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Christoph Zielhofer
Institute of Geography, Leipzig University, 04103 Leipzig, Germany

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Review
Published: 14 August 2021 in Sustainability
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In this study, we examined the extent to which global warming management is currently integrated into the European Water Framework Directive (WFD), the central legal framework for water management in the EU. We focused on the Elbe River Basin District and how global warming is addressed in its water management. We used the social–ecological systems (SES) approach as our theoretical framework, representing an eminent analytical frame of biosphere-based sustainability science. In our study, we analysed core characteristics of SES in the context of global warming to evaluate the effectiveness of current water management in the Elbe River basin concerning long-term changing climate conditions. To determine to what extent each SES feature is considered in the Elbe water management, we applied a scale of 1 to 5. Our results show that the SES feature “scale and openness” is best addressed (score 4.0) by the Elbe River basin management, followed by “context dependency” (score 3.9); however, “non-linearity, uncertainty, unpredictability” (score 3.2), “self-organisation and adaptability” (score 3.1), and “dynamics” (score 3.0) have only moderate impacts. SES features can only be considered comprehensively if global warming is accounted for in an integrated way at a European level. In order to ensure effective implementation, explicit regulations and legally binding obligations are most likely required.

ACS Style

Eva Sievers; Christoph Zielhofer; Frank Hüesker. Management of Global Warming Effects in the European Water Framework Directive: Consideration of Social–Ecological System Features in the Elbe River Basin District. Sustainability 2021, 13, 9111 .

AMA Style

Eva Sievers, Christoph Zielhofer, Frank Hüesker. Management of Global Warming Effects in the European Water Framework Directive: Consideration of Social–Ecological System Features in the Elbe River Basin District. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (16):9111.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Eva Sievers; Christoph Zielhofer; Frank Hüesker. 2021. "Management of Global Warming Effects in the European Water Framework Directive: Consideration of Social–Ecological System Features in the Elbe River Basin District." Sustainability 13, no. 16: 9111.

Review
Published: 11 August 2021 in Water
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Floodplains represent a global hotspot of sensitive socioenvironmental changes and early human forcing mechanisms. In this review, we focus on the environmental conditions of preindustrial floodplains in Central Europe and the fluvial societies that operated there. Due to their high land-use capacity and the simultaneous necessity of land reclamation and risk minimisation, societies have radically restructured the Central European floodplains. According to the current scientific consensus, up to 95% of Central European floodplains have been extensively restructured or destroyed. Therefore, question arises as to whether or when it is justified to understand Central European floodplains as a ‘Fluvial Anthroposphere’. The case studies available to date show that human-induced impacts on floodplain morphologies and environments and the formation of specific fluvial societies reveal fundamental changes in the medieval and preindustrial modern periods. We aim to contribute to disentangling the questions of when and why humans became a significant controlling factor in Central European floodplain formation, and how humans in interaction with natural processes and other chains of effects have modified floodplains. As a conclusion, we superimpose emerging fields of research concerning the onset of the Fluvial Anthroposphere and provide 10 specific thematic objectives for future multidisciplinary work.

ACS Style

Lukas Werther; Natascha Mehler; Gerrit Jasper Schenk; Christoph Zielhofer. On the Way to the Fluvial Anthroposphere—Current Limitations and Perspectives of Multidisciplinary Research. Water 2021, 13, 2188 .

AMA Style

Lukas Werther, Natascha Mehler, Gerrit Jasper Schenk, Christoph Zielhofer. On the Way to the Fluvial Anthroposphere—Current Limitations and Perspectives of Multidisciplinary Research. Water. 2021; 13 (16):2188.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Lukas Werther; Natascha Mehler; Gerrit Jasper Schenk; Christoph Zielhofer. 2021. "On the Way to the Fluvial Anthroposphere—Current Limitations and Perspectives of Multidisciplinary Research." Water 13, no. 16: 2188.

Preprint content
Published: 04 March 2021
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UV-B radiation may affect atmospheric circulation and influence climate, as well as affecting all biological life on Earth. However, past environmental and climate reconstructions (using various multi-proxy approaches) generally do not focus on UV-B. Ultraviolet-Absorbing Compounds (UACs) in pollen grains are an indicator of the UV-B level received by plants, and it is possible to measure the abundance of UACs in pollen using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) micro-Spectroscopy, providing a promising approach to UV-B reconstruction. This research reconstructed UAC levels in individual Cedrus atlantica (Atlas cedar) pollen grains within sediment samples from a 20 m core at Lake Sidi Ali, Middle Atlas, Morocco, spanning the Holocene. Correlations between UACs and other palaeoenvironmental proxies from the same core are discussed, including, oxygen stable isotopes (18O) which reflect winter rainfall, local dust sedimentation, and lake sediment CaCO3 and Total Organic Carbon (TOC), as well as independent 10Be-derived Total Solar Irradiance (TSI). Correlations between these proxies may indicate solar-related temperature and humidity fluctuations at Lake Sidi Ali, considering mechanisms of varied ocean and terrestrial circulation under different levels of solar activity, although there is some chronological uncertanty due to different sampling resolutions. A positive correlation between UAC levels and winter rainfall at Morocco implies connections between oceanic circulation and solar activity, while the relationship with local dust sedimentation reveals how solar irradiation may influence the Saharan dry air mass contribution to Morocco. Analysis of single pollen grains using FTIR presents several challenges in obtaining clean spectra, which can be a source of uncertainty with this approach. To minimise noise in FTIR spectra, Cedrus pollen grains should be measured using the same orientation under microscope. As this is not always posssible, we developed a protocol to evaluate spectra quality to filter out spectra that had excessive noise, or were deemed not to be a pollen grain. We also assess the minimum effective number of pollen grains that require measurement to provide a statisitcally significant sample and thereby improve the quality of UAC data. Our protocol represents good practice in developing a robust UAC data set, which can allow for UV-B and solar radiation levels to be inferred. Future work aims to quantitatively reconstruct UV-B levels using a modern UAC calibration.

