Pleistocene Terraces of the Alto Henares (Guadalajara), Spain

1972 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 473-486 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce G. Gladfelter

A suite of four terraces in the upper Rio Henares drainage system (Rio Tajo basin) now provides a partial geomorphological link between the Middle Pleistocene, Lower Paleolithic archeological sites at Ambrona and Torralba (upper Ebro basin) and those in the vicinity of Madrid. The Campiña and Low Terrace features are shown by radiocarbon dating to be of Holocene and Würm ages, respectively, while the Middle and High Terraces are best designated as being Middle and Lower Pleistocene ages, respectively. Stratigraphic relationships between the upper and lower Rio Henares segments need to be established.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Carpentieri ◽  
Marta Arzarello

Abstract The opportunistic debitage, originally adapted from Forestier’s S.S.D.A. definition, is characterized by a strong adaptability to local raw material morphology and its physical characteristics and it is oriented towards flake production. Its most ancient evidence is related to the first European peopling by Homo sp. during Lower Pleistocene starting from 1.6 Ma and gradually increasing around 1 Ma. In these sites a great heterogeneity of the reduction sequences and raw materials employed is highlighted, bringing to the identification of multiple technical behaviours. However, the scientific community does not always agree on associating the concepts of opportunism and method to describe these lithic complexes. The same methodological issues remain for the Middle Pleistocene where, simultaneously to an increase of the archaeological evidence and the persistence of the opportunistic debitage, the first bifacial complexes are attested. Further implications concerning the increasing complexity highlighted in core technology management are now at the centre of an important debate regarding the genesis of more specialized method (Levallois and Discoid) especially during MIS 12 and MIS 9. We suggest that the opportunistic debitage could be the starting point for this process, carrying within itself a great methodological and cultural potential.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 812
Author(s):  
Niki Evelpidou ◽  
Christos Zerefos ◽  
Costas Synolakis ◽  
Christos Repapis ◽  
Anna Karkani ◽  
...  

Cyprus has a long history of tsunami events, as noted by archaeological and geological records. At Cape Greco (southeastern Cyprus) large boulders have been noted, however, no detailed geomorphological research has taken place so far and the related high energy event was undated until now. Our research aims to record in detail and interpret these large boulders deposits. The boulders, located between ≈3 and 4.5 m a.m.s.l., are fragments of an upper Pleistocene aeolianite, which is overlaying unconformly a lower Pleistocene calcarenite. Dimensions and spatial distribution of 272 small, medium, and large boulders were documented, while their precise distance from the coastline was recorded by field mapping and remote sensing, using Differential GPS (DGPS), drone, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technics. Field data were subsequently combined with hydrodynamic equations, in order to determine the extreme event(s) that caused their transport inland, and radiocarbon dating was accomplished on three samples of Vermetus sp. to determine the chronological context. Our findings appear to broadly correlate with the 1303 AD tsunami, which has displaced at least part of the studied boulders, and one other undocumented event at AD 1512-1824. The large number of boulders and sizes in our study area further indicate that their dislocation is most likely owed to multiple events from various sources.


2017 ◽  
Vol 155 (7) ◽  
pp. 1413-1426
Author(s):  
MARIA LAURA BALESTRIERI ◽  
MARCO BENVENUTI ◽  
RITA CATANZARITI

AbstractDetrital apatite fission-track (AFT) thermochronology has been applied to lower Pleistocene lacustrine fan-delta sediments of the NE shoulder of the Mugello Basin, the youngest and closest to the main watershed among the Northern Apennines intermontane basins. The aim was to decode the shoulder uplift dynamics during the development of the basin through the analysis of the Quaternary fluvio-lacustrine deposits. Bedrock shoulder analysis, performed to match the detrital AFT data with their source, revealed the presence of a unexpected only partially annealed portion of a turbidite foredeep unit (AFT ages >7–5 Ma) belonging to the structural complex that constitutes the shoulder bedrock. These data disagree with the AFT age distribution pattern of the well-studied Northern Apennines chain, suggesting a segmentation of the foredeep basin. The latter may have been related to the presence of a tectonically induced topographic high (pre-late Langhian) in the area limiting the thickness of the overriding Ligurian lid. On the other hand, detrital AFT data provided arguments for understanding the dynamics of Mugello Basin shoulder uplift and rotation. The proportion in the different stratigraphic units of the fan-delta sediments of single grains showing young (reset) and old (non-reset) ages points to late Early Pleistocene timing of the development of the SW-verging backthrust that characterizes the study area. These data confirm and detail the picture of an early Quaternary development of the Mugello Basin under a compressional setting, only later (middle Pleistocene to present) superimposed by normal faultings.


