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Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) brought a big step forward in the research of landform processes. TLS enables detailed, precise and accurate representation of terrain and all other natural or manmade structures. For this study, the badlands with earth figures of Đavolja Varoš geosite were scanned and modelled with the help of TLS, areal photogrammetry and GNSS receiver. This geosite was chosen due to rapid morphological changes occurring on a seasonal level. The scanning of the Đavolja Varoš geosite was conducted in October 2021 at 198 scanning locations, resulting in a point cloud of 1,281,664,716 points. By classifying and analyzing the obtained data, an ultra-high resolution digital elevation model (DEM) was obtained, on the basis of which surface and hydrology analysis were performed using ArcGIS Pro software. This research represents the first complete and thorough documentation of the number, structure and dimensions of earth figures. The geosite consists of 2 hidromorphological units - Đavolja and Paklena gully. Based on the processed data, Paklena gully has a larger number of earth figures, their number reaches 124, while Đavolja gully has 77 earth figures. In total, 131 earth figures have an andesite caprock and 70 are without a caprock. The average height of the figures in Đavolja Gully is 5.64 m, while the average height in Paklena gully is 4.2 m. The highest earth figure in Đavolja Varoš is 15.5 m, and the lowest is 0.8 m. Gully erosion is more intense in Đavolja gully and thus the figures are much higher. This paper laid the foundations for further investigation of site erosion, where future studies will compare the time series of processed LiDAR point cloud data, therefore, our understanding of how earth figures change will be greatly enriched by results of further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We develop the concept of "second displacement" to symbolise the renewed forms of uprooting that refugees undergo in arrival cities in the name of urban regeneration. Focusing on the eviction of 2,000 refugees from a self‐organised settlement in Belgrade's old train station in order to redevelop the site as a luxurious "Waterfront" project, we show how the refugees' commoning practices and claims for living space in city centres often come into direct conflict with public and private interests over urban regeneration and with imaginaries over who has the right to the city. Whilst most displacement literature focuses on state policies, we call attention to how the uprooting of refugees is often entangled with urban renewal plans and private investors' interests. In Belgrade, the depiction of the refugees' living spaces as "badlands" by the state, catalysed the formation of the rent gap that facilitated re‐allocation of rights to the city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Badlands National Park has been implementing an experimental "open door" concept to their fossil preparation lab, where visitors are allowed into the workspace to experience paleontological work behind the scenes. The combined effort of Resource Education and Resource Management divisions have addressed safety and security issues to optimize the maximum benefits towards resource stewardship as well as public education and enjoyment. These efforts have manifested through various interpretive opportunities combined with strategies towards visitor inclusion into the scientific realm, through encouraging citizen science. The efforts supporting the "open door" lab concept has provided significant, measurable impacts towards inspiring public engagement and stewardship. Since the lab's opening, there has been a 400% increase in Visitor Site Reports, the parks fossil reporting citizen science program. The past decade of having an "open door" lab has led to the revelation that if the park ever changed their lab setting to the classic "fishbowl" lab, seen in several museums, the significant gains that have been made would be lost. Paleontology prep labs that facilitate wider public engagement can be a major boon towards resource management strategies for paleontological resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paleontological monitoring at Badlands National Park is extremely complex. The monitoring program has steadily evolved from its formalization in 1994 with the hiring of the first park paleontologist. Changing regulations, increases in protections for paleontological resources, positive interdivisional communication, sympathetic leadership, and the hiring of a full-time monitor have allowed staff to move from being purely reactive to taking an active role in planning park projects. This entails commenting on compliance through the National Park Service's Planning, Environment & Public Comment portal, conducting pre-construction surveys, attending pre-construction meetings, providing resource training for construction personnel, consulting with the Federal Highway Administration as subject-matter experts, and acting as the contracting officer's representative on select projects. The monitoring program strives to hire qualified personnel according to best practice guidelines and provides additional training in documentation, fossil identification, field methods, and effective communication prior to allowing monitors to be onsite. The monitoring program works to add value to projects such as GIS database management for park utilities, assisting with project planning, and acting as additional spotters for issues on the ground during construction. Additionally, monitors are frequently tasked with assisting in law enforcement cases and any other situation in which their skill sets can be brought to bear. The future of paleontological