Geomorphodynamics and Human Impact in Eastern Mediterranean Landscapes
Summary
Eastern Mediterranean landforms have evolved through a complex interplay of tectonic uplift, climate variability and successive waves of human activity. During the Late Quaternary, fluctuations in precipitation and temperature drove alternating phases of soil erosion and sediment accumulation, leaving a stratified record in alluvial fans, floodplains and colluvial slopes. From the onset of Neolithic sedentism to the expansion of Classical and Roman polities, landscape engineering—such as terraces, embankments and riverbank stabilisation—has both mitigated and exacerbated natural geomorphic processes. Modern analytical advances, including remote‐sensing terrain analysis, sediment provenance studies and high‐precision radiocarbon chronologies, have refined our understanding of rates and patterns of landform change. Integrating archaeological, palaeoenvironmental and geophysical data enhances our ability to forecast soil degradation, manage water resources and safeguard cultural heritage in the face of ongoing climatic and demographic pressures.
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Geomorphodynamics and Human Impact in Eastern Mediterranean Landscapes publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in geomorphodynamics and human impact in eastern mediterranean landscapes across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Geomorphodynamics: The study of processes driving landform change over time.
Alluvial fan: A cone‐shaped sediment accumulation formed where flowing water spreads onto a plain.
Colluvial deposits: Unsorted sediments moved and deposited by gravity on slopes.
Radiocarbon dating: A method for determining the age of organic materials using the decay of carbon‐14.
Sediment cascade: Sequential transfer of sediment through distinct landscape compartments.
Holocene: The current geological epoch, beginning approximately 11,700 years ago.
References
- Sediment cascades and the entangled relationship between human impact and natural dynamics at the pre‐pottery Neolithic site of Göbekli Tepe, Anatolia. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms (2020).
- Meta-Analysis of Geomorphodynamics in the Western Lower Bakırçay Plain (Aegean Region, Turkey). Land (2020).
- Holocene geomorphodynamics of a rural catchment in the Pergamon micro-region (eastern Mediterranean). The Holocene (2023).
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