Large blocky landslide deposits are widespread in Alpine valleys of northern Italy, yet their timing, emplacement history, and geomorphic significance remain debated. In the Tovel Valley (Brenta Dolomites, Italy), extensive blocky accumulations have been variously attributed to deglaciation or to younger slope-failure events, with important implications for valley evolution and hazard assessment. This study aims to determine the timing, sequence, and emplacement relationships of the main deposits, evaluate their role in valley damming and the evolution of Lake Tovel, and assess long-term drivers and short-term triggers within a regional Alpine context.We combine detailed geomorphological mapping with analysis of LiDAR-derived topography and orthophotos, supported by cosmogenic 36Cl exposure dating of boulders from six deposits. Exposure ages indicate Holocene emplacement and suggest two broad periods of landslide activity. The older phase is represented by a principal Mid-Holocene age population centred at 5.21 ± 0.16 ka, together with overlapping chronological constraints from other deposits, whereas younger exposure ages fall between ~1.0 and ~0.6 ka. Integration of exposure ages with superposition relationships, morphology, lithology, and inferred source areas allows reconstruction of a relative landslide sequence involving repeated independent failures from both valley flanks.The distribution and volumes of the deposits suggest that several events were capable of partially or fully damming the valley, consistent with a multi-phase history including lake formation, drainage reorganization, and renewed damming at Lake Tovel. The landslides reflect persistent long-term predisposing factors, including carbonate lithology affected by karst dissolution, inherited structural anisotropies, and glacial and paraglacial modification, while temporal clustering suggests episodic short-term triggering during periods of heightened susceptibility. Seismic shaking is considered the most plausible regional-scale trigger for the younger cluster, whereas trigger attribution for older events remains uncertain. Overall, the Tovel Valley provides an illustrative case study of Holocene large landslides in an Alpine carbonate setting, highlighting the value of integrating geomorphic analysis with cosmogenic dating to resolve landslide sequences and valley evolution.

Glacial records worldwide increasingly indicate that mountain glaciers and parts of continental ice sheets reached their maximum extents asynchronously throughout the Late Pleistocene, often before the global Last Glacial Maximum (LGM; 26-19 ka) during Marine Isotope Stage 2 (MIS 2). Local glacial maxima throughout MIS 4 and MIS 3 are usually attributed to regional paleoclimate dynamics. The role of topography in controlling pre-LGM ice culminations remains less explored, despite its recognized influence on glacier dynamics. To address this gap, we applied a combined geochronological and numerical modeling approach to two paleoglaciers of the western European Alps: the Dora Baltea (DB) and Ticino-Toce (TT) glaciers. Our dating results show that the DB and TT glaciers reached their maximum extents asynchronously, during MIS 3 and MIS 2, respectively. Because the DB and TT glaciers occupied neighboring catchments, their millennial-scale asynchrony in Late Pleistocene dynamics is unlikely to reflect climatic differences, but more probably derives from topographic controls. Our modeling shows that the higher hypsometry, steeper relief, and shorter valley length of the DB catchment lowered the climate-forcing threshold for extensive ice advance, allowing the DB glacier to build its piedmont lobe under moderate MIS 3 cooling, unlike the TT glacier. Moreover, preexisting prominent moraines likely limited the MIS 2 DB glacier advance. Our results highlight the key role of topography in driving asynchronous ice maxima and call for caution when using ice-marginal moraines and related glacial reconstructions as paleoclimate proxies.

This study presents a multidisciplinary analysis of the Pleistocene sedimentary sequence from the Grotta Maggiore di San Bernardino, located in the Berici Hills, a subalpine region of north-eastern Italy. A combination of sedimentology, micromorphology, mineralogy, and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating is used to reconstruct depositional processes and palaeo-environmental conditions for the site. Stratigraphic and micromorphological analyses reveal that the sequence reflects an interplay of geogenic and anthropogenic processes, with frost action, solifluction, and aeolian inputs alternating with accumulations of hearths, bones, and lithic debris. The sedimentary environmental proxies, integrated with biological data from a molluscan assemblage, point to alternating moist and more arid episodes, consistent with wider climatic fluctuations. The single-grain OSL ages presented here provide an improved radiometric framework for these deposits, indicating that accumulation of Units VII–IV spanned the interval from Marine isotope Stage (MIS) 8 through MIS 7 and into MIS 6. The chronology is consistent with palaeo-environmental evidence for alternating cold and interglacial conditions recorded within the sequence. These new dating results complement and expand upon minimum age estimates obtained previously using electron spin resonance and uranium series (ESR-US) dating, as well as non-finite radiocarbon ages published for the top of the sequence (Unit II – deposited sometime prior to early MIS 3). The updated chronological framework not only refines the temporal context of the archaeological and palaeontological assemblages but also anchors local sedimentation patterns to regional paleoclimatic oscillations. Overall, the results suggest that the San Bernardino deposits preserve a complex interplay of natural sedimentation from slope and aeolian processes, karstic inputs, and anthropogenic activity, offering critical insights into both site formation processes and human presence during the Middle Pleistocene.