monitoring at Badlands National Park will continue to see the integration of technology, expertise, and communication to ensure that all projects are completed successfully, and resources are handled with the care and respect the public expects of the National Park Service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To complete the syntaxonomic conspectus of the vegetation of Tajikistan, hot semi-deserts and ruderal vegetation, mainly of the lowlands and montane belt, were surveyed with some remarks on their environmental predictors. Location: Tajikistan. Methods: A total of 143 relevés were sampled in 2022 using the seven degree cover-abundance scale of Braun-Blanquet. All these samples were classified by unsupervised k-means analysis with cut-offs of 0%, 5%, 25% and Hellinger transformation. Diagnostic species were identified using the phi coefficient as a measure of fidelity. Non-metric multidimentional scaling analysis was used to show the relationship between groups in the dataset with passively plotted environmental variables, to identify the influence of key environmental factors. Results: Four new associations - Artemisio annuae-Dittrichietum graveolens, Eminio albertii-Haloxyletum persici, Leptalaeo filifolii-Calligonetum grisei and Clematidi songaricae-Ephedretum intermediae were coined. In addition, two vegetation types already known from Eastern Europe were found: Sagino procumbentis-Bryetum argentei and Amarantho blitoidis-Tribuletum terrestris. Three plant communities were additionally identified: Alhagi kirghizorum-Chrozophora tinctoria, Halimocnemis hispida-Microcephala lamellata and Salsola montana-Halogeton glomeratus. A new alliance (Carici physodes-Haloxylion persici) was proposed for the hot semi-desert shrublands of the Irano-Turanian region, and for the vegetation of large rocky outcrops, screes and badlands in the subhumid zone of Pamir-Alai, the alliance of Ephedro intermediae-Spiraeion baldschuanicae was proposed. The main factors responsible for the species composition of the studied vegetation are altitude, mean annual temperature and annual precipitation. Conclusions: The dryland and ruderal vegetation of Tajikistan as in the whole arid Middle Asia is species rich and diverse, and deserves further detailed studies. Our research provides a first insight into this anthropogenic and natural vegetation of lowland, warm and often deserted areas, which are undergoing strong changes due to climate warming, grazing and urbanisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gully erosion is a formidable land degradation process globally. It is omnipresent across India, wherein two of the largest badlands regions in the world also exist. However, despite being affected by widespread gullying, gully erosion research in India has been rather limited, with key aspects of gully formation, morphologies and dynamics remaining unknown. Through this comprehensive systematic review, we synthesise previous studies on gully erosion in India and in turn highlight pivotal knowledge gaps. The review starts with a discussion of the causal factors of gullying in India, which underlines how gully initiation in several regions was an aftermath of deforestation and overgrazing. Contrastingly, the badlands of Central and Western India have mainly developed in response to natural triggers like neotectonics and Holocene climate change. The section on mapping highlights how mapping methodologies have not only been dictated by the availability of imagery and/or means of data processing, but also the mapping purpose—that is, individual gully channels or entire badlands. Although a few studies applying concepts of fractal geometry to characterise badlands' geomorphology are innovative and unique, the most striking research gaps we have identified also pertain to understanding and quantification of gully geomorphology and erosion dynamics in different regions of India. Our review reveals that gullies of peninsular India have been the least studied, followed by those of the Himalayan and Sub‐Himalayan region. Although the literature provides interesting examples of linkages between badlands development and the wider geomorphic evolution of the landscape, better chronological understanding is required to disentangle the relative importance of natural and anthropogenic drivers of landscape change in India's badlands. Large‐scale mapping of gully characteristics, quantification of gully morphologies, gully erosion rates and its share in catchment sediment budget across various physiographic regions or river basins of the country also constitute important areas for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evolutionary algorithms provide gradient-free optimisation which is beneficial for models that have difficulty in obtaining gradients; for instance, geoscientific landscape evolution models. However, such models are at times computationally expensive and even distributed swarm-based optimisation with parallel computing struggle. We can incorporate efficient strategies such as surrogate-assisted optimisation to address the challenges; however, implementing inter-process communication for surrogate-based model training is difficult. In this paper, we implement surrogate-based estimation of fitness evaluation in distributed swarm optimisation over a parallel computing architecture. We first test the framework on a set of benchmark optimisation problems and then apply to a geoscientifc model that features landscape evolution model. Our results demonstrate very promising results for benchmark functions and the Badlands landscape evolution model. We obtain a reduction in computationally time while retaining optimisation solution accuracy through the use of surrogates in a parallel computing environment. The