Over the past 1.3 million years, about forty glacial-interglacial cycles occurred, linked to orbital-scale variability. In tropical regions, short-term periodicities such as half-precession (HP) cycles (~12–8 kyr) offer insights into tropical responses to abrupt climate shifts and the interplay between orbital and millennial-scale events. Yet, their expression remains unclear due to limited long-term tropical records. We present a new inorganic geochemical record from ODP Site 663 (1°N, Gulf of Guinea) spanning ~1.3 million years. We aim to detect HP cycles and understand the possible drivers and their hydroclimate effects on the continent. Preliminary results suggest enhanced aeolian input during glacial periods, likely driven by Sahara expansion and intensified Harmattan winds. In contrast, interglacials show increased fluvial input probably driven by a northward migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone and an intensified West African Monsoon. Spectral analyses reveal that HP cycles are mainly expressed during interglacials with high planetary eccentricity. These intervals also coincide with the highest recurrence of millennial-scale events, suggesting a modulation of tropical hydroclimate by orbital-scale insolation forcing. Our findings emphasize the role of tropical processes in modulating millennial-scale climate variability, a mechanism traditionally attributed to high-latitude dynamics. Our findings align with HP signals in Lake Bosumtwi (Ghana) between ~650–550 ka BP (MIS 13–11) and hydroclimate variability during MIS 5 in Lake Petén Itzá, Fúquene, and Chalco. Together, these records underscore the critical role of low-latitude processes in shaping global climate variability and offer new perspectives on tropical hydroclimate mechanisms across glacial-interglacial timescales.

The largest known freshwater floods in Earth’s history scoured the northwestern USA during the late Pleistocene, following the catastrophic drainage of glacial Lake Missoula. These glacial lake outburst floods, involving as much as 2500 km³ of water, covered over 7,500 km², leaving behind a dramatic landscape of erosional features and extensive sedimentary deposits. Concurrently, eruptions from Cascade volcanoes, primarily Mount St. Helens (MSH) and Glacier Peak, blanketed the region with volcanic ash. Remarkably, some of these tephra layers were preserved within and overlying the flood sediment sequences, providing a rare opportunity to investigate the timing and extent of glacial lake outburst floods.

We present new geochemical fingerprints of tephra layers using electron microprobe analysis, comparing them to reference samples from proximal deposits of MSH, and well-characterised deposits from Glacier Peak and Mount Mazama. Our new analyses of 37 tephra layers spread across 10 different sites within the U.S. Pacific Northwest, confirm previous results from fewer sites that these floods occurred during the eruptive phase known as MSH Set S. Notably, the ~16 ka So and Sg tephras are preserved as a distinct couplet within the flood sediments. In contrast, the ~13.5 ka Glacier Peak G and B tephras, which lie above the flood deposits, post-date the floods. These findings constrain these floods to have commenced prior to ~16 ka but ending before ~13.5 ka and highlight the value of geochemical tephra analysis across multiple flood sediment sequences for refining the chronology of major Pleistocene glacial lake outburst flood events.

The topic of loess (and other Late Quaternary palaeoclimate archives) in Pakistan has not been discussed much during the last decades. (Muhs, 2018) states that the extent of loess in Pakistan remains only vaguely understood, a situation that has not significantly changed. Several loess areas are reported from the Peshwar Basin, specifically the area around Nowshera west of the confluence of the Kabul and Indus Rivers, the Haro River Loess-Palaeosol deposits, and the area of Islamabad. Also Smalley et al., (2016) highlight the absence of a systematic loess study for Pakistan and emphasize that, for the Indian (sub)continent “the conditions appear to be perfect for the formation of large deposits”.

In this contribution, we summarize literature, and present observations form a recent field excursion. We consider both aeolian loess and redeposited loess-like fluviolacustrine sediments to be present in much larger areas than previously reported. We hypothesize that an aeolian sediment flux into the landscape was repeatedly intercalated by fluviolacustrine sediments of similar silt grain size. The aeolian sedimentation proceeded into mountain regions north of the basins, but preservation of fine material in sparse. At several places, loess is intercalated with (unrounded) slope deposits and fluvial deposits.