Sediment (dis)connectivity is a fundamental concept for the understanding of landscape evolution and sediment fluxes, yet its long-term variability across contrasting climatic and glacial conditions remains poorly constrained. In particular, glaciers are commonly treated as purely erosional agents, while their role in structuring sediment pathways and storage through time is still underexplored.In this study, we investigate the evolution of sediment connectivity during key phases of Late Quaternary landscape development, from the pre-Last Glacial Maximum (>30 ka), the Late Late Glacial (~14.7–11.7 ka), to the present. The Terragnolo Valley, an Alpine catchment in the southeastern European Alps, provides an ideal natural laboratory, having been repeatedly shaped by glaciations involving both a local glaciares and the Adige trunk glacier (>1000 m thick), resulting in an exceptional abundance of glacial and proglacial deposits.We adopt a methodological framework that explicitly considers glaciers and associated sedimentary bodies as dynamic controls on sediment (dis)connectivity within a watershed. High-resolution palaeotopographies (2 m DTMs) are reconstructed for each target time slice by integrating detailed geomorphological mapping, stratigraphic constraints, and terrain modelling techniques. Sediment connectivity is quantified using the Index of Connectivity (IC; Borselli et al., 2008; Cavalli et al., 2013), accounting for time-dependent forcing factors such as ice extent and evolving topographic configuration.The IC-based analysis is complemented by field-based geomorphological observations, with particular attention to the identification of buffers and barriers following the conceptual framework of Fryirs et al. (2007). With this approach, we aim to reconstruct past sediment pathways and to explore how glacial dynamics promoted sediment storage, fragmentation of connectivity, or, conversely, efficient sediment transfer. Connectivity under modern conditions is computed using the SedInConnect software (Crema and Cavalli, 2018while specific topographic reconstruction enable its application to palaeolandscapes.Our results aim to elucidate how glacier-driven landscape reorganization controlled sediment distribution and led to the development of disproportionate sediment accumulations in specific sectors of the catchment. By reconstructing sediment connectivity through multiple glacial–interglacial transitions, this study provides new insights into the long-term controls on sediment fluxes in Alpine environments and offers a framework for contextualizing present-day sediment dynamics within their Quaternary context.

During the Last Glacial Maximum the Valsugana sector in the south-eastern European Alps was characterized by an extensive glacier network that included the large valley glacier belonging to the Adige glacier, through the transfluence in the Fersina area, and major tributaries from the Calamento and Cavè valleys. The glacier surface reached up to 1400 m a.s.l. in the western sector of the study area with a downstream gentle slope to the east. At Borgo Valsugana, the trunk glacier merged with several tributaries and flowed also towards the Tesino plateau to the east, where it merged with the tributary valley glacier. In the Tesino area, the glaciers flowed mainly to the south towards the major trunk glacier. This flowed downstream until Primolano, where the narrow reach of Canal del Brenta dammed its flow. The gorge promoted the bulging of the glacier front and its split into two lobes: the first to the south formed the lateral moraines of Enego and Col del Gallo ending with a seracs cascade; the second lobe to the east merged with the Cismon-Piave glacier. This latter was a major ice-field originated in the central Dolomites and reached its western frontal position above the Corlo gorge (Rossato et al., 2018). In this articulate network several nunataks remained ice-free; here, lateral moraines with erratic boulders mark the elevation of the trimline. At Mt. Lefre, three boulders were dated to the LGM with exposure dating method (10Be). These are the first exposure ages for an LGM glacier in the south-eastern Alps and can be compared to radiocarbon chronologies from other glaciated valleysIn the study area also independent glaciers (Mt. Agaro, Mt. Coppolo, Mt. Cavallara) developed. In the Prealps the large Altopiano dei Sette Comuni plateau glacier had a calculated Equilibrium Line Altitude (ELA) of 1680 m a.s.l. (Rettig et al., 2023), while the Monte Grappa ice cap had a calculated ELA of 1450 m a.s.l. (Baratto et al., 2003; Rettig et al., 2023). The ELA estimates allow insights into the climatic conditions under which the LGM glaciers in the Valsugana evolved. ReferencesBaratto A., Ferrarese F., Meneghel M., Sauro U. 2003. La ricostruzione della glaciazione Wurmiana nel Gruppo del Monte Grappa (Prealpi Venete). In: Biancotti, A., Motta, M. (Eds.), Risposta dei processi geomorfologici alle variazioni ambientali. Brigati G., Genova, pp. 67–77.Rettig L., Monegato G., Spagnolo M., Hajdas I., Mozzi P. 2023. The Equilibrium Line Altitude of isolated glaciers during the Last Glacial Maximum – New insights from the geomorphological record of the Monte Cavallo Group (south-eastern European Alps). CATENA, 107187.Rossato S., Carraro A., Monegato G., Mozzi P., Tateo F. 2018. Glacial dynamics in pre-Alpine narrow valleys during the Last Glacial Maximum inferred by lowland fluvial records (northeast Italy). Earth Surface Dynamics, 6, 809-828.