major contribution of the paper is in the application of surrogate-based optimisation for geoscientific models which can in the future help in better understanding of paleoclimate and geomorphology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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ABSTRACTSediment discharge events in the lower basin of the Chubut River (Patagonia, Argentina) associated with rainfall events generate serious problems for drinking water purification of more than 250,000 inhabitants and the support of livestock farming activity of about 42,000 ha in the region. Identifying the areas of potential sediment contribution to the Chubut River and the conditions necessary for erosion and sediment transfer is of vital importance to mitigate the negative impact of sediment discharge into the river and to establish water management plans.We conducted a detailed geomorphological study in a 110 km2 tributary watershed of the Chubut River (Sagmata pilot Basin), and identify potential sediment production zones. We based our analyzes on concomitant studies that indicate that the sediment remobilization is linked to the location of the drainage networks, especially in regions associated with badlands and erosional scarps formed on Paleogene continental deposits.

The White River Badlands (WRB) of South Dakota record eolian activity spanning the late Pleistocene through the latest Holocene (21 ka to modern), reflecting the effects of the last glacial period and Holocene climate fluctuations (Holocene Thermal Maximum, Medieval Climate Anomaly, and Little Ice Age). The WRB dune fields are important paleoclimate indicators in an area of the Great Plains with few climate proxies. The goal of this study is to use 1 m/pixel-resolution digital elevation models from drone imagery to distinguish Early to Middle Holocene parabolic dunes from Late Holocene parabolic dunes. Results indicate that relative ages of dunes are distinguished by slope and roughness (terrain ruggedness index). Morphological differences are attributed to postdepositional wind erosion, soil formation, and mass wasting. Early to Middle Holocene and Late Holocene paleowind directions, 324°± 13.1° (N = 7) and 323° ± 3.0° (N = 19), respectively, are similar to the modern wind regime. Results suggest significant landscape resilience to wind erosion, which resulted in preservation of a mosaic of Early and Late Holocene parabolic dunes. Quantification of dune characteristics will help refine the chronology of eolian activity in the WRB, provide insight into drought-driven landscape evolution, and integrate WRB eolian activity in a regional paleoenvironmental context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sparsely vegetated badlands are loci of intense erosion that is sufficiently rapid to have observable effects on human timescales. Characterizing and understanding the physical weathering processes in these settings are key to predicting the temporal variability of regolith production and sediment flux, as well as their evolution under changing climate conditions. Here, we study intra‐annual changes of hillslope properties and explore the relationship between sediment production and transport in steep marly badland catchments of the Draix–Bléone Critical Zone Observatory (SE France), where decades‐long monitoring records show rapid morphological changes. There is evidence for seasonal dynamics of these badlands, but characterization and quantification of physical weathering processes have been lacking up to now. We explore this gap by monitoring key regolith parameters including grain‐size distribution (characterized by D50), surface resistance and water content in the regolith layer (surface to ∼10 cm depth) at different locations, through repeated field surveys over a 2.5‐year period. While water content appears to be directly controlled by the last previous rainfall event, the cyclic annual pattern in observed D50 suggests that loose and finely fragmented regolith is mainly produced and accumulates during the winter season, whereas sediment transport is dominant during spring–summer. This dynamic reduces regolith thickness and induces coarsening of hillslope surface material between early spring and autumn. Principal component analysis (PCA) highlights the strong correlation between resistance and D50. We therefore suggest that D50 provides the best proxy of regolith weathering in these marls. The spatial variability of the regolith was analysed through a geophysical profile, highlighting distinct behaviour depending on slope aspect. However, the distribution of slope angles is independent of aspect at the catchment scale. These results corroborate the strong annual dynamics of these catchments, where hillslopes and gullies are drained during spring and early summer high‐intensity precipitation events, inducing high sediment yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chambal River is one of the spectacular rivers in India due to its geomorphological variability. The important proposed landforms for geomorphosites from the Chambal River are (a) Badland topography (GSB): Chambal Badlands are severely dissected, difficult to transverse, and unsuitable for agriculture; (b) Canyons of Chambal (GSC): Canyons of Chambal River are one of the largest in India; and (c) Waterfalls and rapids: The middle reaches of the Chambal River consist of waterfalls, known as Chulia, and contain large boulders, potholes, and step-pool sections. For the present study, the M-GAM method was applied for geomorphosite assessment of the selected sites in order to establish their potential to become geomorphological sites. Canyons, waterfalls, and badlands are all highly rated geomorphosites. Badlands receive the highest ranking because they are