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The erosional and depositional landforms modified by the glaciers can be used effectively to reconstruct the palaeo-glacial events along with dating techniques. In this study, a detailed reconstruction of the Satopanth Glacier (SPG), Bhagirath Kharak Glacier (BKG), and Bhagnyu Glacier (BG) in the Alaknanda Basin of Central Himalaya is carried out using glacier morphological features identified from a comprehensive dataset that includes historic toposheets (1882–1962), satellite images (1968–2020), and field observations (2019 & 2020). We also compute paleo, contemporary ice thickness, and glacier volumes using the Glacier Reconstructio (GlaRe) and the Himalayan Glacier Thickness Mapper (HIGTHIM) tools, respectively. Our results demonstrate that the region has witnessed three major glacial advances: Stage I (oldest), Stage II, and Stage III glaciations. The SPG, BKG, and BG were tributaries of a primary primitive glacier that existed during the Stage I glaciation that extended to the Mana village. The Stage I glacial moraines are at a distance of 8.4 ± 1.1 km, 7.8 ± 1 km, and 8.4 ± 1.1 km from the present-day snout of SPG, BKG, BG, while the Stage II moraines are 5.1 ± 0.71 km, 4.2 ± 0.58 km, and 5 ± 0.7 km away, and Stage III moraines are 1.9 ± 0.26 km, 1.3 ± 0.18 km, and 2.8 ± 0.39 km away, respectively. The area of the primitive glacier reduced (Stage I to the recent period) from 78 ± 4.6 km2 to 60 ± 3.6 km2 with a volume reduction from 4.7 ± 0.94 km3 to 3.5 ± 0.63 km3. Most importantly, the rate of recession of the glaciers in the Alaknanda Basin is more in the last 5 decades ∼(8.4 ± 1.1 m a−1 (SPG), 7.2 ± 1 m a−1 (BKG), 10 ± 1.4 m a−1 (BG)) than that reported over the last 12,000 years, which is ∼0.42 m a−1 (SPG), 0.35 m a−1 (BKG), 0.42 m a−1 (BG). The present study provides a detailed characterization of the long-term evolution of glaciers in the Alaknanda Basin for the first time. [Display omitted] • Paleoextent of 3 major glaciers in the Alaknanda Basin using satellite and field data • Paleo and contemporary ice thickness estimation using Laminar flow and GlaRe models • Observed 23 % volume and area reduction of glaciers between Stage I and III • Drastic glacier recession, ∼1.3 km to 2.8 km over the last 5 decades • Ice thickness stayed constant, 356–332 m, from Stage I to III. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Zanskar region, nestled in the heart of the Tethyan Himalaya, represents a significant geological and cultural repository that has remained relatively unexplored by the global tourism industry. This study investigates Zanskar's geoheritage and cultural geomorphology, highlighting its importance for geotourism and advocating for the implementation of sustainable development to preserve its fragile ecosystem. Flowing northward from the Higher Himalayas, the Zanskar River, one of the largest northeast-flowing tributary of the Upper Indus River Basin (UIRB), traverses the complex, strongly folded, and thrusted Zanskar Range via a steep, narrow 60-kilometer-long gorge. Zanskar has consistently garnered attention from geoscientists and tourists owing to its unique geographic location and remoteness. Many areas and routes in Zanskar are challenging to reach, but it stands out as a prime location where glaciers can be accessed by road, making it an ideal destination for studying geoscience. Geologically, the study area is part of the Zanskar Range, with its boundaries defined by the Ladakh Range to the northeast and the Great Himalayan Range to the southwest. The Indus Tsangpo Suture Zone, the Tethyan Sedimentary Sequence, and the Higher Himalayan Crystalline Sequence are exposed from north to south. Zanskar serves as a pristine field museum for studying young Himalayan orogenic tectonics, featuring prominent exposures such as the Zanskar Shear Zone (ZSZ)/South Tibetan Detachment System (STDS) and the structural outcrop of Zangla, showcasing a variety of folding types. These folds signify different phases of deformation resulting from the Indo-Eurasian collision. Moreover, it serves as a prime sequence of Quaternary Glacial Periods (QGP), providing an ideal natural laboratory and an open, practical classroom for geoscientists and Earth science students. We propose ten geoheritage sites in Zanskar, which encompass cultural, geomorphological, and geological attractions with potential for geotourism in this region. The Zanskar region, a key geological and cultural repository in the NW Himalaya, remains relatively unexplored by global tourism. This study underscores its significance for geotourism and advocates for sustainable development to protect its ecosystem. Zanskar's unique geography and accessible glaciers make it an ideal destination for geomorphological and geological studies. It showcases important geological features and serves as a natural laboratory for understanding Himalayan orogeny. Ten geoheritage sites are proposed, highlighting its potential as a geotourism destination. [Display omitted] • Characteristics of geosites for the promotion and development of geotourism in Zanskar. • Study revealed untapped geological, geomorphological and cultural richness of region. • Cultural geomorphology uncovers the deep connections between local cultures and their landscapes. • This study highlighted the region's geological diversity and its importance for education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work is to build a new chronology of the Late Pleistocene glacial fluctuations in the Cantal Mountains and on the Cézallier Plateau (western Massif Central, France). The study of glacial landform-sediment assemblages is supported by the production of new exposure ages (n = 48) from (i) forty-three erratic boulders (36Cl and 10Be) spread over twelve glacial landforms, (ii) two ages from polished bedrocks (10Be) and (iii) three ages from depth profiles (10Be and 26Al) in tills. The results indicate that the majority of glacial deposits are attributed to Marine Isotopic Stage 2 (29 to 11 ka). From this dataset, four glacial stadials are discriminated: the Early-Local Last Glacial Maximum at 29–24 ka, (ii) Late-Last Glacial Maximum at 24–20 ka, (iii) a glacial still stand at approximately 17 ka, during a general deglaciation phase between 20 and 16 ka and finally (iv) a cirque stadial localized only in the Cantal Mountains at <16 ka. This new chronology strengthens the chronostratigraphy of the western Massif Central and highlights the sensitivity of the area to atmospheric circulation changes. • Revisions of glacial landform-sediment assemblages define four distinct glacial events. • Glacial fluctuations are dated to the MIS 2 with surface exposure ages using 10Be, 26Al and 36Cl (n = 48). • Two major glacier advances occurred during the Last Glacial Maximum, at 29–24 and 24–20 ka. • The paleoglacier is limited to the Cantal cirques from ~16 ka. • Paleoglacier from the western Massif Central are sensitive to north Atlantic paleoclimatic changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Deglaciated mountainous areas are usually affected by a great range of paraglacial processes that involve progressively denudation of glacial imprints. This study focuses on paraglacial processes and glacial landform preservation in six zones located in two catchments of the Cantabrian Mountains (NW Spain). These zones are adjacent but display important topographic, lithologic and glaciation style differences. An analysis of how these variables conditioned the intensity and diversity of paraglacial processes in these zones was investigated through a detailed study of their relief, lithology and paleo glacier surface using GIS. A comprehensive cartography of paraglacial landforms was also accomplished, considering landslides, alluvial fans and rock glaciers that show signs of having been