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Abstract: Late Glacial terrain in the Schwarzensteinkees, Hornkees and Waxeckkees forelands of the Zillertal Alps is dominated by sediments deposited by readvancing ice emplaced in the Little Ice Age, starting approximately 550±70cal 14C yr BP. Late Glacial ice scoured the massif with remnants of Late Glacial end moraines fronting LIA end moraines and buried paleosols underlying LIA end moraines providing scattered evidence of compositional change and weathering since the Later Dryas. The amount of recovered wood from LIA moraines indicates that the massif was forested for at least part of mid-Holocene times, most likely during the Atlantic Chronozone when, presumably, soil morphogenesis was accelerated. Details of till composition and weathering history provide a pedostratigraphic reconstruction which includes mid-LIA readvances between 400±70cal 14C yr BP and 350±70 cal14C yr BP. The heavily convoluted character of underlying early LIA or older tills suggests either pre-existing strongly active cryoturbation in a thin Entisol (Regosol) or active push moraine dynamics of advancing warm ice. SEM analysis documents differences in glacial dynamics that may be related to ice thickness, stick–slip motion or clastic load in the ice coupled with rate of movement. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article offers information on the landscape evolution in the Southern Kurile Islands, Russia during the transition from Pleistocene Epoch to Holocene period. According to the authors, the southern Kurile Islands is a portion of the former land bridge that connected the Lesser Kurile, Kunashir Island and Hokkaido islands in Japan. The later part of Pleistocene was characterized by short periods of climate fluctuations such as warming and cooling episodes that resulted to transformation of landscapes. The authors noted that the early middle Holocene's warm climate conditions have yielded dark coniferous forests up to the late Middle Holocene. However, in the late Holocene, there was a rapid landscape reorganization.

Abstract: The Ecemiş River developed during the Pleistocene and Holocene in the Ecemiş basin. The basin developed because of tectonic movement on the Ecemiş Fault, which is west of the Aladağ Mountains. In the Pleistocene, glacial–interglacial climate changes directly affected the regimes and discharges of rivers, causing changes in river levels along the Ecemiş channel. Fluvial formations became extremely complicated when active tectonic movements accompanied the changes resulting from the climatic conditions. The rivers embedded in their beds according to new local base levels in interglacials. Terraces formed due to interruptions in the cycle of morphological development along the Ecemiş River. From the morphologic structure of these terraces and their positions in the Ecemiş Valley two groups and five levels of terraces were defined. In the Ecemiş Valley, modern terraces (1–5m) formed in the Holocene, while low terrace systems (5–10m and 15–20m) and high terrace systems (30–40 and 70–80m) formed in the Pleistocene. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In Taiwan, efficient climate-driven strong erosion processes are the leading cause for low preservation of geomorphic landforms. Despite the absence of present-day glaciers, glacial relicts have been reported in high altitude areas. These scarce landforms provide opportunities for reconstructing the timing of the last deglaciation in a region where glacial history is poorly documented. We have collected boulders and striated bedrocks in the Nanhutashan area and calculated surface exposure ages based on in-situ produced 10Be concentrations. The oldest glacial remains, dated at 11.1 ± 3.3 ka, correspond to the last glacial advance. The Holocene is characterized by a continuous retreat of the ice-cap until at least 7.2 ± 1.0 ka. Our results are in agreement with a scenario where changes of monsoon regimes lead to a strong reduction of the winter monsoon during the early Holocene, causing a decrease of snow supply and disequilibrium of the hydrological budget. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]