excellent examples of geomorphological processes. Canyons and waterfalls are the most accessible. However, The badlands are the most difficult to access. For each geosite, additional functional values are very low. Canyons and waterfalls are popular tourist destinations. Tour guide service is one of the most highly valued aspects for tourists. This is essential during the current COVID-19 pandemic, when international travel is restricted, resulting in a surge in domestic tourists to nature destinations. Major improvements to the low-rated elements, coupled with better promotional activities, would offer more domestic and international tourists to these geosites, benefiting the local population and economy through higher income and new jobs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents a 4-year study carried out on the so-called Vaches Noires cliffs (VNCs), in Normandy, France, between April 2016 and January 2019. The VNCs are badlands facing the Channel sea, with Cretaceous to Jurassic formations. They are subject to strong erosion processes already described by former works. This study aims to gain greater insight into the erosion phenomena with the help of aerial surveys supported by geophysical imaging. For this purpose, Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) were established using photogrammetry applied to dozens of photos taken by an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). Electrical Resistivity Imaging (ERI) was implemented according to profiles that were both transverse and parallel to the coastline, (i) from the top to bottom of the cliffs, (ii) as well as at the toe of the crests and on the beach. The main outcome is a global methodology to properly perform these methods and to combine all the results in a 3D environment using free software. This methodology was validated according to a 1-year experiment based on the comparison of two DEMs, then extended to a 4-year diachronic approach. Moreover, volumes of eroded and deposited materials were assessed in specific, morphodynamic areas of the cliffs. The ERI results were used to carry out thickness assessments of the layers involved in the erosion process, and served to clarify the local geology; however, their interpretation remains limited by the lack of a priori information, and underlines the need to carry out inversion processes via a 3D approach in a particularly complex topography. In conclusion, this work provides effective tools to anticipate the risks that threaten coastal habitats and infrastructures, and represents a solid basis for further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical weathering driven by physical erosion is a natural process that strongly affects chemical and solid matter budgets at the Earth's surface. However, the influence of extreme climatic erosion on chemical weathering dynamics is poorly understood. Badland landscapes formed in highly erodible substrates have the potential to respond to individual events on scales that are rapid enough for direct observation. Here, we assess the geochemical and grain-size composition of suspended sediment and riverine chemistry measurements collected from two catchments during the 2017 Nesat and Haitang typhoons in southwestern (SW) Taiwan. During the typhoons, the Na + concentration covaried with suspended sediment concentration (SSC), which we attributed to sodium-induced deflocculation. Evaporite weathering at peak rainfall is succeeded by peak silicate weathering at maximum discharge. Overall, our observations suggest that initial weathering of near-surface evaporite enhances the physical erosion of silicate rock during extreme rainfall events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amynodontidae Scott & Osborn, 1883 are an extinct family of Rhinocerotoidea Owen, 1845 known from the middle Eocene to the latest Oligocene of Asia, North America, and Europe. We report here two unpublished specimens of Amynodontidae, a skull and a mandible of Zaisanamynodon borisovi Belyaeva, 1971 from the late Eocene of the Zaysan Basin (Kazakhstan) and a skull of Metamynodon planifrons Scott & Osborn, 1887, from the early Oligocene of the Big Badlands (United States). This new material has been incorporated into a morpho-anatomical character matrix. It was completed with the coding of the recently described species of Amynodontopsis jiyuanensis Wang X.-Y., Wang Y.-Q., Zhang R., Zhang Z.-H., Liu & Ren, 2020 and the revised coding of Cadurcotherium cayluxi Gervais, 1873 and Cadurcotherium minum Filhol, 1880. We computed a cladistic analysis based on this matrix, including 31 Rhinocerotoidea terminal taxa. The new phylogenetic hypothesis proposed allows to discuss the relationships of the referred specimens within Amynodontidae and those of Amynodontidae within Rhinocerotoidea. Our cladistic analysis clarifies the generic and specific composition of the tribes Metamynodontini Kretzoi, 1942 and Cadurcodontini Wall, 1982 and supports the monophyly of the genus Zaisanamynodon Belyaeva, 1971. The dichotomy between the two tribes is notably expressed by the presence of several cranial features such as "the deep nasal notch" or "the well-developed preorbital fossa" in Cadurcodontini. These cranial specializations attest to an adaptation of the peri-nasal region to the presence of a proboscis with a feeding function. Our study also opens a discussion on the biogeography of Amynodontidae, their emergence and dispersal in Asia and their subsequent migration to North America, and Eastern Europe. Their presence in Western Europe remains restricted to the Oligocene, after a dispersal related to the "Grande Coupure" event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tectono-sedimentary history of Gippsland Basin from the Early Cretaceous to present