 

ACS Style

Tianyuan Wang; Benjamin Bell; William Fletcher; Roy Wogelius; Christoph Zielhofer. Quantifying past changes in Holocene ultraviolet-absorbing compounds (UACs) from Cedrus pollen in Lake Sidi Ali, Morocco, Africa based on fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). 2021, 1 .

AMA Style

Tianyuan Wang, Benjamin Bell, William Fletcher, Roy Wogelius, Christoph Zielhofer. Quantifying past changes in Holocene ultraviolet-absorbing compounds (UACs) from Cedrus pollen in Lake Sidi Ali, Morocco, Africa based on fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). . 2021; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Tianyuan Wang; Benjamin Bell; William Fletcher; Roy Wogelius; Christoph Zielhofer. 2021. "Quantifying past changes in Holocene ultraviolet-absorbing compounds (UACs) from Cedrus pollen in Lake Sidi Ali, Morocco, Africa based on fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR)." , no. : 1.

Journal article
Published: 09 May 2019 in Remote Sensing
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The Early Medieval Fossa Carolina is the first hydro-engineering construction that bridges the Central European Watershed. The canal was built in 792/793 AD on order of Charlemagne and should connect the drainage systems of the Rhine-Main catchment and the Danube catchment. In this study, we show for the first time, the integration of Airborne LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) and geoarchaeological subsurface datasets with the aim to create a 3D-model of Charlemagne’s summit canal. We used a purged Digital Terrain Model that reflects the pre-modern topography. The geometries of buried canal cross-sections are derived from three archaeological excavations and four high-resolution direct push sensing transects. By means of extensive core data, we interpolate the trench bottom and adjacent edges along the entire canal course. As a result, we are able to create a 3D-model that reflects the maximum construction depth of the Carolingian canal and calculate an excavation volume of approx. 297,000 m3. Additionally, we compute the volume of the present dam remnants by Airborne LiDAR data. Surprisingly, the volume of the dam remnants reveals only 120,000 m3 and is much smaller than the computed Carolingian excavation volume. The difference reflects the erosion and anthropogenic overprint since the 8th century AD.

ACS Style

Johannes Schmidt; Johannes Rabiger-Völlmer; Lukas Werther; Ulrike Werban; Peter Dietrich; Stefanie Berg; Peter Ettel; Sven Linzen; Andreas Stele; Birgit Schneider; Christoph Zielhofer. 3D-Modelling of Charlemagne’s Summit Canal (Southern Germany)—Merging Remote Sensing and Geoarchaeological Subsurface Data. Remote Sensing 2019, 11, 1111 .

AMA Style

Johannes Schmidt, Johannes Rabiger-Völlmer, Lukas Werther, Ulrike Werban, Peter Dietrich, Stefanie Berg, Peter Ettel, Sven Linzen, Andreas Stele, Birgit Schneider, Christoph Zielhofer. 3D-Modelling of Charlemagne’s Summit Canal (Southern Germany)—Merging Remote Sensing and Geoarchaeological Subsurface Data. Remote Sensing. 2019; 11 (9):1111.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Johannes Schmidt; Johannes Rabiger-Völlmer; Lukas Werther; Ulrike Werban; Peter Dietrich; Stefanie Berg; Peter Ettel; Sven Linzen; Andreas Stele; Birgit Schneider; Christoph Zielhofer. 2019. "3D-Modelling of Charlemagne’s Summit Canal (Southern Germany)—Merging Remote Sensing and Geoarchaeological Subsurface Data." Remote Sensing 11, no. 9: 1111.

Research article
Published: 20 March 2019 in Climate of the Past
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Gerard C. Bond established a Holocene series of North Atlantic ice-rafted debris events based on quartz and haematite-stained grains recovered from subpolar North Atlantic marine cores. These so-called “Bond events” document nine large-scale and multi-centennial North Atlantic cooling phases that might be linked to a reduced thermohaline circulation. Regardless of the high prominence of the Holocene North Atlantic ice-rafted debris record, there are critical scientific comments on the study: the Holocene Bond curve has not yet been replicated in other marine archives of the North Atlantic and there exist only very few palaeoclimatic studies that indicate all individual Bond events in their own record. Therefore, evidence of consistent hydro-climatic teleconnections between the subpolar North Atlantic and distant regions is not clear. In this context, the Western Mediterranean region presents key hydro-climatic sites for the reconstruction of a teleconnection with the subpolar North Atlantic. In particular, variability in Western Mediterranean winter precipitation might be the result of atmosphere–ocean coupled processes in the outer-tropical North Atlantic realm. Based on an improved Holocene δ18O record from Lake Sidi Ali (Middle Atlas, Morocco), we correlate Western Mediterranean precipitation anomalies with North Atlantic Bond events to identify a probable teleconnection between Western Mediterranean winter rains and subpolar North Atlantic cooling phases. Our data show a noticeable similarity between Western Mediterranean winter rain minima and Bond events during the Early Holocene and an opposite pattern during the Late Holocene. There is evidence of an enduring hydro-climatic change in the overall Atlantic atmosphere–ocean system and the response to external forcing during the Middle Holocene. Regarding a potential climatic anomaly around 4.2 ka (Bond event 3) in the Western Mediterranean, a centennial-scale winter rain maximum is generally in-phase with the overall pattern of alternating “wet and cool” and “dry and warm” intervals during the last 5000 years.