Geochronological constraints from glacial sedimentary deposits and landforms worldwide indicate that ice maxima occurred asynchronously throughout the Late Pleistocene1, often before the global Last Glacial Maximum2 (LGM; Marine Isotope Stage, MIS 2). Within the European Alps, the work of Gribenski et al. (2021)3 recently shed light on such pre-LGM (MIS 4 and late MIS 3) ‘local’ ice maxima in the western Alps, pre-dating the ice culmination in the central northern and southern Alps4, 5. This asynchrony is interpreted to result from changes in the atmospheric circulation pattern over the North Atlantic3. However, more data are needed to further corroborate this hypothesis and increase our understanding of the paleoglacial and paleoclimate dynamics of the western Alps. The Ivrea Morainic Amphitheatre (IMA; western Italian Alps) is a promising site to investigate the potential asynchrony of Late Pleistocene glaciations. This extensive end-moraine complex was built by the cyclic Quaternary expansions of the Dora Baltea glacier in the southern Alpine foreland. However, the available geochronological data6, 7 are too limited to quantitatively attribute each sub-system of moraines to different glacial advances. The present work aims to provide new chronological constraints to the innermost glaciogenic succession of the IMA. To this aim, luminescence dating is applied on proglacial glaciolacustrine and glaciofluvial deposits associated to different stages of ice advance. The obtained chronology (ca. 30 samples) provides new insights into the Late Pleistocene glacial history of one of the largest morainic amphitheatre in the European Alps, contributing to the ongoing discussion on asynchronous paleoglacial dynamics during this period. References [1] Doughty et al., 2021, Quaternary Science Reviews 261. [2] Hughes et al., 2013, Earth-Science Reviews 125. [3] Gribenski et al., 2021, Geology 49. [4] Monegato et al., 2017, Scientific Reports 7. [5] Kamleitner et al., 2023, Geomorphology 423. [6] Gianotti et al., 2008, Quaternary International 190. [7] Gianotti et al., 2015, Alpine and Mediterranean Quaternary 36.

Improved records of precipitation and temperature are crucial to understand the evolution of Alpine glaciers during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Palaeoclimate models and proxy data have suggested an increased moisture supply to the southern face of the Alps during the LGM, following a south-ward shift of the North-Atlantic jet stream. Ground control for such models, however, has been lacking for many sectors of the Alps, and regional climatic gradients have therefore remained poorly constrained. Here, we present new insights into the LGM palaeoclimate in the southern Alps, using the Equilibrium Line Altitudes (ELAs) of marginal glaciers as proxy. Marginal glaciers include ice caps, cirque, and valley glaciers that throughout the LGM remained isolated from larger outlet lobes connected to the Alpine ice network. Several sites of marginal glaciation were investigated through a combination of geomorphological mapping, surface exposure dating (both 10Be and 36Cl dating), and numerical reconstructions of palaeoglacier geometries and ELAs. The chronological data indicate that marginal glaciers across the southern Alps reached their maximum extent by ca. 24 ka and that an important readvance occurred at 19 ka, at the end of the LGM. Reconstructed palaeoglacier ELAs show considerable variations, from ca. 1100 m a.s.l. in the Julian and Carnic Prealps (SE-Alps) up to almost 2000 m a.s.l. in the Maritime Alps (SW-Alps). Minor differences between the sites can be attributed to topoclimatic factors (i.e., received solar radiation related to catchment aspect). Spatial trends in ELA, however, primarily reflect regional climatic gradients. More specifically, we recognised: (1) a N-S gradient related to increasing summer temperatures with lower latitudes, and (2) a strong E-W gradient driven by precipitation. For all sites, our data indicate little to no reduction in LGM precipitation compared to the present day, highlighting the importance of substantial precipitation for the build-up of marginal LGM glaciers in the southern Alps.