was modelled using Badlands landscape software constrained by a 3D structural and stratigraphic Petrel model. The aim is to assess the theoretical sedimentary models using empirical data to better understand the sedimentary history for this rift basin. The models measure the relative effects and most significant variables for basin evolution, including climate, deposition and erosion with extension, subsidence, uplift and eustacy. They show how the detailed basin landscapes evolved and provide new insights to understand facies development in the basin. Early Cretaceous paleotopography ca 137 Ma had extensive highland areas to north, east and south of a rapidly subsiding intracratonic rift with sediment transport east to west. The simulated paleoenvironments are alluvial and fluvial with floodplain lakes developing into extensive lake systems further west. The mid-Cretaceous uplift changed basin architecture, initiating the Strzelecki Ranges and regional erosion. Tasman Sea rifting in early Late Cretaceous formed the Central Deep further east and flipped the paleodrainage eastwards. Latrobe Group sediments filled this smaller depocentre to the east starting with rapidly deposited very thick intracratonic fluvial and lacustrine sediments becoming more coastal plain and shallow marine up section, with Emperor, Golden Beach and Halibut subgroups containing reservoirs and potential source rocks for petroleum. Rising sea-levels in the Late Cretaceous transgressed most of the Latrobe Group by the Oligocene. Simulations from Oligocene to Holocene show less extensive non-marine deposition onshore with incised valleys and very thick coals, while a widespread carbonate shelf built and prograded offshore, periodically cut by submarine canyons. Scenario analysis for 13 variables shows that no single factor is the main control on rift basin evolution; rather basin history is shaped by interactions between climate, uplift, erosion, subsidence and deposition. These controls usually balance sea-level except where it changes rapidly. Numerical tectono-sedimentary basin history reconstruction constrained by empirical data requires a balance of uplift, sediment supply and subsidence. Paleolandscape simulation in the Gippsland Basin from Early Cretaceous to present-day shows how the detailed facies distribution changed with time. New potential reservoirs and source rocks are recognised within the Cretaceous Strzelecki Group, Emperor and Golden Beach subgroups. Organic-rich Turonian source rocks were deposited in restricted lacustrine intra-rift settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Badlands are dynamic landforms that cause soil loss over extensive areas. In this study, we analyze recent sediment mobilization in a badland area by using a novel approach that integrates fallout 137Cs and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL). We assess how erosion and sediment storage operate over the Tepezalá volcano, a tephra cone located in central Mexico. We analyzed a set of sediment samples extracted from the surface of an altitudinal sequence with different land uses to explore how landscape management practices relate to erosion and, depth profiles from local sinks, to detect patterns of sediment mobilization and sedimentation. We compared 137Cs and OSL results with reference values to evaluate whether erosion or deposition is predominant and to assess how deep the erosive processes in the landscape are. Results from fallout 137Cs values indicate that in those badlands with implemented actions to mitigate erosion, sediment is retained. The high luminescence values show that the edaphic soil has been flushed away, and subsoil crops out in some of the sampled sites. For the case of depth profiles, maximum values of 137Cs coincide with high luminescence values, suggesting that in such sites, the sediment was mobilized during rapid incision episodes that caused widespread erosion of the landscape. We detected at least three episodes of rapid incision in 10 years of sediment record. We propose that using 137Cs and OSL together can provide valuable information of the sediment transport in settings dominated by fast erosion as do occur for the case of badlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most dryland ecosystems are characterised by a low ecosystem services (ES) provision, being socially perceived as lacking in cultural and regulating ES. This is the case of the badlands, highly eroded arid ecosystems without vegetation, which have been extensively analysed from a physical point of view, but hardly studied from the point of view of the benefits they provide to society. This paper aimed to determine the social preferences for and the relative importance of the ES provided by badlands. To achieve this objective, a representative sample of the population was taken from the Region of Murcia (Spain), a semiarid Mediterranean area with an abundant presence of these ecosystems. This study area is of additional interest for the provision of ES derived from agroecosystems. The contingent ranking method was used to identify aspects such as the utility provided by the different types of ES and the social well‐being derived from different management policies to be implemented. The results show a preference of the population for cultural ES and biodiversity in the badlands. Given that the implementation of badlands ES protection and a management policy based on the maintenance of agricultural ES are the two strategies that yield the highest social well‐being, the provisioning and regulating ES derived from agroecosystems in the area should be evaluated simultaneously, given the trade‐off that can occur between the two ecosystems. These results provide dryland ecosystem managers with a view of soil erosion management