ACS Style

Christoph Zielhofer; Anne Köhler; Steffen Mischke; Abdelfattah Benkaddour; Abdeslam Mikdad; William J. Fletcher. Western Mediterranean hydro-climatic consequences of Holocene ice-rafted debris (Bond) events. Climate of the Past 2019, 15, 463 -475.

AMA Style

Christoph Zielhofer, Anne Köhler, Steffen Mischke, Abdelfattah Benkaddour, Abdeslam Mikdad, William J. Fletcher. Western Mediterranean hydro-climatic consequences of Holocene ice-rafted debris (Bond) events. Climate of the Past. 2019; 15 (2):463-475.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Christoph Zielhofer; Anne Köhler; Steffen Mischke; Abdelfattah Benkaddour; Abdeslam Mikdad; William J. Fletcher. 2019. "Western Mediterranean hydro-climatic consequences of Holocene ice-rafted debris (Bond) events." Climate of the Past 15, no. 2: 463-475.

Research article
Published: 05 July 2018 in PLoS ONE
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The use of remote sensing techniques to identify (geo)archaeological features is wide spread. For archaeological prospection and geomorphological mapping, Digital Terrain Models (DTMs) on based LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) are mainly used to detect surface and subsurface features. LiDAR is a remote sensing tool that scans the surface with high spatial resolution and allows for the removal of vegetation cover with special data filters. Archaeological publications with LiDAR data in issues have been rising exponentially since the mid-2000s. The methodology of DTM analyses within geoarchaeological contexts is usually based on "bare-earth" LiDAR data, although the terrain is often significantly affected by human activities. However, "bare-earth" LiDAR data analyses are very restricted in the case of historic hydro-engineering such as irrigation systems, mills, or canals because modern roads, railway tracks, buildings, and earth lynchets influence surface water flows and may dissect the terrain. Consequently, a "natural" pre-modern DTM with high depth accuracy is required for palaeohydrological analyses. In this study, we present a GIS-based modelling approach to generate a pre-modern and topographically purged DTM. The case study focuses on the landscape around the Early Medieval Fossa Carolina, a canal constructed by Charlemagne and one of the major medieval engineering projects in Europe. Our aim is to reconstruct the pre-modern relief around the Fossa Carolina for a better understanding and interpretation of the alignment of the Carolingian canal. Our input data are LiDAR-derived DTMs and a comprehensive vector layer of anthropogenic structures that affect the modern relief. We interpolated the residual points with a spline algorithm and smoothed the result with a low pass filter. The purged DTM reflects the pre-modern shape of the landscape. To validate and ground-truth the model, we used the levels of recovered pre-modern soils and surfaces that have been buried by floodplain deposits, colluvial layers, or dam material of the Carolingian canal. We compared pre-modern soil and surface levels with the modelled pre-modern terrain levels and calculated the overall error. The modelled pre-modern surface fits with the levels of the buried soils and surfaces. Furthermore, the pre-modern DTM allows us to model the most favourable course of the canal with minimal earth volume to dig out. This modelled pathway corresponds significantly with the alignment of the Carolingian canal. Our method offers various new opportunities for geoarchaeological terrain analysis, for which an undisturbed high-precision pre-modern surface is crucial.

ACS Style

Johannes Schmidt; Lukas Werther; Christoph Zielhofer. Shaping pre-modern digital terrain models: The former topography at Charlemagne's canal construction site. PLoS ONE 2018, 13, e0200167 .

AMA Style

Johannes Schmidt, Lukas Werther, Christoph Zielhofer. Shaping pre-modern digital terrain models: The former topography at Charlemagne's canal construction site. PLoS ONE. 2018; 13 (7):e0200167.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Johannes Schmidt; Lukas Werther; Christoph Zielhofer. 2018. "Shaping pre-modern digital terrain models: The former topography at Charlemagne's canal construction site." PLoS ONE 13, no. 7: e0200167.

Journal article
Published: 01 July 2018 in Quaternary Science Reviews
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ACS Style

Hans Von Suchodoletz; Andreas Gärtner; Christoph Zielhofer; Dominik Faust. Eemian and post-Eemian fluvial dynamics in the Lesser Caucasus. Quaternary Science Reviews 2018, 191, 189 -203.

AMA Style

Hans Von Suchodoletz, Andreas Gärtner, Christoph Zielhofer, Dominik Faust. Eemian and post-Eemian fluvial dynamics in the Lesser Caucasus. Quaternary Science Reviews. 2018; 191 ():189-203.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Hans Von Suchodoletz; Andreas Gärtner; Christoph Zielhofer; Dominik Faust. 2018. "Eemian and post-Eemian fluvial dynamics in the Lesser Caucasus." Quaternary Science Reviews 191, no. : 189-203.