conditioned by glaciation. Moraines and debris-mantled slopes were also included in the analysis to examine their grade of preservation depending on the studied variables. Data comparison show that differences in glaciation style influenced paraglacial processes. In the ancient icefield area, relief modification by glacial action was limited and scarce paraglacial processes occur. By contrast, in the upper areas located in the southern ranges where an alpine-style of glaciation was installed, paraglacial processes were very active, generating many rock glaciers. Lithology explains some paraglacial landforms distribution: 1) Landslides are associated with incohesive (sandy and shale) rocks; 2) Rock glaciers mainly occur in quartzite areas; 3) In limestone areas subterranean drainage contributes to glacial landscape preservation, but suffosion dolines affect some glacial deposits. Topography is also a key factor in paraglacial processes: 1) Moraines are well-preserved in gently sloping valleys, but rare in the steeper where they are usually transformed into moraine (or debris)-mantled slopes; 2) Alluvial fans are more frequent in the steeper valleys, but more dissected by postglacial river action. 3) Elevation and orientation show little influence on paraglacial landforms, except in the generation of some periglacial features such as rock glaciers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alpine ice varies from pure ice glaciers to partially debris-covered glaciers to rock glaciers, as defined by the degree of debris cover. In many low- to mid-latitude mountain ranges, the few bare ice glaciers that do exist in the present climate are small and are found where snow is focused by avalanches and where direct exposure to radiation is minimized. Instead, valley heads are more likely to be populated by rock glaciers, which can number in the hundreds. These rock-cloaked glaciers represent some of the most identifiable components of the cryosphere today in low- to mid-latitude settings, and the over-steepened snouts pose an often overlooked hazard to travel in alpine terrain. Geomorphically, rock glaciers serve as conveyor belts atop which rock is pulled away from the base of cliffs. In this work, we show how rock glaciers can be treated as an end-member case that is captured in numerical models of glaciers that include ice dynamics, debris dynamics, and the feedbacks between them. Specifically, we focus on the transition from debris-covered glaciers, where the modern equilibrium line altitude (ELA) intersects the topography, to rock glaciers, where the modern ELA lies above the topography. On debris-covered glaciers (i.e., glaciers with a partial rock mantle), rock delivered to the glacier from its headwall, or from sidewall debris swept into the glacier at tributary junctions, travels englacially to emerge below the ELA. There it accumulates on the surface and damps the rate of melt of underlying ice. This allows the termini of debris-covered glaciers to extend beyond debris-free counterparts, thereby decreasing the ratio of accumulation area to total area of the glacier (AAR). In contrast, rock glaciers (i.e., glaciers with a full rock mantle) occur where and when the environmental ELA rises above the topography. They require avalanches and rockfall from steep headwalls. The occurrence of rock glaciers reflects this dependence on avalanche sources because they are most common on lee sides of ridges and peaks where wind-blown snow enhances the strength of the avalanche source. To maintain positive mass balance, the avalanche cone developed in the winter must be sufficiently thick not to melt entirely in the summer, thus providing an ice accumulation area for the rock glacier. In the absence of rockfall, this would support a short cirque glacier. The presence of debris, however, facilitates the development of rock glaciers with lengths of hundreds of meters, thicknesses of tens of meters, and speeds of meters per year that are well described by numerical models. Numerical models are used to explore the alpine glacier response to its climate history. In warming climates, a debris-covered glacier can transform into a much shorter rock glacier, leaving in its wake a thinning ice-cored moraine. Rock glaciers will persist in landscapes well beyond debris-free counterparts because they have much longer response times to climate change. The headwaters of alpine basins with steep headwalls will therefore oscillate between glacier and rock glacier occupation over glacial-interglacial cycles, maintaining a means by which rock from the headwall can be conveyed away. This enhances the asymmetry of alpine ridgelines, with downwind valleys biting deeply into the range crests, as originally noted by G.K. Gilbert. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glacial landsystems in the high-Arctic have been reported to undergo geomorphological transformation during deglaciation. This research evaluates moraine evolution over a decadal timescale at Midtre Lovénbreen, Svalbard. This work is of interest because glacial landforms developed in Svalbard have been used as an analogue for landforms developed during Pleistocene mid-latitude glaciation. Ground penetrating radar was used to investigate the subsurface characteristics of moraines. To determine surface change, a LiDAR topographic data set (obtained 2003) and a UAV-derived (obtained 2014) digital surface model processed using structure-from-motion (SfM) are also compared. Evaluation of these data sets together enables subsurface character and landform response to climatic amelioration to be linked. Ground penetrating radar evidence shows that the moraine substrate at Midtre Lovénbreen includes ice-rich (radar velocities of 0.17 m ns −1 ) and debris-rich (radar velocities of 0.1–0.13 m ns −1 ) zones. The ice-rich zones are demonstrated to exhibit relatively high rates of surface change (mean thresholded rate of −4.39 m over the 11-year observation period). However, the debris-rich zones show a relatively low rate of surface change (mean thresholded rate of −0.98 m over the 11-year observation period), and the morphology of the debris-rich landforms appear stable over the observation period. A complex response of proglacial landforms to climatic warming is shown to occur within and between glacier forelands as indicated by spatially variable surface lowering rates. Landform response is controlled by the ice-debris balance of the moraine substrate, along with the topographic context (such as the influence of meltwater). Site-specific characteristics such as surface debris thickness and glaciofluvial drainage are, therefore, argued to be a highly important control on surface evolution in ice-cored terrain, resulting in a diverse response of high-Arctic glacial landsystems to climatic amelioration. These results highlight that care is needed when assessing the long-term preservation potential of contemporary landforms at high-Arctic glaciers. A better understanding of ice-cored terrain facilitates the development of appropriate age and climatic interpretations that can be obtained from palaeo ice-marginal landsystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rockfall is a significant geomorphic process in many mountainous regions that also poses a notable natural hazard risk. Most previous studies of rockfall erosion have investigated the mechanics and rates of local rockwall retreat and talus deposition, with only a few investigations of rockfall and/or associated talus considering larger spatial scales (i.e., drainage basin, mountain range). The purpose of the current research is to investigate the areal extent of rockfall-talus and controlling factors of its distribution over regional spatial scales (of order 10 2 km 2 ) in Kananaskis, Canadian Rockies to inform our understanding of its significance in mountain