that is different from the traditional one, since it promotes not only its control, but also a greater presence of educational and recreational activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Badlands are specific landforms characterized by intense denudation processes. Their occurrence is mainly associated with clay-like materials and semi-arid and Mediterranean climates. This study presents the badland inventory for the Paleogene Pazin Basin located on the Istrian peninsula in Croatia. A total of 5,381 badland polygons, with a total area of 10.25 km², were manually outlined, based on the visual interpretation of orthophotos at a scale of 1:5,000. The badlands in Istria are represented as small and isolated landforms and are exclusively associated with flysch and flysch-like materials, which cover a significant part of the study area (46%). The analysis of badland inventory shows that badlands are spatially not equally distributed but that their abundance is increasing from NW to SE part of the analyzed area. Additionally, the results of the spatial analysis indicate the positive relationship between badland occurrence and relative relief, which is presented via the relief-badland index. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A geological, geomorphological and geo-touristic map, at 1:5000 scale, has been produced for the most representative area of the regional ‘Special Nature Reserve of Montalbano Jonico Badlands’, with the aim to represent the scientific and landscape features which allowed the establishment of the Reserve. The area is located in the Province of Matera (Basilicata), on the southwestern sector of the Apennines Quaternary foredeep, in Southern Italy. The map highlights stratigraphic signatures of international interest and badland landscapes, imprinted on a clayey marine succession straddling the Early-Middle Pleistocene boundary. This stratigraphic interval can be considered as an international reference section for global paleoclimatic signatures during Marine Oxygen Isotopic Stages 20–18 and for the base of the Middle Pleistocene Subseries/Subepoch. With the goal to disseminate these knowledges, to improve future research and to promote sustainable geo-tourism, the map allows visitors to enjoy the scientific features and scenery of the Reserve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sediment discharge events in the lower basin of the Chubut River (Patagonia, Argentina) associated with rainfall events generate serious problems for drinking water purification of more than 250,000 inhabitants and the support of livestock farming activity of about 42,000 ha in the region. Identifying the areas of potential sediment contribution to the Chubut River and the conditions necessary for erosion and sediment transfer is of vital importance to mitigate the negative impact of sediment discharge into the river and to establish water management plans. We conducted a detailed geomorphological study in a 110 km² tributary watershed of the Chubut River (Sagmata pilot Basin), and identify potential sediment production zones. We based our analyzes on concomitant studies that indicate that the sediment remobilization is linked to the location of the drainage networks, especially in regions associated with badlands and erosional scarps formed on Paleogene continental deposits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gully erosion is an environmental problem recognized as one of the worst land degradation processes worldwide. Insight into regional gully perturbations is required to combat the serious on‐ and off‐site impacts of gullying on a catchment management scale. In response, we intersect different perspectives on gully erosion‐specific views in South Africa (SA), a country that exhibits various physiographic properties and spans 1.22 million km2. While the debate surrounding gully origin continues, there is consensus that anthropogenic activities are a major contemporary driver. The anthropogenic impact caused gullying to transcend climatic, geomorphic, and land‐use boundaries, although it becomes more prominent in central to eastern SA. Soil erodibility plays a crucial role in what extent of gully erosion severity is attained from human impact, contributing to the east–west imbalance of erosion in SA. Soil erosion rates from gullying and badlands are limited but suggest that it ranges between 30 and 123 t ha−1 yr−1 in the more prominent areas. These soil loss rates are comparable to global rates where gullying is concerned; moreover, they are up to four orders of magnitude higher than the estimated baseline erosion rate. On a national scale, the complexity of gullying is evident from the different temporal timings of (re)activation or stabilizing and different evolution rates. Continued efforts are required to understand the intricate interplay of human activities, climate, and preconditions determining soil erodibility. In SA, more medium‐ to long‐term studies are required to understand better how changing control factors affect gully evolution. More research is needed to implement and appraise mitigation measures, especially using indigenous knowledge. Establishing (semi)‐automated mapping procedures would aid in gully monitoring and assessing the effectiveness of implemented mitigation measures. More urgently, the expected changes in climate and land‐use necessitate further research on how environmental change affects short‐term gully erosion dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Bimodal grain size distribution increases sediments erodiblity. • Mineralogical composition and weathering processes are making unique badland site. • Volcaniclastic material are "bad" enough to make badlands. • Volcaniclastic material open a possibility for new badland