Journal article
Published: 01 April 2018 in Quaternary International
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In this manuscript we document a multidisciplinary approach in wetland geoarchaeology for detecting artificial structures in a middle European floodplain. By means of a large set of different prospection methods (cadastral analysis, aerial archaeology, LiDAR, SQUID based magnetic prospection, electrical resistivity tomography, seismic refraction tomography, ground penetrating radar) and a subsequent geoarchaeological drilling campaign we provide an overview about the potentials and limits of the applied methods. Our site-specific aims focus on the Fossa Carolina, Charlemagne's shortcut for linking the Rhine-Main and the Altmühl-Danube inland navigation systems during the Early Middle Ages. Our results show that Altmühl meander loops were quasi stable since Carolingian times and that an Altmühl floodplain-crossing trench of at least 650–700 m was required for linking the Altmühl River with the – archaeological known – southernmost position of the existing Carolingian canal. However, our large set of remote sensing and geophysical prospection tools and the corresponding drilling campaign do not show any evidence for the missing Carolingian trench within the Altmühl floodplain. Our results support the idea that the Carolingian canal was never entirely completed although large parts of the canal were almost finished in the northern sections.

ACS Style

André Kirchner; Christoph Zielhofer; Lukas Werther; Michael Schneider; Sven Linzen; Dennis Wilken; Tina Wunderlich; Wolfgang Rabbel; Cornelius Meyer; Johannes Schmidt; Birgit Schneider; Stefanie Berg-Hobohm; Peter Ettel. A multidisciplinary approach in wetland geoarchaeology: Survey of the missing southern canal connection of the Fossa Carolina (SW Germany). Quaternary International 2018, 473, 3 -20.

AMA Style

André Kirchner, Christoph Zielhofer, Lukas Werther, Michael Schneider, Sven Linzen, Dennis Wilken, Tina Wunderlich, Wolfgang Rabbel, Cornelius Meyer, Johannes Schmidt, Birgit Schneider, Stefanie Berg-Hobohm, Peter Ettel. A multidisciplinary approach in wetland geoarchaeology: Survey of the missing southern canal connection of the Fossa Carolina (SW Germany). Quaternary International. 2018; 473 ():3-20.

Chicago/Turabian Style

André Kirchner; Christoph Zielhofer; Lukas Werther; Michael Schneider; Sven Linzen; Dennis Wilken; Tina Wunderlich; Wolfgang Rabbel; Cornelius Meyer; Johannes Schmidt; Birgit Schneider; Stefanie Berg-Hobohm; Peter Ettel. 2018. "A multidisciplinary approach in wetland geoarchaeology: Survey of the missing southern canal connection of the Fossa Carolina (SW Germany)." Quaternary International 473, no. : 3-20.

Journal article
Published: 01 April 2018 in Quaternary International
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The mid-Holocene climate of Northwest Arabia is characterised by a significant increase in aridity which gave rise to changes in water management strategies including sophisticated techniques at later stages. The Rasif site, situated in Northwest Saudi Arabia, reveals a Late Neolithic society with multi-roomed domestic structures (1st phase, 6th millennium BCE, before the current era). At Rasif site the sediments of an endorheic basin (qa) show a minimum in salinity during this 1st phase. The 2nd phase is characterised by a pastoral ‘Chalcolithic’ watering and ‘Chalcolithic’ burial location of the 5th millennium BCE with wells, complex trough systems, and initial, probably coexistent grave structures. During this 2nd phase the qa deposits show already a slight increase in salinity. We have evidence for a sub-surface water-rich sand layer within the qa that was exploited by shallow wells. During the subsequent 3rd phase the number of pastoral ‘Chalcolithic’ D-shaped grave structures within the qa increased, probably co-existing with deepened wells and complex trough systems. At that time the qa is covered by an almost impermeable saline clay layer. The 4th phase is characterised by a culturally yet to identify pastoral post-‘Chalcolithic’ watering location with single small troughs. The final 5th phase represents a culturally unidentified pastoral post-’Chalcolithic’ to sub-recent water harvesting location with complex dam systems, which were probably modified numerous times. The dam systems allowed to flooding the qas for several months, providing (sub-) surface water in the nowadays Northwest Arabian desert.

ACS Style

Christoph Zielhofer; Kai Wellbrock; Amer S. Al-Souliman; Manuel von Grafenstein; Birgit Schneider; Kathryn Fitzsimmons; Andreas Stele; Tobias Lauer; Hans von Suchodoletz; Matthias Grottker; Hans Georg K. Gebel. Climate forcing and shifts in water management on the Northwest Arabian Peninsula (mid-Holocene Rasif wetlands, Saudi Arabia). Quaternary International 2018, 473, 120 -140.

AMA Style

Christoph Zielhofer, Kai Wellbrock, Amer S. Al-Souliman, Manuel von Grafenstein, Birgit Schneider, Kathryn Fitzsimmons, Andreas Stele, Tobias Lauer, Hans von Suchodoletz, Matthias Grottker, Hans Georg K. Gebel. Climate forcing and shifts in water management on the Northwest Arabian Peninsula (mid-Holocene Rasif wetlands, Saudi Arabia). Quaternary International. 2018; 473 ():120-140.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Christoph Zielhofer; Kai Wellbrock; Amer S. Al-Souliman; Manuel von Grafenstein; Birgit Schneider; Kathryn Fitzsimmons; Andreas Stele; Tobias Lauer; Hans von Suchodoletz; Matthias Grottker; Hans Georg K. Gebel. 2018. "Climate forcing and shifts in water management on the Northwest Arabian Peninsula (mid-Holocene Rasif wetlands, Saudi Arabia)." Quaternary International 473, no. : 120-140.