development. To achieve this goal, a large talus inventory is collected and analyzed for 11 steep tributaries of the Kananaskis River, Canadian Rockies. Talus accumulations associated with rockfall provide evidence about the nature and rates of rockfall activity that supplies sediment to these deposits and are the focus of the present study. To quantify the controls of rockfall-talus activity in this region, we analyze the association of talus deposits with structural geology, glacial topography, and temperature-related weathering (i.e., frost cracking). A total of 324 talus polygons covering a surface area of 28.51 km 2 are delineated within the 11 study basins, with the number of talus polygons in each study basin ranging from 1 to 73. Analysis of the talus inventory shows that cirques and glacially sculpted valleys are locations of notable talus accumulation in Kananaskis, with other locations of significant talus deposition being associated with thrust faults. We also found that the upper elevations at which talus deposits are typically found are the general range of elevations experiencing a notable number of days in the frost cracking window when this window is defined as − 3 to − 15 °C; no such association is found for the frost cracking window of − 3 to − 8 °C. Estimates of average erosion rates for all study basins combined are between 0.15 mm y − 1 (lower estimate) to 3.1 mm y − 1 (upper estimate). Rockfall activity is expected to have been most active for the several millennia following deglaciation (during the paraglacial period) when hillslopes were oversteepened. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climatic or geologic controls, such as tectonics or glacial drainage, might impose constraints on landscape self-organization resulting in spatial patterns of rivers and valleys which do not obey the typical self-similar relationships found in most landscapes. The goal of this study is to quantify how such geologic constraints express themselves on channel network topology, spatial heterogeneity of drainage patterns, and emergence of preferred scales of landscape dissection. We use as an example a basin located in the Upper Midwestern United States where successive glaciations over the past thousand years have led to a pronounced spatially anisotropic channel network structure which defeats most scaling laws of fluvial landscapes. This is contrasted with another river basin in the North-Central U.S. which has been organized under the absence of major geologic influences and follows a typical self-similar channel network organization. We show how the geologic constraints have imposed a competition for space which is captured in the slope–local drainage density probabilistic structure, in the failure of self-similarity in basin-wide river network topology, and in the length-area scaling relationship being not typical of fluvial landscapes. Via a two-dimensional wavelet analysis and synthesis, we demonstrate the occurrence of a gap in the power spectrum which corresponds to the presence of preferred scales of organization, and characterize them through multi-scale detrending. The developed methodologies can be useful in advancing our geomorphologic understanding of how external controls might manifest themselves in creating a landscape dissection that is outside the norm and how this dissection can be studied objectively for understanding cause and effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of erosion rates through time is of great importance to understand the effects of tectonics and climate on the topographic evolution of mountain belts. In this study, we present a 10Be-based paleo-erosion record for the northern Qilian Shan (NE Tibet) during the last 4.2 Ma. This new record is based on samples from a magnetostratigraphically dated drillcore from the foreland of the northern Qilian Shan (i.e., the Hexi Corridor). The 10Be-based paleo-erosion rates obtained from the drillcore lie between ~40 and ~150 m/Ma, with the exception of two transient peaks at ~3.4 Ma (~330 m/Ma) and ~2.0 Ma (~220 m/Ma). These high values may result from transitions to a generally cooler climate with more pronounced changes between glacial and interglacial periods. Apart from these peak values, erosion rates during the period from 4.2 to 2.8 Ma are rather low (~40 to ~70 m/Ma; mean: 50 m/Ma), whereas erosion rates over the last ~1.5 Ma are higher, ranging from ~80 to ~150 m/Ma (mean: ~112 m/Ma). We attribute the slower erosion between 4.2 and 2.8 Ma to a warmer climate, with more rainfall than today, and a lower relief in the sediment-source region. These factors led to a stabilization of hillslopes and caused erosion rates to be low. Subsequently, progressive cooling, aridification, and enhanced glacial and periglacial processes reduced the vegetation cover and increased hillslope erosion. In addition, ongoing rock uplift and concomitant river incision in the Qilian Shan may have increased the local relief. These factors explain the higher erosion rates in the past ~1.5 Ma. Available evidence on tectonic boundary conditions, drainage evolution, sedimentary environment, and paleo-climate conditions suggest that the geomorphology of the northern Qilian Shan has not significantly changed over that period. • We derive a 10Be-based paleo-erosion record for the Qilian Shan over the past 4.2 Ma. • Gradual cooling and glacial processes have increased hillslope erosion after 2.8 Ma. • Low erosion rates in the Pliocene were due to a warmer climate and a lower relief. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The geomorphic complexity of the Kitimat fiord system, on the active margin of British Columbia, Canada, is analysed from several perspectives. Sub-glacial landforms and sediments show that grounded ice exiting the fiord system at the last glacial maximum streamed down Moresby Trough towards the Queen Charlotte trough mouth fan. After brief halts on the inner shelf, grounded ice margins cleared the fiord threshold perhaps by c. 15.5 ka cal. yrs BP, and certainly before 13 ka cal. yrs BP. Just outside the fiords, meltwater plumes deposited stratified glaciomarine sediments interbedded with submarine slides. Inside the fiords, thick glaciomarine sediments were deposited, and large transverse moraines formed during temporary halts in retreat. Several glacial outburst floods eroded the Kitkiata moraine and deposited distinctive mud deposits. Postglacial sedimentation on fiord floors has been spatially variable: drifts of mud > 90 m-thick corresponding with areas of low current velocity alternate with areas of non-deposition and erosion corresponding with areas of high velocity. The fiord system hosts more than a hundred morphologically diverse fan deltas that can be classified in the Prior and Bornhold (1989, 1990) system. Submarine mass transport was most frequent immediately following ice retreat (15.5–11.5 ka cal. yrs BP). The largest event (~ 1.2 km 3 ) involved failure of glaciomarine sediment on a submarine moraine at Squally Channel, and consequent movement of material into the adjacent deep basin. This event occurred post-13 ka cal. yrs BP. In the postglacial phase, mass transport continued on a lesser scale up to the present day, most intensively in Kitimat Arm. From the perspective of glacial landforms, postglacial sedimentation and mass transport, this Pacific active margin fiord system has some parallels with fiord systems on Canada's east coast passive margin, and with Norwegian fiords, but the intensive development of Holocene fan deltas is strongly distinctive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reconstruction based on the geomorphology, lateral moraine stratigraphy, and limited optical chronology indicate that the monsoon-dominated Kosa Valley experienced four glacial advances during the late glacial to late Holocene. The