classification. In the past few decades, terrains of accentuated roughness with variety of topographical features and, due to the diversity of lithology and colors, known as badlands attract great attention not only from the scientist, but from people in general and contribute to the touristic popularization of geosites. Badlands materials are mainly silty clays and clayey silts. However, they can be formed in volcaniclastics material too and one of the most prominent badlands developed in pyroclastic sediments is Cappadocia, Turkey. Less known are Kazar badlands, Hungary, developed in rhyolitic poorly-consolidated highly porous tuffs and Djavolja varos, Serbia developed in dacito-andesitic poorly-consolidated, poorly-sorted tuffs. Volcaniclastic rock samples from Kazar badlands, Hungary and Djavolja varos, Serbia were analyzed with the purpose to broaden existing knowledge on materials in which badlands can form. Through analysis of eight unweathered volcaniclastic sediment samples that included petrographic characterization, content of macroelements, pH, electrical conductivity, sodium adsorption ratio and immersion test an attempt was made to answer the question whether volcaniclastics are "bad" enough to make badlands. After all the analysis conducted, Kazar badlands and Djavolja varos materials have different properties, unique for each site, but are still more similar to each other than to, already known badlands materials. Similar bimodal grain size distribution of Kazar badlands and Djavolja varos reflects sediments erodibility and is making them similar to other badlands generally, while mineralogical composition and weathering processes are the main factors making these two sites a unique badlands group. Conclusions brought in this study are opening new scientific topic and they imply that volcaniclastic material, even though site-specific, make unique badlands and that, through future research, could bring the possibility of a new badlands classification that will include only volcaniclastics and will bring up small sites like these to the existent geotouristic map. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the morphology and land use/land cover of palaeochannels along the Chambal River and it explores the prospects of their revival. A total of 104 palaeochannels were identified covering a distance of 465 km. Further, the study has identified that palaeochannels have a natural valley structure that facilitates limited and seasonal water inundation at irregular places, forming pond-like structures. The ponds are a direct consequence of blockages of natural drainage, mainly, by human construction activities. It has been found that the palaeochannels, despite having a valley structure, have private ownership and have been under cultivation. Further, this paper explores revival prospects of the palaeochannels and ponds, including their inclusion in the Amrit Sarovar Scheme (a Government Scheme). These results are significant in understanding of the geomorphological evolution of the Chambal River and in the possibility of using the areas (palaeochannels and ponds) in a more meaningful way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present geomorphic study analyzes the morphometric anomalies of the lateritic badlands (West Bengal, India) to understand the erosion intensity, triggering factors and landscape evolution using the ALOS AW3D30 DEM and quantitative techniques of various hydro-geomorphic processes (viz., basin morphometry, rainfall-runoff simulation, geomorphic threshold, erosion indices, sediment yield, SPI, and STI etc.). The GIS-based analysis reflects that there is the requitement of minimum drainage area (i.e. 55.71-349.01 m²) to maintain one metre of gully channel in the basins which have the network density of 2.86-13.76 km km-2. The critical slope (i.e. geomorphic threshold) of badland terrain varies from 0.0222 to 0.0407 metre metre-1, having dominance of overland flow erosion to initiate gully heads. The basin-wise SCS-CN and USLE coupling estimates that within the daily rainfall range of 11.41-66.41 mm day-1, the potential sediment yield of gully basins varies from 2.15 to 9.10 t ha-1. The SL index (i.e. 0.81-47.32 m) diagram reflects the beats of gully energy profile due to stream erosion enhancement, slope steepness, resistance of underlying lithologies and active tectonics. Hypsometric integral values of the gully basins, ranging from 0.4 to 0.6, emphasize a low entropy-based fluvial system and development of mature-youthful landform stage. The evolutionary stages of badlands are explained here by the connectivity model and hillslope -- gully -- river coupling system, showing a quasi-equilibrium to complex stage of landscape development at present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gully erosion is a particularly damaging process which is not yet sufficiently understood and parameterized. Gully head topographic threshold relative to Hortonian runoff have been studied in cropland, rangeland and forest. This study extends such modelling approach to badlands. Different badlands (eight sites) have been studied in the Mediterranean environment in Italy and Spain, characterized by diversified climatic, lithological, and geological settings under different anthropogenic conditioning. Many badlands have been characterized by their specific human history in addition to their geomorphological properties. Land use, as part of the human history, strongly affected many badland formation and development, through extremely impacting land exploitation (usually overgrazing). The effect of geological and geomorphological processes are usually particularly well visible. While the weakening effect of joints is confirmed, the different geological layer bedding orientation with