Journal article
Published: 01 April 2018 in Quaternary International
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ACS Style

Christoph Zielhofer; Wolfgang Rabbel; Tina Wunderlich; Andreas Vött; Stefanie Berg. Integrated geophysical and (geo)archaeological explorations in wetlands. Quaternary International 2018, 473, 1 -2.

AMA Style

Christoph Zielhofer, Wolfgang Rabbel, Tina Wunderlich, Andreas Vött, Stefanie Berg. Integrated geophysical and (geo)archaeological explorations in wetlands. Quaternary International. 2018; 473 ():1-2.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Christoph Zielhofer; Wolfgang Rabbel; Tina Wunderlich; Andreas Vött; Stefanie Berg. 2018. "Integrated geophysical and (geo)archaeological explorations in wetlands." Quaternary International 473, no. : 1-2.

Journal article
Published: 01 April 2018 in Quaternary International
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ACS Style

Jörg Hausmann; Christoph Zielhofer; Lukas Werther; Stefanie Berg-Hobohm; Peter Dietrich; Robert Heymann; Ulrike Werban. Direct push sensing in wetland (geo)archaeology: High-resolution reconstruction of buried canal structures ( Fossa Carolina , Germany). Quaternary International 2018, 473, 21 -36.

AMA Style

Jörg Hausmann, Christoph Zielhofer, Lukas Werther, Stefanie Berg-Hobohm, Peter Dietrich, Robert Heymann, Ulrike Werban. Direct push sensing in wetland (geo)archaeology: High-resolution reconstruction of buried canal structures ( Fossa Carolina , Germany). Quaternary International. 2018; 473 ():21-36.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jörg Hausmann; Christoph Zielhofer; Lukas Werther; Stefanie Berg-Hobohm; Peter Dietrich; Robert Heymann; Ulrike Werban. 2018. "Direct push sensing in wetland (geo)archaeology: High-resolution reconstruction of buried canal structures ( Fossa Carolina , Germany)." Quaternary International 473, no. : 21-36.

Journal article
Published: 01 March 2018 in Quaternary International
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ACS Style

Kathryn E. Fitzsimmons; Tobias Sprafke; Christoph Zielhofer; Christina Günter; Jean-Marc Deom; Renato Sala; Radu Iovita. Loess accumulation in the Tian Shan piedmont: Implications for palaeoenvironmental change in arid Central Asia. Quaternary International 2018, 469, 30 -43.

AMA Style

Kathryn E. Fitzsimmons, Tobias Sprafke, Christoph Zielhofer, Christina Günter, Jean-Marc Deom, Renato Sala, Radu Iovita. Loess accumulation in the Tian Shan piedmont: Implications for palaeoenvironmental change in arid Central Asia. Quaternary International. 2018; 469 ():30-43.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Kathryn E. Fitzsimmons; Tobias Sprafke; Christoph Zielhofer; Christina Günter; Jean-Marc Deom; Renato Sala; Radu Iovita. 2018. "Loess accumulation in the Tian Shan piedmont: Implications for palaeoenvironmental change in arid Central Asia." Quaternary International 469, no. : 30-43.

Research article
Published: 14 October 2017 in The Holocene
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In the context of global climate change, flooding becomes an increasingly serious threat to modern societies, and future flooding can only be understood using long-term geological flood records also encompassing Holocene climate variability. Unlike other regions, Holocene flooding in the Caucasus region is only poorly understood so far: Whereas some rivers originating from the Lesser Caucasus were investigated, no studies exist about rivers originating from the Greater Caucasus. This study investigated the Holocene fluvial dynamics of the upper Alazani River in the southern Greater Caucasus using chronostratigraphic and sedimentologic methods applied to a fluvial sediment-paleosol sequence. By comparing these data with other paleoenvironmental and regional recent hydroclimatic data, we aimed to identify the main drivers of Holocene flooding in the southern Greater Caucasus. Our study shows a link between fluvial sedimentation around 7.3, 5.4, 3.8–2.9 and around 1.7 cal. ka BP and North Atlantic Bond events. Although probably caused by a discharge maximum during spring, fluvial sedimentation is coeval with low regional spring precipitation. As supported by recent hydroclimatic data, intensified floods during Bond events could possibly be explained with more intensive precipitation but also a prolonged snow season during colder winters. The latter would lead to more spring meltwater and thus more intensive spring discharge. Consequently, given increasing annual temperatures because of human-caused global warming, the flood maxima of pluvio-nival rivers in the southern Greater Caucasus may be expected to decrease during the next decades. Our findings underline the need of geological flood records to understand future flood patterns of rivers in mountain regions with complex runoff regimes.

ACS Style

Hans Von Suchodoletz; Christoph Zielhofer; Silvan Hoth; Josefine Umlauft; Birgit Schneider; Christian Zeeden; Lasha Sukhishvili; Dominik Faust. North Atlantic influence on Holocene flooding in the southern Greater Caucasus. The Holocene 2017, 28, 609 -620.