Sections in the Icenian Crag at Chillesford, Aldeburgh, Thorpe Aldringham, Sizewell, Dunwich, Wangford and Southwold are described. Pollen and mollusc assemblages from these sites are tabled. The Icenian Crag is shown to contain a temperate pollen assemblage, resulting from a regional deciduous forest of the time. The assemblage is provisionally correlated with the Pastonian stage of the Middle Pleistocene, as Tsuga is very poorly represented and Abies is absent. The mollusc assemblages are divided into a sublittoral or infralittoral facies, a sheltered estuarine or wadden area facies, an open coast facies and a high-boreal or sub-arctic silty deposit facies, probably infralittoral. The unconformable relation of the Icenian Crag to Red and Coralline Crags at Chillesford and Aldeburgh and to Baventian sediments at Easton Bavents indicates a strong marine transgression over Lower Pleistocene deposits in Pastonian times. The beach plain of the Westleton Beds is included within this transgressive phase. Pollen assemblages from deep boreholes at Sizewell and Southwold show that the transgression deposits overlie Lower Pleistocene sediments correlated with the PreLudhamian, Thurnian and Baventian stages. A correlation is suggested between the Pastonian and the Cromerian III Interglacial of the Netherlands.


2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 303-311
Author(s):  
Trinh Hoai Thu ◽  
Tran Thi Thuy Huong ◽  
Dang Tran Trung

This article has established a set of empirical equations to describe the relationship between bulk resistivity and TDS of the Upper-Middle Pleistocene aquifer (qp2-3) and Lower Pleistocene aquifer (qp1) of the for field survey in 2017 in Ca Mau province. This article has determined the content of TDS based on EC (TDSEC) and established correlation regression equation between TDSLAB and TDS is based on the EC of the qp2-3 aquifer: Y = 0.549X – 0.081  with R2 = 0.975 and Standard Error (SE) = 0.1591. The qp1 aquifer: Y = 0.4669X + 0.0483 with R2 = 0.9869, Standard Error (SE) = 0.0949. Based on these regression correlation equations, we found a high correlation coefficient and small deviation between TDSLAB and TDSEC. Therefore, the determination of TDS content through the EC has reduced the cost of groundwater samples of the aquifers of laboratory analysis in Ca Mau province.


2019 ◽  
Vol 486 (5) ◽  
pp. 643-646
Author(s):  
A. V. Lopatin

The remains of Leporidae from the Lower Pleistocene deposits of the Taurida karstic cave discovered in 2018 in the central Crimea (Belogorsk district, Zuya village) are referred to Hypolagus brachygnathus (Kormos, 1930). This species is characteristic of the interval from the beginning of the Pleistocene (Late Villainian, MN17) to the Middle Pleistocene (latest Biharian, Q2) of Europe. It has not been previously observed in Crimea.


Author(s):  
António Ferreira Soares

Pliocene and Quaternary Units in the Lower Mondego (Portugal) — The analysis of the relations betweenthe quaternary deposits in the Baixo Mondego, as well as their individualisation from others considered asPliocene, still suffer from insufficient reference marks necessary to guarantee equivalencies. The limitis now considered to be in the concert of the Cruz de Morouços Complex, where the Antanhol Formation(= Barracão Group, Upper Pliocene) and the Espírito Santo Conglomerate, equivalent to the GordosConglomerate (Lower Pleistocene), succeed to each other. From the Pleistocene assemblage andbeside the deposits directly associated to the evolution of Mondego (Ameal-Santo Varão and Tentugal-Gabrielos deposits), the deposits revealing upper littoral environments stand out, as the ArazedeSandstone, the Quiaios Sandstone, others deposits directly related with the Cabo Mondego morphogenesis,the Farol Deposits, fossiliferous and possibly from the Lower to Middle Pleistocene and theMurtinheira Deposits from the Upper Pleistocene. In turn the Condeixa Tuffs, with an accommodationspace of 24 Km2 , show an ordered succession of facies (Conglomerates — Cg; yellow mud — Pa, tuffs— Ta and Tc; grey mud with Lymnea — Pc) and an extended age from the Pleistocene (with Elephasantiquus and Hippopotamus incognitus in the base) possibly around the 400 Ka, to the Holocene (faciesPc with roman archaeological remains).


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (23) ◽  
pp. 10099
Author(s):  
José Luis Goy ◽  
Raquel Cruz ◽  
Antonio Martínez-Graña ◽  
Virginia Valdés ◽  
Mariano Yenes