respect to the slope aspect generates a different development of badland morphologies and different values of gully head thresholds values (as shown in two badlands sites on the same geological material and climate. The selection of Curve Number values, at the base of the introduction of land use into the gully head thresholds, has been more objectively defined in order to reduce arbitrariness in threshold application. The study additionally revises some of the physical basics behind the gully head threshold concept, requiring a description of the soil resistance in terms of frictional and cohesive components. This implies the explicit inclusion of rock fragment into the grain size distribution, which cannot be limited to fine grains. It results into an enriched threshold formulation that allows to describe the condition for gully head initiation and retreat as the result of the tradeoff between the frictional and cohesive components of the soil resistance forces. Eventually, the gully head threshold concept is confirmed and extended to include badlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the theme of isolation and confrontation with wilderness versus the comforts of community in American literature and film. It explores how characters like James Sallis's "Driver," Sergio Leone's "Harmonica", and others; embracing a life of drama, resolution and unique skills; contrast between the wilderness and civilization; and highlights the central tension in the Western genre, where characters often embody "lawless openness" and a refusal to conform to societal norms.

Badlands are extensively eroded landscapes consisting of weakly consolidated deposits within highly dense drainage systems. Their controlling and shaping factors can differ in relation to various internal and external conditions and processes that are not always well understood. This study focuses on the development of a badland landscape affecting Miocene and Quaternary sand-clay sediments in the extensional tectonic regime of Western Turkey with a multidisciplinary approach. The area between Kula and Selendi towns exhibits a badland topography with extensively eroded surface features, deepened gullies within poorly consolidated, sand clay-sized sediments. The results of structural field mapping and morphometric analyses using a 5 m resolution DEM to study the role of structural control in the development of badlands are presented in this study. Field data analysis supported by the quantitative assessment of longitudinal gully profiles illustrates the role of pre-existing structures as faults, their orientation and geometry in net erosion-sedimentation and the development of deepened gully networks. Representative illustrations, field photographs and block diagrams are presented to show the relationship between the rock structure and badland landscape. The connection between the extensional tectonics, erosional dynamics and geomorphology point to a structurally-controlled landscape in the Kula badlands in Western Turkey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the thousands of artifacts recovered in 1891–1892 from Mound 25 of the Middle Woodland Hopewell Mound Group in Ross County, Ohio, is a Cretaceous scaphitid ammonite fossil. We have identified the ammonite as Hoploscaphites brevis, a well-known and well-studied index fossil used to subdivide the Upper Cretaceous deposits of the western interior of North America into biostratigraphic zones. The North American extent of this species is limited to parts of the Northern Great Plains, with the probable source of the Hopewell Mound Group specimen being the Sage Creek area in Pennington County, South Dakota. This probable source area for the fossil is consistent with that proposed by Charles Willoughby in the late 1800s. Both ethnological information and archaeological data, including from sites contemporaneous with Mound 25, indicate that ammonite fossils were highly prized among the people of the Northern Great Plains for curing the sick and bringing success in hunting, war, and other endeavors. Conversely, both ethnological information and archaeological data from Eastern Woodland cultures indicate ammonite fossils did not have the same allure among Eastern Woodland people. This and other information suggest that the Hopewell Mound Group ammonite fossil was indirectly procured through interaction with people living in the area where it originated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we aimed to identify important plant areas (IPAs) in the Fergana Valley, one of the most densely human-populated regions in Central Asia with a diverse array of endemic and endangered species. The IPA programme in FV aims to identify and protect a global network of plant conservation sites. We conducted a field survey from 2018 to 2021 to re-identify specimens collected from Fergana Valley and stored at the National Herbarium of Uzbekistan (TASH). An analysis of the floristic, geobotanical and collected data allowed for the identification of the badlands in the northern foothills (Chap tract and surrounding areas) as an IPA site. We modified the interpretation of criterion A for IPAs to suit the circumstances of Mountainous Central Asia and documented the distribution of 29 species in the IPAs under these subcriteria. To our knowledge, this is the first study to identify an IPA in Uzbekistan and provide geographic coordinates with locations for the herbarium specimens used to create the IPA set for Central Asia. Our study provides a foundation for applying future IPAs in this region, addressing specific conservation challenges, such as conserving rare and endangered species that grow outside protected areas and GIS mapping of endemic species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]