AMA Style

Hans Von Suchodoletz, Christoph Zielhofer, Silvan Hoth, Josefine Umlauft, Birgit Schneider, Christian Zeeden, Lasha Sukhishvili, Dominik Faust. North Atlantic influence on Holocene flooding in the southern Greater Caucasus. The Holocene. 2017; 28 (4):609-620.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Hans Von Suchodoletz; Christoph Zielhofer; Silvan Hoth; Josefine Umlauft; Birgit Schneider; Christian Zeeden; Lasha Sukhishvili; Dominik Faust. 2017. "North Atlantic influence on Holocene flooding in the southern Greater Caucasus." The Holocene 28, no. 4: 609-620.

Journal article
Published: 01 September 2017 in Quaternary Science Reviews
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The Sahara is the world's largest dust source with significant impacts on trans-Atlantic terrestrial and large-scale marine ecosystems. Contested views about a gradual or abrupt onset of Saharan aridity at the end of the African Humid Period dominate the current scientific debate about the Holocene Saharan desiccation. In this study, we present a 19.63 m sediment core sequence from Lake Sidi Ali (Middle Atlas, Morocco) at the North African desert margin. We reconstruct the interaction between Saharan dust supply and Western Mediterranean hydro-climatic variability during the last 12,000 yr based on analyses of lithogenic grain-sizes, XRF geochemistry and stable isotopes of ostracod shells. A robust chronological model based on AMS 14C dated pollen concentrates supports our multi-proxy study. At orbital-scale there is an overall increase in southern dust supply from the Early Holocene to the Late Holocene, but our Northern Saharan dust record indicates that a gradual Saharan desiccation was interrupted by multiple abrupt dust increases before the ‘southern dust mode‘ was finally established at 4.7 cal ka BP. The Sidi Ali record features millennial peaks in Saharan dust increase at about 11.1, 10.2, 9.4, 8.2, 7.3, 6.6, 6.0, and 5.0 cal ka BP. Early Holocene Saharan dust peaks coincide with Western Mediterranean winter rain minima and North Atlantic cooling events. In contrast, Late Holocene dust peaks correspond mostly with prevailing positive phases of the North Atlantic Oscillation. By comparing with other North African records, we suggest that increases in Northern Saharan dust supply do not solely indicate sub-regional to regional aridity in Mediterranean Northwest Africa but might reflect aridity at a trans-Saharan scale. In particular, our findings support major bimillennial phases of trans-Saharan aridity at 10.2, 8.2, 6.0 and 4.2 cal ka BP. These phases coincide with North Atlantic cooling and a weak African monsoon.Christoph Zielhofer, Steffen Mischke and William Fletcher as principal investigators thank the German Research Foundation (DFG, ZI 721/9-1), the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF, 01DH17020) and the Natural Environment Research Council (New Investigator Award to W Fletcher, NE/K000608/1, and NERC RCF dating awards, 1765.1013 and 1809.0414) for generous funding of the fieldwork and lab analyses.Peer Reviewe

ACS Style

Christoph Zielhofer; Hans von Suchodoletz; William J. Fletcher; Birgit Schneider; Elisabeth Dietze; Michael Schlegel; Kerstin Schepanski; Bernhard Weninger; Steffen Mischke; Abdeslam Mikdad. Millennial-scale fluctuations in Saharan dust supply across the decline of the African Humid Period. Quaternary Science Reviews 2017, 171, 119 -135.

AMA Style

Christoph Zielhofer, Hans von Suchodoletz, William J. Fletcher, Birgit Schneider, Elisabeth Dietze, Michael Schlegel, Kerstin Schepanski, Bernhard Weninger, Steffen Mischke, Abdeslam Mikdad. Millennial-scale fluctuations in Saharan dust supply across the decline of the African Humid Period. Quaternary Science Reviews. 2017; 171 ():119-135.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Christoph Zielhofer; Hans von Suchodoletz; William J. Fletcher; Birgit Schneider; Elisabeth Dietze; Michael Schlegel; Kerstin Schepanski; Bernhard Weninger; Steffen Mischke; Abdeslam Mikdad. 2017. "Millennial-scale fluctuations in Saharan dust supply across the decline of the African Humid Period." Quaternary Science Reviews 171, no. : 119-135.

Research article
Published: 26 May 2017 in The Holocene
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The reconstruction of Holocene thermokarst landform evolution is important to understand the potential impact of current global climate change on permafrost regions. A multi-proxy approach was applied to analyse the sedimentological and biogeochemical characteristics as well as pollen and lacustrine microfossils of a core profile drilled in a small pingo within a large Central Yakutian thermokarst basin (alas). Age–depth modelling with macrofossil 14C ages reveals high thermokarst deposit sedimentation rates and a complete thermokarst sequence spanning about 900 years during the mid-Holocene between ~6750 and 5870 cal. yr BP. In total, three stages of thermokarst landscape evolution have been identified. Thermokarst processes were initiated at ⩽6750 to 6500 cal. yr BP. Terrestrial conditions changed quickly to lacustrine conditions, and a thermokarst lake rapidly emerged and grew to an estimated size of 120–600 m diameter and 7.5–15 m depth during only ~150 years between ~6500 and 6350 cal. yr BP. The decline of thermokarst processes and lake decrease may have been affected by local hydrological conditions between ~6350 and 5870 cal. yr BP but ceased completely after 5870 cal. yr BP, likely due to climatic changes. Clear evidence for long-lasting and stable lacustrine conditions was not obtained. The study emphasises that short-term warming led to very active permafrost degradation and rapid but locally variable modification of alas and thermokarst evolution.