From the geomorphological cartography, the geometric and spatial distribution of the quaternary forms and deposits are analyzed, with special relevance to the fluvial terraces that allow obtaining the chronology of the successive landscape changes of the course of the Tagus River attributed to the activity of the Fault of Alentejo-Plasencia (APF). The “Appalachian” relief of Monfragüe National Park, constituting a series of quartzitic combs with direction NW, between which they find slopes, hills and valleys following the same direction, for the dismantlement of the Cenozoic cover that was covering the substratum (still present in the central sector) and encasement of the Rivers Tagus and Tiétar. The remains of fluvial terraces inside and outside the Park stand out at different heights and so they originate from different times and show different landscapes along the routes of the Tagus river and its movement over time. In the north end (basin of the Campo Arañuelo), there are remains of ten fluvial terraces of relative importance attributed to the River Tagus (with heights relative to the thalweg between 120 and 20 m). In the south edge, there are eight levels attributed to a former fluvial drainage network, which assimilates to the River Tagus, with the more recent level reaching over 280 m on the current river. Neotectonics readjustments that rejuvenated the relief produced the elevation of the socle and cover, at the time of diversions in the path of the fluvial network, up to the structure and encasement (for supertax and/or antecedence). During the Quaternary, the activity of the Alentejo-Plasencia Fault (APF) has given rise to palaeogeographic changes in the fluvial valley of the Tagus River. During the ancient Lower Pleistocene, its course passed south of the current one (Talaván-Torrejón el Rubio basin); at the end of the Lower Pleistocene, it came out crossing the syncline through the Boquerón porthole, and the meander that bordered the town of Almaraz was abandoned; at the beginning of the Middle Pleistocene, it changes its direction, from NE–SW to SE–NW, leaving the porthole and joining the Tiétar river within the Park; later it moves somewhat to the south. These changes in the route and the anomalous fitting of the course of the Tagus River into the Paleozoic substrate, have been attributed to the APF, which, through impulses, has had a great activity from the Lower Pleistocene to the Middle Pleistocene.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacek Szczygieł ◽  
Helena Hercman ◽  
Gregory Hoke ◽  
Michał Gąsiorowski ◽  
Marcin Błaszczyk ◽  
...  

<p>The Tatra mountains, the northernmost portion of the Central Western Carpathians, host a stunning alpine landscape despite an average elevation that rises 1.4 km above the surrounding lowlands. Regional geomorphology studies on both sides of the range correlate various landforms interpreted to be glacial in origin with all each of the eight major Alpine glacial  events based largely landscape position, and in some cases geochronologic constraints. This regional relative chronology assumes that wet-based mountain glaciers are efficient agents of erosion and each successive glaciation lowered the valleys within the Tatra. While the tendency of subsequent glaciations to obscure evidence of previous events makes it difficult to study the work done by past glacial episodes, the cave networks on the northern side of the Tatra offer a way to evaluate the amount and timing of valley lowering with U-series dating of speleothems. Epiphreatic and paleophreatic caves that developed near the water table and dried out as valley deepening occurred can serve as excellent recorders of the valley incision history.</p><p>Speleothems were collected from a number of cave levels present throughout the northern Tatra, of which only a subset were suitable for U-series geochronology. The oldest speleothems collected in active epiphreatic passages on the valley bottom level from each valley are consistently between 284-325 ka (MIS 8-9). This shows that the modern karst drainage system of the Tatra was established prior to the late Middle Pleistocene, and the cave conduits changed to epiphreatic or vadose conditions between 280 and 330 ka. Since the lowest cave level is at or below the modern valley floor, we can conclude that no valley incision occurred after ~330 ka, which includes both the penultimate and last glaciations periods. Clearly, the regional glacial chronologies in the Tatra must be reassessed. The implications of our findings demonstrate that the assumption of successive valley lowering should not be assumed and that even the extensive MIS2 glaciation did not result in valley lowering despite its size.</p>


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Pioli ◽  
Margherita Mussi ◽  
Rita T. Melis

<p>The Upper Awash valley runs across a volcano-sedimentary sequence dated from Late Miocene to about 500 my ago. The volcano sedimentary sequence in the Upper Awash valley developed within a closed basin at the western margin of the Main Ethiopian Rift branch and was affected by tephra sedimentation from nearby sources but also from volcanoes from the rift floor, and local fissural/dome eruptions. Dynamic interaction between rift tectonics, volcanic activity, tephra erosion and redeposition created a complex sedimentary environment constituting an exceptional fossil trap. In the area of Melka Kunture, the sediments host numerous fossils and archeological remains of Early-Middle Pleistocene (Oldowan and Acheulean) and Upper Pleistocene age. This is one of the most relevant African locations for researching human evolution.</p><p>The valley sequence formed after deposition of the large ignimbrite sheet of the Munesa tuff, within a paleo fluvial system which developed within lateral rift faults. Sedimentation rates significantly decreased after 500 my ago, probably due to decline of the volcanic activity in the area.</p><p>The basin stratigraphy consists of a composite sequence of primary (fall and flow) volcanic facies interbedded with reworked sediments emplaced in a low energy floodplain environment. The sequence is dominated by the deposit of one large pyroclastic density current (Kella Tuff) which is a main marker layer dated at 1.2 My. Deposition of the Kella Tuff had deep impact on the area leading to a complete reorganization of the drainage system and river channel migration and development of a disconformity in the southern Melka Kunture area.</p><p>Stratigraphic correlation is based on the interpretation of the basin history and evolution and has a crucial relevance not only for the reconstruction of the paleoenvironment but also for the interpretation of the paleontological and archeological data.</p><p> </p>


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