oldest and most extensive glaciation, which is termed as Raj Bank Stage-1 (RBS-1), is represented by the degraded moraine ridge. This glaciation remains undated; however, the chronology of outwash terrace gravel dated to 12.7 ± 1.3 ka indicates that the RBS-1 probably represents the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). The second glacial advance (RBS-2) is preserved as a curvilinear lateral moraine and is dated to 6.1 ± 0.4 ka. The third glacial advance viz. RBS-3 is bracketed between 5.0 ± 0.5 and 4.0 ± 0.4 ka. Following this, the glacier receded in pulses that are represented by two distinct recessional moraines (RBS-3a and b). The forth glacial stage (RBS-4), which is dated between 2.2 ± 0.2 and 1.6 ± 0.2 ka, shows a pulsating recession and is represented by a prominent recessional moraine (RBS-4a). Whereas, presence of unconsolidated, poorly defined moraine mounds proximal to the glacier snout are ascribed as neoglacial advance corresponding to the Little Ice Age (LIA). With the limited chronometric data, we speculated that the glaciation was driven during the weak to moderate Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM) aided by lowered temperature. Presence of recessional moraines associated with mid-Holocene glacial phase indicate that the monsoon-dominated glaciers respond sensitively to minor (sub-millennial scale) changes in temperature and precipitation conditions. The observations are broadly in accordance with the studies carried out in other monsoon-dominated valleys in the central Himalaya, implying that in ISM dominated regions, lowered temperature seems to be the major driver of glaciations during the late glacial to late Holocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the southernmost part of the Parana Basin, records of the late Paleozoic glaciation occur in a discontinuous form preserved in paleovalley systems excavated in the crystalline basement. This paper addresses one of these paleovalleys, the Mariana Pimentel, which extends over 60 km with NW-SE valley direction and a constant width of 2.5 km. With the objective of demonstrating that the paleovalley worked as a fjord during the glaciation period, its origin as well as sedimentary fill and morphology were analyzed. The paleovalley morphology was obtained through electrical resistivity (electrical sounding and lateral mapping) and mathematical modeling in four transverse sections. The morphology of the paleovalley documented by the U-shape, steady width, and high depth reaching up to 400 m are typical features of modern glacial valleys. The sedimentary facies that fill the base of the paleovalley, such as rhythmites and dropstones with thickness up to 70 m and diamictites with faceted pebbles (up to 5 m thick) are signs of its glacial origin. During the glaciation period, the paleovalley had a connection to the epicontinental sea located to the northwest, extended toward Namibia, and was excavated by glaciers from the highlands of this region. Thus, the evidence attests that the Mariana Pimentel paleovalley was a fjord during the late Paleozoic glaciation. The duration of the late Paleozoic glaciation (which is longer than the Quaternary glaciation), the apatite fission track that suggests erosion up to 4 km thick in the study area, and the lack of preserved hanging valleys in the Mariana Pimentel indicate that the paleovalley once featured a higher dimension. Furthermore, the existence of paleofjords excavated in the border of the basement corroborates the idea of small ice centers controlled by topography during the late Paleozoic glaciation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Fraser Lowland is interpreted as a complex paraglacial landsystem in the sense that all its landform units, landform and sediment associations, and thus the whole landsystem have been modified by nonglacial processes conditioned by glaciation. The late Pleistocene and Holocene processes of modification include slope erosion, glacimarine, marine, glacifluvial, fluvial, glacilacustrine, lacustrine, organic, mass movement, and aeolian. This complex paraglacial landsystem has transitioned from proglacial through marine to its present dominantly fluvial character. Landforms representative of each sediment redistribution process are described and a conceptual model is developed with relative sea level and sediment source changes as the primary drivers. The sediment wave and sediment exhaustion models are compared and illustrated in the context of this paraglacial land system. Anthropogenic modification during the past century (the Anthropocene) has complicated the paraglacial story and is shown to impact the incidence of natural hazards, especially in the context of hydroclimate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glacial terrains are commonly recorded using a landsystem approach, which allows detailed documentation of the geomorphological evolution of the landscape. However, landsystem analysis of Quaternary subsurface stratigraphies in which landforms are not apparent or preserved is problematic, making delineation of the sedimentary architecture of a glaciated basin infill difficult. The purpose of this study is to delineate the sedimentary architecture of the Sólheimajökull (southern Iceland) glacial landsystem and to provide an architectural framework for allostratigraphy and modern analogue purposes. An integrated architectural–landsystem approach is applied here, which utilizes the principles from both architectural element analysis and landsystem analysis. A bounding surface hierarchy (fourth- to seventh-order surfaces) provides a framework within which the architecture is organized. Fieldwork was conducted at Sólheimajökull glacier in 2012 and 2013; and 22 different surface features (bounded by the fourth-order surfaces) were mapped, which were grouped into four different landsystem tracts (glaciofluvial, ice-contact, jökulhlaup, and colluvial slope; bounded by the sixth-order surfaces). Landsystem tracts were deconstructed into smaller architectural units (components; bounded by the fifth-order surfaces), which allowed the delineation of eight allostratigraphic units that record the evolution of the glacial landsystem from ~ 7000 YBP to A.D. 2013. The results of this study can provide insight to interpretation and delineation of the sedimentary architecture of other modern glacial landsystems and subsurface Quaternary deposits in North America and other formerly glaciated areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In nature, several types of landforms have simple shapes: as they evolve they tend to take on an ideal, simple geometric form such as a cone, an ellipsoid or a paraboloid. Volcanic landforms are possibly the best examples of this "ideal" geometry, since they develop as regular surface features due to the point-like (circular) or fissure-like (linear) manifestation of volcanic activity. In this paper, we present a geomorphometric method of fitting the "ideal" surface onto the real surface of regular-shaped volcanoes through a number of case studies (Mt. Mayon, Mt. Somma, Mt. Semeru, and Mt. Cameroon). Volcanoes with circular, as well as elliptical, symmetry are addressed. For the best surface fit, we use the minimization library MINUIT which is made freely available by the CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research). This library enables us to handle all the available surface data (every point of the digital elevation model) in a one-step, half-automated way regardless of the size of the dataset, and to consider simultaneously all the relevant parameters of the selected problem, such as the position of the center of the edifice, apex height, and cone slope, thanks to the highly performing adopted procedure. Fitting the geometric surface, along with calculating the related error, demonstrates