Climate and Anthropogenic Impacts on Earth Surface Processes in the Anthropocene

1st Edition - September 30, 2024
Imprint: Elsevier
Editors: Achim Beylich, Daniel Vázquez Tarrío, Dongfeng Li, Marc Oliva, Mario Morellón Marteles
Language: English
Paperback ISBN:
9 7 8 - 0 - 4 4 3 - 1 3 2 1 5 - 5
eBook ISBN:
9 7 8 - 0 - 4 4 3 - 1 3 2 1 6 - 2

Climate and Anthropogenic Impacts on Earth Surface Processes in the Anthropocene outlines our current understanding of the effects of ongoing and accelerated environmental ch… Read more

Purchase options

World Book Day Celebration!

Save up to 30% on books and eBooks!

Shop now

Institutional subscription on ScienceDirect

Request a sales quote

Climate and Anthropogenic Impacts on Earth Surface Processes in the Anthropocene outlines our current understanding of the effects of ongoing and accelerated environmental changes on Earth surface processes and details the systematic and quantitative methodology on the actual drivers of these processes. This book covers various geomorphological process domains and a wide range of terrestrial surface environments on Earth. It provides a broad spectrum of advanced techniques and methods of data collection and generation, together with various approaches and methods of data analysis and geomorphologic modelling.

This book is a valuable resource for upper-level undergraduates, graduates, and academics studying Earth surface processes, as well as researchers and professionals in needing a comprehensive overview of Earth surface process change and influence during the Anthropocene

