The marshy, silted-up channel of the Late Glacial Bergstraßenneckar near Mannheim provided a rare source of clay in the sand- and gravel-dominated environment of the Rhine river. Based on satellite images, sedimentological, geophysical, and historical data, as well as optical dating, we identify a plot of sand-filled trenches where clay was mined around 1865 CE, which was only possible after groundwater lowering resulting from large-scale river regulation starting in the early 19^th century.

This study presents cosmogenic ¹⁰Be-derived denudation rates from the Roda Catchment, central Germany. Denudation rates in Europe are generally higher than in other regions globally, indicating the influence of periglacial dynamics on denudation. Short-term erosion rates are lower than long-term denudation rates, despite intensive recent human activity. Differences between local and catchment-wide denudation imply a relief change of 0–28 mm kyr^‒1 in the Roda Catchment over the past 10 ka.

The historical Lake Lorsch in the Upper Rhine Graben (Germany) is a good example of how humans have changed the fluvial and hydrological systems in the area for at least 500 years. Interdisciplinary research from geomorphology and historical sciences have reconstructed the history based on old maps, digital elevation models and drillings. The results show a sophisticated system of artificial in- and outflows, which partly still exist today, and represent long-term changes in the Weschnitz floodplain.

A multi-temporal study investigates river morphology, connectivity, and floodplain land use in the Mulde River system, focusing on the local extinction of Atlantic salmon. The study uses old maps to identify historical barriers and floodplain land use as a proxy for pollution. First results show a negative relationship between increasing barriers counts, intensive floodplain land use, and salmon populations. Sinuous and meandering channel patterns correspond to higher salmon presence.

This study shows how the Elster–Pleiße floodplain near Leipzig changed from a dynamic, anabranching river system to a mostly fixed river system. Using old maps and modern airborne surface structure mapping, researchers found that human activities like canals, mills, flood control, and sediment accumulation over time caused rivers to straighten and lose mobility. Understanding and quantifying these past changes can help guide future river restoration and flood management.

We estimated the thickness, spatial distribution, and volumes of alluvial valley fills in the southwestern Black Forest utilizing an extensive borehole database to compile local valley cross sections and model sediment depth above bedrock. Our results reveal considerable spatial heterogeneity and underscore the importance of tectonic boundary conditions on the valley infill in addition to further geologic, hydrologic, and climatologic conditions and processes interacting with fluvial dynamics.

Data from a geologically diverse river catchment in Spain show that certain types of rock provide minerals that are commonly used in the field of geoscience. Other lithologies present in the area do not contribute to the signal. This bias must be accounted for in all studies attempting to provide hinterland information by sampling river sediments. Then, a surprisingly high number of heavy particles of anthropogenic origin were found. These are not yet well represented in environmental studies.

Alpine peatlands aged 10 000 years old were cored in the Swiss Fimba Valley to investigate their development and past environmental conditions. Sediment layers embedded in the peat show periods of glacier growth, which suppressed peat growth. Human impacts like pastoralism and deforestation began shaping the landscape from the Bronze Age onwards into what it is today. The impacts and potential effects on carbon accumulation and flood mitigation in the valley should be considered in land management practice.

It is unclear since when and how meso-scale central European river systems have been dominated by human instead of natural influences. Here, the floodplain sediments of the Kinzig River, southwestern Germany, were studied as they recorded natural and human landscape changes. Sediment deposition phases were found, the modern phase of which coincides with increased deposition and heavy metal contaminations that correlate with mining records, indicating that the river system has shifted intensely over 1000 years.

The Drakensberg and Lesotho highlands serve as essential water sources. Uncertainty remains regarding the impact of rising global temperatures, prompting paleoclimatic reconstructions. However, the Last Glacial Maximum's paleoclimate conditions remain debated. Re-examination of a landscape feature challenges prior glacier associations. Our findings suggest no glacial link. Reassessing similar landforms in Lesotho's high-altitude areas is necessary for the LGM's paleoclimate implications.