the twofold advantage of the method. Firstly, we can determine quantitatively to what extent a given volcanic landform is regular, i.e. how much it follows an expected regular shape. Deviations from the ideal shape due to degradation (e.g. sector collapse and normal erosion) can be used in erosion rate calculations. Secondly, if we have a degraded volcanic landform, whose geometry is not clear, this method of surface fitting reconstructs the original shape with the maximum precision. Obviously, in addition to volcanic landforms, this method is also capable of constraining the shapes of other regular surface features such as aeolian, glacial or periglacial landforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: To assess the controls on the distribution of channel reach morphology in a selectively glaciated landscape, we used field mapping and a geographical information system (GIS) in the River Dee catchment, northeast Scotland. Controls on channel morphology were investigated using (1) continuous longitudinal assessment of channel morphology distribution in relation to geology, glacial history, topography, and total stream power (Ω) in two subcatchments, and (2) slope (S), Ω, and a slope–drainage area (S–A) framework to understand the occurrence of 173 widely distributed bedrock, mixed bedrock–alluvial, and alluvial (three different types) reaches. The S–A framework used indicators of transport capacity (Q c) and sediment supply (Q s) to differentiate channel types. The study highlights the disjointed nature of channel reach distribution at the river scale that reflects variable lithology and glacial modification. Because of the subdued topography in contrast to other regions, colluvial forcing of channel morphology in the headwaters was lacking. However, in common with other glaciated landscapes, repeated sequences of channel reach type progression determined by valley steps were evident. The S–A analysis successfully discriminated 87.2% of alluvial and 91.4% of bedrock reaches despite the variable land use and glacial modification. Discrimination of the full range of channel types using S, Ω, or the S–A framework was poor however. Notably, a third of the transport alluvial reaches were located in the bedrock S–A domain, and the majority of mixed reaches were widely distributed mostly within the bedrock domain and not close to the critical slope (S c). In comparison to other regions, the S c above which Q c > Q s and bedrock reaches dominate, was notably higher. We hypothesise that a drier climate and the higher entrainment threshold of coarse, granite-dominated bed materials create a higher S c. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The processes affecting paleoclimate variability and Pleistocene glacial landscape development in the southern mid-latitudes remain poorly understood, in part because of the scarcity of comprehensive, well-studied records. Glacial landforms are invaluable for reconstructing past ice-sheet, climate, and associated environmental changes along the southern Andes, but there are significant spatial and temporal gaps in existing data. In this paper, we present new geomorphic and sedimentologic analyses, including surficial maps, for the Torres del Paine region (51°S, 73°W), southern South America. Our findings provide a new framework for understanding changes in the regional glacier history and Pleistocene landscape development. Glacial extent during the local last glacial maximum (LGM) remains unknown but new chronological data supported by geomorphic evidence afford evidence for a larger ice sheet at Torres del Paine than previously assumed. Deglaciation from the local LGM was underway by 17,400±200(1σ)cal.yr. BP. As opposed to previous suggestions, we have found that most of the moraines fringing the lakes in the Torres del Paine national park were deposited during a late-glacial expansion that occurred between 14,100 and 12,500cal.yr. BP. Late-glacial advances also have been documented recently for the Última Esperanza and Lago Argentino basins to the south and north of Torres del Paine, respectively, suggesting an overall regional ice response to a climate signal. The Tehuelche paleolake accompanied each of the ice-sheet fluctuations in Torres del Paine. New data document at least three main phases of this paleolake, which drained eastward to the Atlantic Ocean, while the Andes gaps were blocked with ice. During the late phase of glacial lake formation, when water levels reached 125–155m a.s.l., the lake likely merged with paleolake Consuelo in the Última Esperanza area at the end of the last glaciation. Lake Tehuelche in Torres del Paine had drained into the Pacific Ocean by the late-glacial period, suggesting that ice southwest of Torres del Paine may have retreated back into the mountains by this time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The glacial evolution of the Cantabrian Mountains is not well known. Previous studies have focused on the extent of the glacial maximum and the presence of younger features in several massifs. Recently, efforts have been made to date glacial periods, particularly the glacial maximum. This work presents a reconstruction of the glacial evolution in the Cantabrian Mountains, providing data on the environmental characteristics and timing of the different stages from the Quaternary glacial maximum to the Little Ice Age. The study area covers 3000km2 between the 4°58′W and 3°34′W and includes eleven massifs of the central area of the Cantabrian Mountains. The selected sectors have an Atlantic and Atlantic-Mediterranean transitional climate and include the highest massifs (above 2600m) and low-altitude glacierised massifs (lower than 2000m). Glacial extent and evolution have been reconstructed on the basis of detailed geomorphological and morphostratigraphic mapping. The equilibrium line altitude (palaeo-ELA) has been estimated for the different stages of each tongue. The ELA has been assessed by the AAR and modified Kurowski methods and altitude methods have been considered. A numerical chronological framework is proposed using 17 AMS radiocarbon and one OSL data obtained in lake and bog deposits from three massifs. Four main glacial stages have been differentiated, between 38,000 BP and the Little Ice Age. They correspond to different cold environments, and the number of glacial stages varies from one to four among the different massifs. Conclusions are analysed in the context of the Quaternary glacial evolution of other Iberian mountains. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Subglacial bedforms preserved in deglaciated landscapes record characteristics of past ice–sediment flow regimes, providing insight into subglacial processes and ice sheet dynamics. Individual forms vary considerably, but they can often be grouped into coherent fields, typically called flow-sets, that reflect discrete episodes of ice flow. Within these, bedform size–frequency distributions (predominantly height, width and length) are currently described by several statistics (e.g., mean, median, and standard deviation) that, arguably, do not best capture the defining characteristics of these populations. This paper seeks to create a better description based upon semi-log plots, which reveal that the frequency distributions of bedform dimensions (drumlin, mega-scale glacial lineation, and ribbed moraine) plot as straight lines above the mode (ϕ). This indicates, by definition, an exponential distribution, for which a simple and easily calculated, yet statistically rigorous, description is designed. Three descriptive parameters are proposed: gradient (λ; the exponent, characterising bedforms likely least affected by non-glacial factors), area-normalised y-intercept (β 0; quantifying spatial density), and the mode (ϕ). Below ϕ, small features are less prevalent due to i) measurement: data, sampling and mapping fidelity; ii) possible post-glacial degradation; or iii) genesis: not being created sub-glacially. This new description has the benefit of being insensitive to the impact of potentially unmapped or degraded smaller features and better captures properties relating to ice flow. Importantly, using λ, flow sets can now be more usefully compared with each other across all deglaciated regions and with the output of numerical ice sheet models. Applications may also exist for analogous fluvial and aeolian bedforms. Identifying the characteristic exponential and that it is typical of ‘emergent’ subglacial bedforms is a new and potentially powerful constraint on their genesis, perhaps indicating that ice–sediment interaction is fundamentally stochastic in nature. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Timber harvest often results in accelerated soil erosion and subsequent elevated fine (<2mm) sediment delivery to channels causing deleterious effects to numerous aquatic species, particularly salmonid fishes. Here we determine, through sediment physical analyses (pebble counts, embeddedness surveys, and interstitial shelter space counts) and geochemical analyses (7Be and 210Pbex activities), the amount and timing of delivery of fine sediment currently found on streambeds of the Narraguagus River watershed in coastal Maine. The role of recent timber harvest, documented via aerial photo spatial analysis, on fine sediment delivery is contrasted with the ability of the glacially influenced topography and surficial geology to deliver fine sediment to streams and to influence channel substrate. Results show that of the land use and geomorphic variables examined, only 210Pbex activities were significantly correlated with the amount of upstream harvest (r 2 =0.49). Concurrently, we find that unit stream power (particularly the slope component) explains much of the variability in channel substrate and that slope and stream power are largely influenced by the legacy of Pleistocene glaciation on channel form. Results suggest a conceptual model whereby fine sediment delivery as a result of late twentieth century timber harvest is likely dampened because of the low gradient landscape of coastal Maine. While geochemical tracers indicate recent fine sediment delivery in harvested areas, channels are likely capable of quickly winnowing these fines from the channel bed. These results further suggest that under contemporary land use conditions, the geomorphic and geologic setting represents a first-order control on channel substrate and habitat suitability for salmonid fishes, including federally endangered Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), in coastal drainages of northeastern Maine. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Glaciation and deglaciation, along with their associated climatic and non-climatic processes, modify slope stresses and influence slope stability. Paraglacial slope failures are those that are a part of, or influenced by, the transition from glacial conditions to non-glacial conditions. Gravitational failure of rock slopes is a primary and dominant process of slope evolution in mountainous terrain and is the subject of this paper, which: (1) reviews the approaches taken for researching paraglacial rock slope failure patterns and processes; (2) summarises the spatial and temporal patterns of post-glacial failures; (3) assesses the factors influencing slope stability during glaciation and deglaciation; (4) explores some of the applications of paraglacial research; and (5) highlights some of the outstanding issues to be resolved and provides recommendations for terminology relating to paraglacial slope processes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The processes of subglacial erosion depend not only on the sliding motion of glaciers over bedrock but also on the presence of meltwater and sediment in the subglacial environment. In particular, theoretical models for subglacial quarrying and abrasion, as well as hypothesized erosion thresholds associated with subglacial sediment transport, include both positive and negative effects of subglacial water and sediment on the rate of erosion. In order to incorporate the existing theoretical models for subglacial erosion by quarrying and abrasion in a long-term glacial landscape evolution model, we here present a coupled computational framework for simulating the simultaneous flow processes of ice, water, and sediment. We supplement a higher order ice sheet model with simple long-term models for glacial hydrology and subglacial sediment transport, as well as fluvial and hillslope-related erosion processes. An important strength of the modeling framework presented relates to the morphological detail of the landscapes produced, which facilitates direct comparison with existing landforms. This improves the connection between glacial landscape evolution models, geomorphological observations, and the existing knowledge of the physical processes that operate under glaciers. We demonstrate with model examples, how increased basal meltwater pressure and transport-limited subglacial erosion lead to both positive and negative feedbacks related to glacial erosion and the formation of overdeepenings. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We present the results of dating glacial landforms in Venezuela using 10Be terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide (TCN) analysis and optical stimulated luminescence (OSL). Boulders on the La Victoria and Los Zerpa moraines of the Sierra Nevada that mark the extent of the local last glacial maximum (LLGM) yield 10Be TCN surface exposure ages of 16.7±1.4ka (8 samples). About 25km to the west in the drainage basin of the Río Mucujún, 10Be TCN dates for boulders on moraines at La Culata in the Sierra Nevada Norte yield a younger average age of 15.2±0.9ka (8 samples). The data suggest that glaciation across the Venezuelan Andes during the LLGM was asynchronous. The LLGM in Venezuela may be broadly concurrent with Heinrich Event 1 at ~16.8ka, implying that glaciation here is dominantly temperature driven. A moraine inset into the older laterofrontal moraines of La Culata has an age of 14.1±1.0ka (5 samples); it may have been deposited by a small Late Glacial readvance. Right-lateral offsets of the La Victoria and Los Zerpa moraines by the Boconó fault are each ~100m. The 10Be TCN based Boconó fault slip rate is about <~5.5 to 6.5mma−1, notably less than the total right-lateral slip of 12±2mma−1 of shear documented across the Andes from geodesy. The 10Be TCN dating of boulders on a faulted alluvial fan along the northwestern range front at Tucanízón yields a late Pleistocene uplift rate of the Andes at between ~1.7±0.7mma−1. Glacial outwash has produced valley-fill sequences within the central Andean valley along the trace of the Boconó fault and Río Chama. The valley-fill has been incised to produce the ‘meseta’, a terrace surface that sits >100m above the Río Chama and on which the major city of Mérida is built. Geomorphic observations indicate that the meseta deposits were largely derived from the glaciers of La Culata. The OSL dating suggests that the final aggradation of the valley-fill deposits occurred rapidly over a period of about 5 to 6ka and that the surface was abandoned and initially incised at ~30ka. The result implies Venezuelan valley fills record phases of aggradation that are likely modulated by climate change on glacial/Milankovitch timescales. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Alpine glacial landforms (such as U-shaped troughs, hanging valleys, and cirques) have been linked to the meltwater-modulated sliding motion of glaciers. Several of these alpine landforms are associated with characteristic length scales for width and spacing, indicating that the viscosity of ice exerts a first-order control on the processes responsible for their formation. Here we present the results of three-dimensional computational experiments focusing on the influence of higher order ice dynamical effects, such as horizontal stress gradients, on long-term glacial landscape evolution. Some of the experiments presented have highly simplified bed conditions; other experiments use topography from an existing mountain range as basis for simulating glacial erosion. The experiments demonstrate how gradients in horizontal stress play a primary role in scaling the bed shear stress of glaciers. We also demonstrate how higher order ice dynamics may influence the feedback between glacial sliding and erosion, hereby providing important stabilization mechanisms that prevent runaway effects associated with the steepening of longitudinal profiles and the formation of overdeepenings. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper investigates the glacial evolution on the east face of Pico de Peñalara (40°51′N, 3°57′W; 2428m), the highest elevation of Sierra de Guadarrama in the center of the Iberian Peninsula. The geomorphologic stability of glacial landforms and permanence of snow cover were examined, and 18 samples were selected for dating with cosmogenic isotope 36Cl from moraine formations in four well-differentiated phases, as well as from a pre-glacial periglacial blockfield and a glacial threshold near the headwall. The results show the synchrony between the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) advance and most results obtained recently by cosmogenic dating in southern Europe, within the MIS (Marine Isotope Stage) 2 stadial but earlier than the global LGM, i.e. between 25 and 19ka BP. There was slow glacial retreat with minor re-advances between 19 and 16ka and rapid deglaciation from 16ka. This paper presents initial results, still pending confirmation, for the minimum age of the periglacial summit block formation around 80ka for the existence of moraine formations older than the last advance and for the existence of glaciers during the Younger Dryas stadial. To explain the synchrony between two moraine formations at different altitudes, this paper formulates the hypothesis of the ‘secondary moraine’ evidenced in currently existing glaciers similar to those which existed on Peñalara. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Previous studies have interpreted landforms east of Mount Shiroumadake (2932m asl), in the Northern Japanese Alps, as lateral and terminal moraines and outwash terraces of glacial origin. However, recent studies in other areas of the Northern Japanese Alps have interpreted similar landforms as characteristic landslide bodies. We re-examined the origin and age of moraine-like landforms on the eastern side of Mount Shiroumadake through field geological surveys and landform analysis. We show that terminal moraine-like landforms in our study area consist of beds of brecciated or crushed gravel with locally derived crackle clasts and are unrepresentative of the variety of bedrock expose in the plausible source areas of Pleistocene glaciers. We interpret these deposits as induced by mass rock creep and landsliding at the terminus of a steep ridge or a steep valley side slope. Similarly, terrace surfaces formerly-interpreted as of outwash or fluvial origin consist of gravel beds with many fractured rock clasts of landslide origin. Although the timing of the landslides is not well constrained, they may have occurred in the early to middle Holocene. The highly deformed rocks of the study area, combined with the humid climate with much snowfall and rainfall, have left the landscape with an inherent predisposition for landsliding. Paleoearthquakes on nearby active faults in the piedmont area of Mount Shiroumadake may have provided a direct trigger for landsliding. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study utilizes Landsat TM, ASTER and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)-derived DEMs in conjunction with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in order to reevaluate previously-published interpretations of glacial landforms in and around Devil''s Lake State Park, south-central Wisconsin, USA. Devil''s Lake sits in a gorge carved into the southern flank of a doubly-plunging syncline known as the Baraboo Hills through which the Wisconsin or some other river flowed prior to the last ice age. During the last glacial maximum about 18,000B.P., an outlet glacier of the Laurentide Ice Sheet called the Green Bay Lobe extended southward into south-central Wisconsin and left behind extensive glacial landforms such as moraines, drumlins and eskers. During advance of the Green Bay Lobe into the region, Devil''s Lake Gorge was plugged at both ends by glacial deposits and resulted in formation of Devil''s Lake. The Wisconsin River, if it originally flowed through Devil''s Lake Gorge, found a new course to the east of the Baraboo Hills Syncline. This study utilizes the aforementioned remote sensing data to spatially image the following features: (1) Original extent of the Green Bay Lobe, (2) Moraines and streamlined glacial landforms as indicators of ice-flow directions, and (3) Former path of the old Wisconsin or some other river prior to being rerouted by the Green Bay Lobe. GIS analysis is also performed in order to test published interpretations of the regional glacial history. This study confirms that glacial features observed today are consistent with the former advance of the Green Bay Lobe into the area, formation of glacial Lake Wisconsin, plugging of Devil''s Lake Gorge by a moraine to form Devil''s Lake, and subsequent glacial retreat leading to the breaching of an ice dam and catastrophic flooding by ~14,000years ago. The large aerial coverage of satellite imagery with resolutions up to 15m are valuable for reevaluating regional interpretations previously based on local field mapping and aerial photography of limited extent. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In southern South America, the maximum areal extent of ice during the Quaternary Period, the Greatest Patagonian Glaciation (GPG, [Mercer, J.H., 1983. Cenozoic glaciation in the southern hemisphere. Annual Reviews of Earth and Planetary Science 11, 99–132.]), occurred at 1.1 Ma and subsequent glaciations were overall less extensive. The GPG preceded global minimum temperatures and maximal volume of ice, which occurred in the last ~800 kyr, as recorded in the marine δ 18O record. Significant modification of the drainage morphology of the southern Andes from a non-glaciated to glaciated landscape occurred throughout the Quaternary Period. We infer a non-climatic relationship between glacial modification of the mountains and the decreasing extent of ice and we discuss processes of landscape development that could have caused the trend. Specifically, these include modification of valleys, such as development from a V- to a U-shape, and lowering of mass-accumulation areas. Such changes would strongly affect glacial dynamics, the mass balance profile and mass-flux during succeeding glaciations, especially for low-gradient outlet glaciers occupying low areas. Other areas around Earth (at least where ice has been warm-based) also may exhibit a non-random trend of decreasing extent of ice with time, ultimately because of glacial erosion in the Quaternary Period. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Pleistocene glacial activity transformed the runoff regimes and sediment loads of many river systems in the Mediterranean region. New data from northwest Greece show marked contrasts in ice volume and extent between cold stages of the Middle and Late Pleistocene. These altered the long-term meltwater routes and sediment supply conditions in glaciated river catchments. The Voidomatis River basin (384 km2) of northwest Greece now contains one of the best dated records of Middle and Late Pleistocene glacial and fluvial activity that is constrained by over 40 radiometric dates. This paper evaluates the glacial and fluvial geomorphological records to establish a series of correlations and to produce a fuller picture of Middle and Late Pleistocene landscape dynamics in a glaciated Mediterranean catchment. We propose a model of long-term river response to headwater glaciation for the Voidomatis River basin that may have some broader significance for mountain catchments in the Mediterranean and elsewhere. The transfer and storage of coarse-grained river sediment during the Late Pleistocene was strongly conditioned by the major Middle Pleistocene glaciations of MIS 12 and MIS 6. Glaciers were much smaller during the last cold stage (MIS 5d to 2), but meltwater floods still dominated suspended sediment fluxes throughout this period. Uniquely, the Voidomatis River basin contains fine-grained slackwater sediments that record the transition from glacial to interglacial conditions in the Mediterranean region at the end of the last cold stage. Sediment source data from the slackwater deposits record a relatively rapid reorganisation of the hydrology and sediment supply conditions in the catchment between about 20 and 17 ka. These deposits have allowed us to explore flood history and the dynamics of suspended sediment sources during this period for the first time. The use of quantitative sediment fingerprinting in palaeoflood studies has yielded a new understanding of long-term catchment dynamics that has not hitherto been attainable using conventional techniques. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Skagit River valley in northern Washington and southern British Columbia contains long interconnected valleys, barbed tributaries, underfit streams, and low-elevation mid-valley divides. Quantitative measures of connectivity between valleys draining through breached mountain divides, aerial photographs, and a field-verified, process-form model were used to assess the impact of continental glaciation on the drainage pattern and geomorphology of the watershed. Structural control on drainage patterns and intense, repeated continental glaciation rendered the Skagit an extremely interconnected valley, with meltwater routes opening it to the Fraser and Okanagan watersheds. Divide elimination by drainage of large proglacial lakes led to several hundred meters of erosion at 10 breached divides. Other geomorphic effects of recurrent continental glaciation include the bisection of a major mountain valley, divide migration of as much as 50 km, erosion of canyons 15–30 km downstream of breached divides, and deposition of exceptionally large alluvial fans at canyon mouths. Drainage patterns established in the Tertiary were reorganized to accommodate southern drainage of glacial meltwater trapped in mountain valleys at the southern margin of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet. The Skagit basin is now a regional focus for drainage to Puget Sound from the northernmost North Cascades and parts of southern interior British Columbia. The key to establishing this system was the elimination of a regional divide in what is now Skagit Gorge, which resulted in the capture of the upper Skagit valley by the lower Skagit River. Patterns of drainage modification caused by continental glaciation in the Skagit basin are similar to those in other mountain areas. The Skagit''s interconnected valleys are similar to the great through-valleys of Scotland, transmountain valleys of British Columbia, and ice portals of Scandinavia. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Garhwal Himalaya provides an excellent natural laboratory in which to examine landscape evolution in a monsoon-influenced high mountain environment. Geomorphic and sedimentological analysis and 10Be cosmogenic radionuclide (CRN) surface exposure dating of moraines, fans, and river and strath terraces in the Gori Ganga Valley of Nanda Devi, NE Garhwal, indicate that fans and river terraces developed rapidly by debris flow and flood processes during periods of deglaciation. These phases of high sediment transfer occurred at ∼1–2, ∼4–5, and ∼7–8 ka. Fan incision rates, subsequent to major times of resedimentation after each glacial advance, are between ∼19 and 57 mm/year. This contrasts with bedrock incision rates, based on mid-Holocene strath terraces, of ∼5 mm/year. These rates indicate that despite episodes of rapid denudation and resedimentation linked to glacial activity in this region, the background rates of denudation are similar to those for other regions of the Himalaya, averaging several millimeters per year. Furthermore, these data show the importance of climatic controls on landscape evolution and suggest a strong monsoonal control on the dynamics of earth surface processes in this region. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Carpathian island-type glaciokarst has a great potential of preserving signals of past environments, archived in cave deposits like speleothems and clastic infills. We present here the geomorphology and structural control of several relict alpine caves and the surrounding glaciated marble karst in the Făgăraș Mountains. Four truncated and partially unroofed caves remained on the ridge-top of Mușeteica Mountain, above the glacial cirque, while a ponor cave that developed on the cirque bottom could be related to the Last Glacial Period. Structural measurements and cave morphology showed that the conduits formed at the intersection of foliation planes and tectonic fractures on the NE-SW and NW-SE directions. Cave development reflects three speleogenetic stages: 1) texture- and fabric-controlled dissolution and distension; 2) structurally-controlled breakdown; and 3) truncation, unroofing, and cave infilling with sediments. Slow diffuse dissolution was typical for the ridge-top caves, whereas M1 Cave developed by pressure flow. Further, we report the first U Th speleothem ages, related to the evolution of alpine caves and island glaciokarst in the South Carpathians during the Middle and Late Pleistocene. Dating results show a minimum estimated age of ~560 ka for the ridge-top caves, and that speleothem deposition met optimal conditions only during warmer periods, largely corresponding to interglacials. Stable carbon isotope values in speleothems range between −9.96‰ and −4.11‰, indicating the presence of plant and soil organic activity at the time of deposition. In total, five speleothem growth phases were distinguished during the last ~560 ka. We excavated the sediment infill of a ridge-top doline down to a 2-m depth. Radiocarbon dating revealed that it was deposited during the Late Holocene, and preliminary pollen analysis identified a plant assemblage dominated by grasses. Using the relationships between karst development, glaciation, and cave sedimentary archives, we present a time slice chronology of alpine landscape evolution at >560 ka, ~400 ka, ~330 ka, the Last Glacial Period (70–12 ka), and the Late Holocene. Our geomorphological, isotopic, and geochronological results also support the existing hypothesis that the South Carpathians may have experienced at least two glacial phases during the Pleistocene. Glacial erosion rate during the Last Glacial Period, and most likely during the penultimate glaciation, averages around 0.6 mm yr−1. Unlabelled Image • We investigated glaciokarst morphology in the Făgăraș Mountains, Romania. • We provide the first speleothem ages of alpine caves in the South Carpathians. • The minimum estimated age of ridge-top caves is ~560 ka. • Speleothem growth was limited only to warm periods. • Sedimentary infill of dolines unravels Late Holocene environmental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]