arid–humid periods on the southeastern Arabian Peninsula

Playa-like sediments from the Hajar Mountain range in northern Oman (22.83°N, 59.00°E; 1050 m asl) document variations of the paleoenvironmental and paleoclimate conditions over the last 20 ka. Based on high-resolution sediment sampling and their OSL dating, sedimentation rates were calculated and used as a proxy for paleorainfall. The results show that the Glacial to Lateglacial was characterized by arid conditions with a following transitional period of even less rainfall. At 10.5 ka, sedimentation rates increases abruptly, indicating the onset of the early Holocene humid period (EHHP). Rainfall reaches its maximum at 9–8 ka (EHHP-2) and a decreasing sedimentation rate after 8 ka characterizes the arid period of the middle to late Holocene. Variations of the hydrological regime are associated with the intensity of the boreal summer Indian monsoon and its related position of the ITCZ. For the onset of the EHHP, a northerly shift of the ITCZ is postulated, thus confirming earlier results from the southern Arabian Peninsula.     

Achieving a more realistic assessment of rockfall hazards by coupling three‐dimensional process models and field‐based tree‐ring data

Sound knowledge of the spatial and temporal patterns of rockfalls is fundamental for the management of this very common hazard in mountain environments. Process‐based, three‐dimensional simulation models are nowadays capable of reproducing the spatial distribution of rockfall occurrences with reasonable accuracy through the simulation of numerous individual trajectories on highly‐resolved digital terrain models. At the same time, however, simulation models typically fail to quantify the ‘real’ frequency of rockfalls (in terms of return intervals). The analysis of impact scars on trees, in contrast, yields real rockfall frequencies, but trees may not be present at the location of interest and rare trajectories may not necessarily be captured due to the limited age of forest stands. In this article, we demonstrate that the coupling of modeling with tree‐ring techniques may overcome the limitations inherent to both approaches. Based on the analysis of 64 cells (40 m × 40 m) of a rockfall slope located above a 1631‐m long road section in the Swiss Alps, we illustrate results from 488 rockfalls detected in 1260 trees. We illustrate that tree impact data cannot only be used (i) to reconstruct the real frequency of rockfalls for individual cells, but that they also serve (ii) the calibration of the rockfall model Rockyfor3D, as well as (iii) the transformation of simulated trajectories into real frequencies. Calibrated simulation results are in good agreement with real rockfall frequencies and exhibit significant differences in rockfall activity between the cells (zones) along the road section. Real frequencies, expressed as rock passages per meter road section, also enable quantification and direct comparison of the hazard potential between the zones. The contribution provides an approach for hazard zoning procedures that complements traditional methods with a quantification of rockfall frequencies in terms of return intervals through a systematic inclusion of impact records in trees. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Large wood clogging during floods in a gravel‐bed river: the Długopole bridge in the Czarny Dunajec River,Poland

During floods, large quantities of wood can be mobilized and transported downstream. At critical sections, such as bridges, the transported wood might be entrapped and a quick succession of backwater effects can occur as a result of the reduction of the cross‐sectional area. The aim of this work is to explore large wood‐related hazards during floods in the gravel‐bed river Czarny Dunajec (Polish Carpathians), where the river flows through the village of D?ugopole. This work is based on the numerical modelling of large wood transport together with flow dynamics in which inlet and boundary conditions were designed based on field observations. The exploratory approach developed in this study uses multiple scenarios (193) to analyse the factors controlling bridge clogging: wood size, wood supply, flow conditions, morphology and obstacles in the riverbed. Results highlighted the strong control of log length (stronger than that of log diameter) on potential blockage probability; however, according to our results the main factor controlling bridge clogging was the flood discharge. River morphology and wood supply play an important role as well. The river morphology may reduce bridge blockage, as it influences flow velocity and depth, and creates natural retention zones for wood. In addition, the impacts of bridge blockage were analysed in terms of afflux depth and length, and flooded area. Results showed that bridge blockage may result in a significant increase in water depth (up to 0.7 m) and flooded area (up to 33% more), therefore increasing flood risk in the village. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.