Title of Book
Cover image
Title page
Table of Contents
Copyright
Contributors
Preface
Section I. Introduction
Chapter 1. Drivers and records of global environmental change: From past to present
1 Introduction
1.1 Global environmental drivers
1.2 Investigating forcing–response relationships
2 Regional examples of global environmental change
2.1 Tibetan Plateau
2.2 Southern Africa
2.3 Mississippi basin
3 Discussion and conclusions
Chapter 2. The Anthropocene
1 Introduction. Origins of the “Anthropocene concept”
2 The debate about the Anthropocene and its limits
3 Are things different during the Anthropocene?
4 Geomorphic processes and drivers during the Anthropocene
4.1 Biogeomorphic processes
4.2 Ground subsidence processes
4.3 Aeolian processes
4.4 Glacial and periglacial processes
4.5 Denudation/sedimentation processes
5 Conclusions and outlook. Why or what for the Anthropocene?
Section II. Detection and quantification of earth surface processes
Chapter 3. Sedimentary terrestrial records of global environmental change
1 Introduction
2 Sedimentary archives: Methodologies, advantages, and limitations to reconstruct global change
2.1 Lacustrine sediments
2.1.1 Particularities of lacustrine sediments
2.1.2 Applied methods and proxies in lacustrine sedimentary records to reconstruct global change
2.1.2 Lake sediments as recorders of the anthropocene signal
2.2 Speleothems
3 Examples of sedimentary records of anthropocene
3.1 High-altitude lacustrine sedimentary records in the mediterranean region
3.1.1 Sediment delivery
3.1.2 Accumulation of organic carbon
3.1.3 Heavy metal load
3.2 Coastal lacustrine sedimentary records
3.3 Atmospheric composition changes recorded in recent speleothems
4 Conclusions and future perspectives
Chapter 4. Landform record
1 The nature of landform change in the Anthropocene
2 New landforms
2.1 Climate impacts
2.2 Anthropogenic impacts
3 Continuous landform change
3.1 Climate impacts
3.2 Anthropogenic impacts
4 Disappearance of landforms
4.1 Climate impacts
4.2 Anthropogenic impacts
5 Concluding remarks
Chapter 5. Dating techniques
Subchapter 5.1 Introduction
Subchapter 5.2 Numerical dating
Subchapter 5.2.2 Varve dating
Subchapter 5.2.3 Luminescence dating
Subchapter 5.2.4 Radiometric age dating of recent terrestrial sediments
1 Radiocarbon dating
2 137Cs and 210Pb dating methods
Subchapter 5.2.5 Surface exposure dating with terrestrial cosmogenic nuclides
Subchapter 5.3 Relative dating techniques
Subchapter 5.3.2 Schmidt-hammer exposure-age dating
Subchapter 5.3.3 Pollen dating
Chapter 6. Quantifying earth surface processes via remote sensing technologies
1 Introduction
2 Remotely sensed topographic changes
3 Planimetric delineation of geomorphic units and their dynamics
4 Rainfall remote sensing
5 Final remarks and future prospective
Chapter 7. Process monitoring
1 Introduction
2 General concepts on monitoring methods and their scales of application
3 Monitoring techniques for selected geomorphological processes
3.1 Fluvial processes
3.2 Debris flows
3.3 Landslides
3.4 Glacial and periglacial processes
4 Future perspectives
Section III. Climate and anthropogenic impacts on earth surface processes
Chapter 8. Glacial and periglacial processes in a changing climate
1 Introduction
2 Cryosphere degradation in the Anthropocene
2.1 Glacial melt
2.2 Permafrost thaw
3 Glacial processes and glaciofluvial transport
3.1 Glacial erosion
3.2 Glacial transport and deposition
3.3 Cryospheric hazards
4 Periglacial processes
4.1 Gradual and abrupt permafrost thaw
4.2 Rapidly changing Arctic driven by permafrost thaw
4.3 Thermokarst expansion on the Tibetan Plateau
5 Summary and outlook
5.1 Anticipated regime shifts in fluvial transport
5.2 Early warning of cryospheric hazards
5.3 Ecological responses to cryospheric changes
Chapter 9. A global perspective on climatic and anthropogenic impacts on slope mass movements
1 Introduction
2 Drivers and causes of slope mass movement events and activity
3 Global distribution of slope mass movements
3.1 Global susceptibility to mass movements based on natural and anthropogenic factors
3.2 Global precipitation pattern
3.3 Global distribution of mass movements in the context of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification
3.3.1 Temperate climate
3.3.2 Tropical climate
3.3.3 Cold climate
3.3.4 Polar and alpine climate
3.3.5 Arid climate
4 Anthropogenically triggered mass movements in the context of the global human footprint
5 Changes in climatic and anthropogenic impacts on mass movements
6 Concluding remarks
Chapter 10. Aeolian processes and landforms
1 Introduction
1.1 Aeolian systems
1.2 Conceptual framework
1.3 Approaches
2 Aeolian systems in the pre-industrial era (prior to 1750 CE)
3 Aeolian systems in the Anthropocene
3.1 Dust emissions
3.2 Dune systems
4 Aeolian systems in the future
5 Conclusions
Chapter 11. Estuaries and deltas in the Anthropocene
1 Introduction
2 Sea-level change
2.1 Case study: The Cantabrian estuaries, northern Spain
3 Land reclamation and physical modification
3.1 Geological record of reclaimed areas
3.2 Estuarine sand dredging and dumping
3.3 Case study: The Ebro Delta
4 Pollution
4.1 Contaminants in sediment cores
4.2 Case study: The Suances Estuary
5 Biological replacement
5.1 The spread of neobiota
5.2 Case study: The San Francisco Estuary
6 Environmental regeneration
6.1 Case study: The Bilbao Estuary
7 Conclusions
Chapter 12. Coastal processes and wetlands in the Anthropocene
1 Introduction
2 Coastal zone
2.1 Coastal processes
2.2 Coastal sediments
3 Coastal landforms
3.1 Sandy landforms
3.2 Coastal lagoons and wetlands
4 Climate crisis and human interventions affecting the coastal zone
5 Conclusions
Chapter 13. Impacts in karst processes and landforms in the Anthropocene
1 Introduction
1.1 Magnitude and temporal changes in karst environmental impacts in the Anthropocene
1.2 Global distribution of impacts in karst systems in the Anthropocene
2 Long-term impacts associated with hydroclimate changes
2.1 Global warming
2.2 Droughts and karst desertification
2.3 Acid rain
2.4 Sea-level rise and changes in ocean chemistry
3 Short-term impacts associated with extreme weather
3.1 Floods in karst systems and changes in hydrology and sediment dynamics
4 Impacts associated with human activities in the Anthropocene
4.1 Deforestation and changes in land use
4.2 Development and infrastructure
4.3 Aquifer overexploitation and contamination
4.4 Urbanization
4.5 Extractive industries and mining
5 Final remarks and outlook
Section IV. Suggestions for adapted and sustainable mitigation and management strategies
Chapter 14. Management strategies for the earth's surface processes in (sub)polar areas
1 Introduction
2 Management strategies for the Arctic
3 Management strategies for Antarctica
4 Case study
5 Concluding remarks
Chapter 15. Geomorphic risks in mountain regions: From climate and anthropogenic controls to management strategies
1 Introduction
2 Climate and anthropogenic controls of geomorphic risks in mountain regions
2.1 Changing hazards
2.2 Changing exposure and vulnerability
2.3 Global overview: Trends and patterns
3 Management strategies for sustainable development and resilient mountain communities
3.1 Framework and fundamental principles
3.1.1 Understanding disaster risk
3.1.2 Strengthening governance to manage risk
3.1.3 Investing in resilience
3.1.4 Enhancing disaster preparedness
3.2 Recommendations for future geomorphic risk management in mountain regions
3.3 Case study
4 Conclusions
Chapter 16. Adaptation and mitigation strategies for the sustainable management of karst environments
1 Introduction
1.1 Definition, global distribution, importance of karst
1.2 Fragility of karst
1.3 Nature of human impacts
2 Strategies for surface karst
2.1 Sinkholes
2.2 Springs
2.3 Karst related parks (springs/karst features)
2.4 Surface erosion/desertification
3 Strategies for caves
3.1 Show caves
3.2 Wild caves
3.3 Biodiversity hotspots
4 Strategies for aquifers/groundwater adaptation and mitigation
4.1 Over-exploitation
4.2 Contamination
4.3 Climate change/sea level rise
5 National and international cave and karst organizations: Their roles in managing karst environments
6 Conclusions and outlook
Appendix
Chapter 17. River systems (river restoration/rehabilitation)
1 Introduction and background of history of human disturbance of river systems
2 Climate change impact on river systems
3 Anthropogenic impact on river systems
4 Pollution of river systems
5 Protection measures, restoration and rehabilitation
6 Final consideration
Chapter 18. Dam construction and geo-ecological responses of the Yangtze, the Nile, and the Mississippi River deltas: Management perspectives
1 Introduction
2 Regional geography: Dam-site related implications
2.1 The Yangtze River
2.2 The Nile River
2.3 The Mississippi River
3 Altered riverine materials to delta coast
3.1 Discharge
3.2 Sediment supply
3.3 Nutrients
4 Depletion of sediment load to river mouth
5 Deltaic responses
5.1 Coastal erosion
5.2 Altered nutrient ratio - acidification of coastal water
6 Management perspective
Chapter 19. Coastal areas and wetlands: Suggestions for sustainable mitigation and management strategies
1 Introduction
2 The impact of climate change and human activities on the coastal zone
3 Sustainable coastal management
3.1 Hard engineering methods
3.2 Soft engineering methods
3.2.1 Sand bypassing
3.2.2 Sand nourishment
3.2.3 Sand dunes stabilization
3.3 Combined protection works
3.3.1 Artificial beach rocks
4 Discussion
5 Conclusion
Index