ACS Style

Mathias Ulrich; Sebastian Wetterich; Natalia Rudaya; Larisa Frolova; Johannes Schmidt; Christine Siegert; Alexander N Fedorov; Christoph Zielhofer. Rapid thermokarst evolution during the mid-Holocene in Central Yakutia, Russia. The Holocene 2017, 27, 1899 -1913.

AMA Style

Mathias Ulrich, Sebastian Wetterich, Natalia Rudaya, Larisa Frolova, Johannes Schmidt, Christine Siegert, Alexander N Fedorov, Christoph Zielhofer. Rapid thermokarst evolution during the mid-Holocene in Central Yakutia, Russia. The Holocene. 2017; 27 (12):1899-1913.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mathias Ulrich; Sebastian Wetterich; Natalia Rudaya; Larisa Frolova; Johannes Schmidt; Christine Siegert; Alexander N Fedorov; Christoph Zielhofer. 2017. "Rapid thermokarst evolution during the mid-Holocene in Central Yakutia, Russia." The Holocene 27, no. 12: 1899-1913.

Journal article
Published: 01 February 2017 in Quaternary Science Reviews
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The limited availability of high-resolution continuous archives, insufficient chronological control, and complex hydro-climatic forcing mechanisms lead to many uncertainties in palaeo-hydrological reconstructions for the Western Mediterranean. In this study we present a newly recovered 19.63 m long core from Lake Sidi Ali in the North African Middle Atlas, a transition zone of Atlantic, Western Mediterranean and Saharan air mass trajectories. With a multi-proxy approach based on magnetic susceptibility, carbonate and total organic C content: core-scanning and quantitative XRF, stable isotopes of ostracod shells, charcoal counts, Cedrus pollen abundance, and a first set of diatom data, we reconstruct Western Mediterranean hydro-climatic variability, seasonality and forcing mechanisms during the last 12,000 yr. A robust chronological model based on AMS C-14 dated pollen concentrates supports our high resolution multi-proxy study. Long-term trends reveal low lake levels at the end of the Younger Dryas, during the mid-Holocene interval 6.6 to 5.4 cal ka BP, and during the last 3000 years. In contrast, lake levels are mostly high during the Early and Mid-Holocene. The record also shows sub-millennial- to centennial-scale decreases in Western Mediterranean winter rain at 11.4, 10.3, 9.2, 8.2, 7.2, 6.6, 6.0, 5.4, 5.0, 4.4, 3.5, 2.9, 2.2, 1.9, 1.7, 1.5, 1.0, 0.7, and 0.2 cal ka BP. Early Holocene winter rain minima are in phase with cooling events and millennial-scale meltwater discharges in the sub-polar North Atlantic. Our proxy parameters do not show so far a clear impact of Saharan air masses on Mediterranean hydro-climate in North Africa. However, a significant hydro-climatic shift at the end of the African Humid Period (-5 ka) indicates a change in climate forcing mechanisms. The Late Holocene climate variability in the Middle Atlas features a multi-centennial-scale NAO-type pattern, with Atlantic cooling and Western Mediterranean winter rain maxima generally associated with solar minima

ACS Style

Christoph Zielhofer; William J. Fletcher; Steffen Mischke; Marc De Batist; Jennifer F.E. Campbell; Sebastien Joannin; Rik Tjallingii; Najib El Hamouti; Annett Junginger; Andreas Stele; Jens Bussmann; Birgit Schneider; Tobias Lauer; Katrin Spitzer; Michael Strupler; Thomas Brachert; Abdeslam Mikdad. Atlantic forcing of Western Mediterranean winter rain minima during the last 12,000 years. Quaternary Science Reviews 2017, 157, 29 -51.

AMA Style

Christoph Zielhofer, William J. Fletcher, Steffen Mischke, Marc De Batist, Jennifer F.E. Campbell, Sebastien Joannin, Rik Tjallingii, Najib El Hamouti, Annett Junginger, Andreas Stele, Jens Bussmann, Birgit Schneider, Tobias Lauer, Katrin Spitzer, Michael Strupler, Thomas Brachert, Abdeslam Mikdad. Atlantic forcing of Western Mediterranean winter rain minima during the last 12,000 years. Quaternary Science Reviews. 2017; 157 ():29-51.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Christoph Zielhofer; William J. Fletcher; Steffen Mischke; Marc De Batist; Jennifer F.E. Campbell; Sebastien Joannin; Rik Tjallingii; Najib El Hamouti; Annett Junginger; Andreas Stele; Jens Bussmann; Birgit Schneider; Tobias Lauer; Katrin Spitzer; Michael Strupler; Thomas Brachert; Abdeslam Mikdad. 2017. "Atlantic forcing of Western Mediterranean winter rain minima during the last 12,000 years." Quaternary Science Reviews 157, no. : 29-51.