The rising sea level has shaped the northwest German coast since the beginning of the Holocene, which resulted in a general progradational shift of the coastline. Additionally, extreme events such as storm surges affected the paleo-coast and must be considered to further complement the understanding of landscape evolution in the region.

Unlike the modern coast, the paleo-coast was un-diked. Therefore, it can be assumed, that prehistoric storm surges had substantial different effects on the coastal environment at the time. While storm surge deposits have been identified along the northwest German coast, they have not yet been systematically studied.

The interdisciplinary project CoastAdapt aims to close this gap by investigating the inland reach of prehistoric storm surges, the geological conditions that may have favoured inundation, and whether some transgressions attributed to sea-level rise may have actually been storm-driven. Focus lies on cm-thick clastic layers (known as Klappklei) found within Holocene peat. These layers form when storm surges temporarily disturb coastal peat horizons, allowing fine sediments to be deposited and preserved within the peat horizon. As Klappklei only forms during high water levels, it is considered to be a valuable marker of prehistoric storm surge activity.

We present a comprehensive mapping of these deposits for different time intervals of the Holocene, alongside estimates of associated inundation extent. The results are based on borehole archive data, integrated with updated sea-level reconstructions. A preliminary regional case study from the East Frisian coast provides new insights into landscape development and effects of storm surge events.

The last interglacial (around 125 Ma, MIS 5e) is the youngest timeframe that produced higher global sea level than observed nowadays and thus offers critical insight into coastal dynamics under future climate-change- and sea-level scenarios. Despite a global effort to record last interglacial shorelines, the Indian Ocean remains understudied in this respect. The northeastern coastline of Oman, from Muscat to Ras Madraka, shows seven shallow marine sedimentary successions located up to 4 m above mean sea level in areas that are tectonically stable. The sediments that include coral reefs, beachrocks, lagoonal and sabkha deposits are studied regarding their initial relationship to mean sea level and age to establish sea-level index points. Since radiocarbon dating has been ineffective, as deposition ages exceed the range of ¹⁴C methods, optically stimulated luminescence dating presents a promising avenue for chronological data. Special emphasis is placed on two lagoonal successions near Al Haddah and Ras Ru’ays. While the outcrop at Al Haddah shows more evaporitic sabkha deposits overlain by alluvial successions, Ras Ru’ays coastal cliff presents a choked lagoonal system overridden by a coastal barrier, before alluvial sedimentation sets in. As both outcrops record cyclic deposition that are potentially controlled by transregional processes, they allow to understand Late Pleistocene coastal evolution in more detail. In a multiproxy approach, macro- and micro facies analysis, as well as geochemistry, are applied to link cyclicity within the two lagoonal systems and unravel likely controls.

Ras El Hekma area located in the Mediterranean sea, this area seems as triangle head land extending into the Mediterranean sea for about 15 km ,It lies West of Alexandria City for about 220 km, and some 70 km East Marsa Matruh city. Some historical writers like Fourtau, 1914 and Ball, 1942 show that Leuke Akte harbour was situated in the eastern of Ras El Hekma area.

This place was mentioned by that name by Scylax, Strabo, Ptolemy, and in the Book of Stadiums. As for the portolan from the beginning of the twelfth century, they mention it by the names: Rase El Kanayis, the red head according to Keith. As for Piri Reis, or “the Reis on (the Turkish)he calls it the head of the churches and advises ships to use it to protect themselves from the winds coming from the land. The name Leuca means “act.” White Land or White Coast or White Head.

The underwater archaeological survey in this bay resulted in the discovery of a group of amphorae and metal and stone anchors extending Chronologically, from the first century BC to the seventh century AD, indicating the intensity of navigational activity in the region.

This study aims to define geomorphological characteristics and geoarchaeological evidence of the Leuke Akte ancient harbor, and to study effect of Holocene sea level change on the study area.

This study depends on detailed geo-archaelogical and geo-morphological surveying and mapping, coring of sediment samples, interpretation of multi-dates RS images and GIS techniques.