Articles | Volume 14, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-14-443-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-14-443-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
10 Jun 2026
Research article |
| 10 Jun 2026
| 10 Jun 2026
From XRD signal to erosion rate maps
Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics, Faculty of Geosciences and Environment, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
Frédéric Herman
Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics, Faculty of Geosciences and Environment, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
Bruno Belotti
Department of Earth and Spatial Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, 83844 USA
Thierry Adatte
Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics, Faculty of Geosciences and Environment, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Earth Surf. Dynam., 14, 361–389, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-14-361-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-14-361-2026, 2026
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This study reconstructs for the first time the transport-pathways of sediments by glaciers during the last glaciation of the European Alps, 24000 years ago. This helps us understand how the European Alps were shaped by past glaciations and helps us better constrain the mechanisms of iceflow, glacier erosion and the movement of large sediment masses by ice. This breakthrough is achieved by coupling a smart particle-tracking algorithm to a machine-learning-enhanced glacier evolution model.
Georgina E. King, Lily Bossin, Maxime Bernard, Melanie Kranz-Bartz, Xiaoxia Wen, Christoph Schmidt, Benny Guralnik, Frédéric Herman, Manabu Ogata, and Shigeru Sueoka
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Electron spin resonance (ESR) thermochronometry can be used to determine rock temperature changes, which occur as rocks move towards Earth's surface in response to uplift and surface erosion. We use samples from a known-temperature borehole to validate the method, by constraining the thermal sensitivity of quartz ESR signals in the laboratory. Whilst we are able to recover temperature successfully with the Al-centre signals, the Ti-centre signals overestimate the borehole temperature.
Rocio Jaimes-Gutierrez, Marine Prieur, David J. Wilson, Philip A. E. Pogge von Strandmann, Emmanuelle Pucéat, Thierry Adatte, Jorge E. Spangenberg, and Sébastien Castelltort
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How do semi-arid landscapes respond to rapid global warming? During the Palaeocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum – an extreme warming event 56 Ma ago – global lithium isotope records show a negative δ7Li excursion, suggesting an increase in weathering fluxes. In the Southern Pyrenees, we find the opposite behaviour: clay δ7Li values became ~1‰ heavier, indicating enhanced clay formation. These results suggest that regional hydroclimatic conditions can decouple regional signals from global averages.
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Clim. Past, 22, 227–246, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-22-227-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-22-227-2026, 2026
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Chloé Bouscary, Georgina E. King, Melanie Kranz-Bartz, Maxime Bernard, Rabiul H. Biswas, Lily Bossin, Arnaud Duverger, Benny Guralnik, Frédéric Herman, Ugo Nanni, Nadja Stalder, Pierre G. Valla, Vjeran Visnjevic, and Xiaoxia Wen
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Cécile Charles, Nora Khelidj, Lucia Mottet, Bao Ngan Tu, Thierry Adatte, Brahimsamba Bomou, Micaela Faria, Laetitia Monbaron, Olivier Reubi, Natasha de Vere, Stéphanie Grand, and Gianalberto Losapio
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We found that novel ecosystems created by glacier retreat are first characterized by an increase in plant diversity that is driven by a shift in soil texture. Plant diversity in turn increases soil organic matter and nutrient. Soils gradually acidifies and leads to a final stage where a dominance of few plant species reduces plant diversity. Understanding plant–soil interactions is crucial to anticipate how glacier retreat shapes biodiversity and landscapes.
Morgan T. Jones, Ella W. Stokke, Alan D. Rooney, Joost Frieling, Philip A. E. Pogge von Strandmann, David J. Wilson, Henrik H. Svensen, Sverre Planke, Thierry Adatte, Nicolas Thibault, Madeleine L. Vickers, Tamsin A. Mather, Christian Tegner, Valentin Zuchuat, and Bo P. Schultz
Clim. Past, 19, 1623–1652, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-19-1623-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-19-1623-2023, 2023
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Ian Delaney, Leif Anderson, and Frédéric Herman
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 663–680, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-663-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-663-2023, 2023
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This paper presents a two-dimensional subglacial sediment transport model that evolves a sediment layer in response to subglacial sediment transport conditions. The model captures sediment transport in supply- and transport-limited regimes across a glacier's bed and considers both the creation and transport of sediment. Model outputs show how the spatial distribution of sediment and water below a glacier can impact the glacier's discharge of sediment and erosion of bedrock.
Ugo Nanni, Dirk Scherler, Francois Ayoub, Romain Millan, Frederic Herman, and Jean-Philippe Avouac
The Cryosphere, 17, 1567–1583, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1567-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1567-2023, 2023
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Sabí Peris Cabré, Luis Valero, Jorge E. Spangenberg, Andreu Vinyoles, Jean Verité, Thierry Adatte, Maxime Tremblin, Stephen Watkins, Nikhil Sharma, Miguel Garcés, Cai Puigdefàbregas, and Sébastien Castelltort
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Joanne Elkadi, Benjamin Lehmann, Georgina E. King, Olivia Steinemann, Susan Ivy-Ochs, Marcus Christl, and Frédéric Herman
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The cooling climate of the last few million years leading into the ice ages has been linked to increasing erosion rates by glaciers. One of the ways to measure this is through mineral cooling ages. In this paper, we investigate potential bias in these data and the methods used to analyse them. We find that the data are not themselves biased but that appropriate methods must be used. Past studies have used appropriate methods and are sound in methodology.
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Short summary
Sediments carried by rivers can damage infrastructure, affect ecosystems, and alter landscapes, yet it is often unclear where these sediments come from, especially in regions hidden beneath ice. We developed a simple way to trace their origins by shining X-rays on crushed rocks and sediments. The resulting X-ray signals act like fingerprints that can be matched to source rocks, revealing where sediments come from and allowing us to map erosion across landscapes.
Sediments carried by rivers can damage infrastructure, affect ecosystems, and alter landscapes,...
