Articles | Volume 14, issue 5
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-14-763-2026
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-14-763-2026
Research article
 | 
05 Oct 2026
Research article |  | 05 Oct 2026

Long-term peat thickness from cosmogenic 26Al and 10Be, Hautes Fagnes, Belgian Ardennes

Angus Moore, Maud Henrion, Yanfei Li, Eléonore du Bois d'Aische, Philip Gautschi, Marcus Christl, François Jonard, Sébastien Lambot, Kristof Van Oost, Sophie Opfergelt, and Veerle Vanacker

Data sets

Geochemistry data from the Hautes Fagnes, Belgian Ardennes (Version 1.3) Angus Moore https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21630161

Model code and software

Geochemistry data from the Hautes Fagnes, Belgian Ardennes (Version 1.3) Angus Moore https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21630161

Download
Short summary
Studying peatland dynamics over long timescales requires a proxy for past peat cover. In this paper, we explore using cosmogenic nuclides to infer peat thicknesses averaged over 100 kyr timescales. We find that long-term peat thicknesses inferred from cosmogenic nuclides at an upland peatland site in the Belgian Ardennes are consistent with independent constraints, but exceed modern peat thicknesses. We attribute this discrepancy to peat degradation associated with historical land use.
Share