Achim Beylich

Dr. Achim A. Beylich is a geomorphologist with more than 26 years of work experience in field- and laboratory based quantitative process geomorphic research in various climatic environments and landscapes in Iceland, Sweden, Finland, Canada, Russia, Germany, Austria, Norway and Spain. Since 2004, he has been initiating and leading a number of large international and interdisciplinary research networks and programmes on geomorphologic earth surface processes, denudation, sedimentary source-to-sink fluxes and correlations, sedimentary budgets, and landscape evolution under ongoing or accelerated climate change and increasing anthropogenic impacts and pressures. During his scientific career he has been working and has carried out research and training activities at various research institutes and universities in Germany, Sweden, Iceland, Canada and Norway. Since March 2018, he has been Head of Operations of the Geomorphological Field Laboratory (GFL), with offices in Selbu (Trondheim, Norway) (main office) and Calpe (Alicante, Spain). In this role, he is currently both leading and participating in a number of national and international scientific initiatives and research projects related to the analysis of contemporary earth surface systems and processes, hazardous processes, and landscape evolution under ongoing or accelerated environmental change. The various field study areas in different countries include both undisturbed and anthropogenically modified landscape systems. He is a research scientist with formal Professor rank in geomorphology and with more than 110 scientific publications in journals and books and numerous edited works. He is Editor-in-Chief for the journal Geomorphology (Elsevier), Associate Editor for the journal Global and Earth Surface Processes Change (Elsevier), Topical Editor for the journal Earth System Science Data (ESSD) (Copernicus), and an Editorial Board Member for several other international scientific journals. He was the initiator and Chair of the International Association of Geomorphologists (IAG) Working Group SEDIBUD (Sediment Budgets in Cold Environments, 2005-2017) and he has been the Chair (2017-2022) and a Steering Committee Member (2022-2026) for the IAG Working Group DENUCHANGE (Denudation and Environmental Changes in Different Morphoclimatic Zones). He was the founder and Chair of GeoNor, the IAG National Scientific Member (NSM) Norway (09/2019-01/2023), and he is the initiator and Chair of the IAG Nordic Network of Geomorphology Groups from Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Iceland (IAG NSM GeoNorth, Nordic Group Member and IAG Network, since 2019). Since September 2022, he is the elected Secretary-General of the International Association of Geomorphologists (IAG).