Historical article
Published: 24 September 2014 in PLoS ONE
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The Central European Watershed divides the Rhine-Main catchment and the Danube catchment. In the Early Medieval period, when ships were important means of transportation, Charlemagne decided to link both catchments by the construction of a canal connecting the Schwabian Rezat and the Altmühl rivers. The artificial waterway would provide a continuous inland navigation route from the North Sea to the Black Sea. The shortcut is known as Fossa Carolina and represents one of the most important Early Medieval engineering achievements in Europe. Despite the important geostrategic relevance of the construction it is not clarified whether the canal was actually used as a navigation waterway. We present new geophysical data and in situ findings from the trench fills that prove for the first time a total length of the constructed Carolingian canal of at least 2300 metres. We have evidence for a conceptual width of the artificial water course between 5 and 6 metres and a water depth of at least 60 to 80 cm. This allows a crossing way passage of Carolingian cargo scows with a payload of several tons. There is strong evidence for clayey to silty layers in the trench fills which reveal suspension load limited stillwater deposition and, therefore, the evidence of former Carolingian and post-Carolingian ponds. These findings are strongly supported by numerous sapropel layers within the trench fills. Our results presented in this study indicate an extraordinarily advanced construction level of the known course of the canal. Here, the excavated levels of Carolingian trench bottoms were generally sufficient for the efficient construction of stepped ponds and prove a final concept for a summit canal. We have evidence for the artificial Carolingian dislocation of the watershed and assume a sophisticated Early Medieval hydrological engineering concept for supplying the summit of the canal with adequate water.

ACS Style

Christoph Zielhofer; Eva Leitholdt; Lukas Werther; Andreas Stele; Jens Bussmann; Sven Linzen; Michael Schneider; Cornelius Meyer; Stefanie Berg-Hobohm; Peter Ettel. Charlemagne's Summit Canal: An Early Medieval Hydro-Engineering Project for Passing the Central European Watershed. PLoS ONE 2014, 9, e108194 .

AMA Style

Christoph Zielhofer, Eva Leitholdt, Lukas Werther, Andreas Stele, Jens Bussmann, Sven Linzen, Michael Schneider, Cornelius Meyer, Stefanie Berg-Hobohm, Peter Ettel. Charlemagne's Summit Canal: An Early Medieval Hydro-Engineering Project for Passing the Central European Watershed. PLoS ONE. 2014; 9 (9):e108194.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Christoph Zielhofer; Eva Leitholdt; Lukas Werther; Andreas Stele; Jens Bussmann; Sven Linzen; Michael Schneider; Cornelius Meyer; Stefanie Berg-Hobohm; Peter Ettel. 2014. "Charlemagne's Summit Canal: An Early Medieval Hydro-Engineering Project for Passing the Central European Watershed." PLoS ONE 9, no. 9: e108194.

Journal article
Published: 01 February 2014 in Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie, Supplementary Issues
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ACS Style

Eva Leitholdt; Annett Krüger; Christoph Zielhofer. The medieval peat layer of the Fossa Carolina – Evidence for bridging the Central European Watershed or climate control? Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie, Supplementary Issues 2014, 58, 189 -209.

AMA Style

Eva Leitholdt, Annett Krüger, Christoph Zielhofer. The medieval peat layer of the Fossa Carolina – Evidence for bridging the Central European Watershed or climate control? Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie, Supplementary Issues. 2014; 58 (1):189-209.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Eva Leitholdt; Annett Krüger; Christoph Zielhofer. 2014. "The medieval peat layer of the Fossa Carolina – Evidence for bridging the Central European Watershed or climate control?" Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie, Supplementary Issues 58, no. 1: 189-209.

Journal article
Published: 01 February 2014 in Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie, Supplementary Issues
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Christoph Zielhofer; Hans Von Suchodoletz; Tobias Lauer; Jürgen Heinrich. Climatic signals in geomorphological systems: Approaches from aeolian, fluvial, colluvial, periglacial, coastal, and man-made geomorphological systems. Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie, Supplementary Issues 2014, 58, 1 -3.

AMA Style

Christoph Zielhofer, Hans Von Suchodoletz, Tobias Lauer, Jürgen Heinrich. Climatic signals in geomorphological systems: Approaches from aeolian, fluvial, colluvial, periglacial, coastal, and man-made geomorphological systems. Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie, Supplementary Issues. 2014; 58 (1):1-3.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Christoph Zielhofer; Hans Von Suchodoletz; Tobias Lauer; Jürgen Heinrich. 2014. "Climatic signals in geomorphological systems: Approaches from aeolian, fluvial, colluvial, periglacial, coastal, and man-made geomorphological systems." Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie, Supplementary Issues 58, no. 1: 1-3.

Journal article
Published: 01 February 2014 in Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie, Supplementary Issues
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ACS Style

Tobias Lauer; Hans Von Suchodoletz; Heiko Vollmann; Sascha Meszner; Manfred Frechen; Christian Tinapp; Lisa Goldmann; Susann Müller; Christoph Zielhofer. Landscape aridification in Central Germany during the late Weichselian Pleniglacial – results from the Zauschwitz loess site in western Saxony. Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie, Supplementary Issues 2014, 58, 27 -50.

AMA Style

Tobias Lauer, Hans Von Suchodoletz, Heiko Vollmann, Sascha Meszner, Manfred Frechen, Christian Tinapp, Lisa Goldmann, Susann Müller, Christoph Zielhofer. Landscape aridification in Central Germany during the late Weichselian Pleniglacial – results from the Zauschwitz loess site in western Saxony. Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie, Supplementary Issues. 2014; 58 (1):27-50.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Tobias Lauer; Hans Von Suchodoletz; Heiko Vollmann; Sascha Meszner; Manfred Frechen; Christian Tinapp; Lisa Goldmann; Susann Müller; Christoph Zielhofer. 2014. "Landscape aridification in Central Germany during the late Weichselian Pleniglacial – results from the Zauschwitz loess site in western Saxony." Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie, Supplementary Issues 58, no. 1: 27-50.