Affiliations and expertise

Geomorphological Field Laboratory, Norway

Daniel Vázquez Tarrío

Daniel Vázquez Tarrío holds a PhD in Geology from the University of Oviedo and currently works as Staff Researcher at Geological and Mining Institute of Spain (IGME, CSIC). Previously, he was an Assistant Lecturer at the Polytechnic University of Madrid. He is a fluvial geomorphologist specialized in the study of river hydraulics, sediment transport and morphodynamics of gravel-bed rivers. His approach to these questions involves coupling the field monitoring of these processes with the computation and modelling of water and sediment flows. He has also worked extensively on the impact of human interventions (dams and embankments) and land-use changes on sediment balances and flood-hazards in river systems. Daniel Vázquez Tarrío has investigated in these topics within the framework of several research projects focused in many rivers from Spain and France.

Affiliations and expertise

Department of Geo-Hazards & Climate Change, IGME, CSIC, Spain

Dongfeng Li

Dr. Dongfeng Li is an Assistant Professor at the College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University. He is leading the Cryosphere and River Lab. He is broadly interested in climate change, glaciers, permafrost, rivers, sediment transport, and hydropower dams. His current research focuses on sediment transport processes within the Earth’s cold environments, specifically driven by atmospheric, cryospheric, and hydrologic processes using remote sensing data and techniques, in-situ and field measurements, and numerical modeling approaches. During his PhD, he for the first time assessed the impacts of modern climate change on fluvial sediment fluxes in High Mountain Asia, for which he was awarded the 2019 IPCC Scholarship Award and the 2023 Grove Karl Gilbert Award of the American Association of Geographers. He is also the co-founder of the Chinese Geomorphology Club for early-career scientists and a core-member of the DENUCHANGE working group under the International Association of Geomorphologists. He serves as the associate editor of JGR: Earth Surface, editorial board of the Hydrological Processes, guest editors of Geomorphology and Earth Surface Processes and Landforms.

Affiliations and expertise

Peking University, China

Marc Oliva

Marc Oliva holds a PhD in Geography from the Universitat de Barcelona, where he works now as research scientist and leads a research group on Antarctic, Arctic and Alpine Environments. He has carried out research and teaching activities in universities of Portugal, Canada, Switzerland, Spain and Russia. He has participated in tens of expeditions to Antarctica and the High Arctic. Apart from the Polar Regions, he has also conducted research in other mountain regions (Rocky Mountains, Alps, N Iceland, Pamir, Tien Shan, Pyrenees, and Cantabrian Mountains), which has provided him a wide comprehension of Earth surface processes in cold-climate environments. His research interests include the study of geomorphological processes and past environments and climate in the Polar Regions and high mountains using a wide range of natural records (glacial, periglacial, and lacustrine).

Affiliations and expertise

Universitat de Barcelona, Spain

Mario Morellón Marteles

Mario Morellón Marteles is an assistant professor in Geology at the Complutense University of Madrid, Spain. His research has been focused on the reconstruction of past environmental changes based on the multidisciplinary analysis of lake sediments from key areas (Mediterranean Basin, South America, and Tibet) influenced by the main modes of climate variability (North Atlantic Oscillation, El Niño–Southern Oscillation and Indian Summer Monsoon) and/or different human impacts, from the late Pleistocene to the Anthropocene. His approach is based on geophysical, sedimentological and geochemical proxies but integrates biological indicators as well. During his career in Spain, United Kingdom and Switzerland, M. Morellón has led and participated in several projects and scientific initiatives aimed to disentangle the relative contributions of human activities and climate variability on recent environmental change, integrating different natural archives and proxies.

Affiliations and expertise

Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain

Life Sciences

Physical Sciences & Engineering

Social Sciences & Humanities

Health

Climate and Anthropogenic Impacts on Earth Surface Processes in the Anthropocene

Purchase options

World Book Day Celebration!

Institutional subscription on ScienceDirect

Achim Beylich

Daniel Vázquez Tarrío

Dongfeng Li

Marc Oliva

Mario Morellón Marteles

Related books