Pleistocene Glaciations and their effects on Alpine topography have drawn scientific attention since well before the days of Penck and Brückner (1909), although this indomitable pair left a strong legacy to build upon. The onset of large-scale glaciations in the Alps relative to the growth of the other great Northern Hemisphere ice sheets remains a first-order question in the Quaternary sciences. Previous chronologies from the southern Alpine Foreland based on magnetostratigraphy (Muttoni et al. 2003) and from the northern Alpine Foreland based on 10Be-26Al burial dating (Knudsen et al. 2020) converge around 1.0–0.9 Ma, during the Middle Pleistocene Transition (~1.2–0.8 Ma).Extensive moraine complexes in the southern Alpine Foreland, such as those at Ivrea, offer a valuable opportunity to determine when glaciers advanced beyond the Alpine rangefront for the first time. The Ivrea Morainic Amphitheatre comprises interbedded glacial tills at the outlet of the Aosta Valley in NW Italy (Gianotti et al. 2015). The oldest tills have been attributed by previous workers to a stage before the Matuyama-Brunhes magnetic polarity reversal (~ 0.8 Ma).We apply 10Be-26Al burial dating to the oldest glacigenic deposits at Ivrea, utilizing the Monte Carlo-based inversion model, P-PINI (Particle-Pathway Inversion of Nuclide Inventories). Our preliminary results indicate that the first major glacial advance occurred ~ 1.3–1.1 Ma. We combine these analyses with detrital thermochronology measurements on pebbles collected from preglacial sediments at Ivrea. These pebbles indicate provenance from the Austroalpine Massifs and an absence of the External Massifs (Mont Blanc granites)-in contrast to the present-day Aosta Valley sediments, which show the cooling signature of the Mont Blanc granites. We reflect on the coincident timing of the exhumation of the External Massifs and the earliest large-scale Alpine glaciations at the onset of the Middle Pleistocene Transition.

In the Valsugana area (Southern Italian Alps) a NE-SW trending pre-permian Southalpine phyllitic basement is intruded by an Early to Middle Permian granitoids (Cima d’Asta,190 km2) and includes volcanic calderas of the Athesian Volcanic Group (125 km2) of the same age, and is locally covered by Upper Permian to Miocene sedimentary sequences. A complex system of faults juxtaposes these different geological domains. In particular, the Permian tectonic structures have been repeatedly reactivated during Mesozoic and Tertiary. The phyllitic basement, which suffered Variscan metamorphism and deformation, and the granitoids were dismembered by NNW-SSW and N-S tectono-magmatic faults associated with the opening of permian calderas. The main tectonic system of this area is the ENE-WSW oriented Valsugana fault system of Middle-Late Miocene age (Heberer et al., 2017 ). The master fault separates the metamorphic basement from the sedimentary sequences (e.g., M. Armentera, M. Civerone and M. Lefre). At the footwall of the master fault, other faults deformed in a compressive to transpressive regime the sedimentary sequences. Some of these are extensional faults were reactivated many times from Triassic to Lower Jurassic. The Valsugana fault system ends against the Permian to Mesozoic Calisio fault to the SW, while it continues to the NE towards Brocon and Cereda Passes (Gianolla et al. 2022). The Valsugana fault system is cut across by the Val di Sella fault of Late Miocene-Pliocene age, oriented c.a. E-W which deformed the northern walls of the Asiago Plateau (Barbieri & Grandesso, 2007), transporting slices of metamorphic basement and Permo-Mesozoic sequences to the north, over the Middle Miocene sandstones and marls of Valsugana. The most recent tectonic system consists of a set of NNW-SSE to N-S faults which cut across the ENE-WSW Valsugana and E-W Val di Sella fault systems. The N-S Grigno-Tolvà fault cuts across the Cima d’Asta magmatic complex from Val Vanoi to the north to Asiago Plateau to the south over XX km, and dislocates the Belluno and Val di Sella thrust faults at the footwall of the Valsugana fault system. All these faults are still seismically active.Barbieri G. & Grandesso P. (2007) - Note Illustrative della Carta Geologica d'Italia alla scala 1:50.000, F. 082, Asiago.Heberer B., Reverman R.L., Fellin M.G., Neubauer F., Dunkl I., Zattin M., Seward D., Genser J. & Brack P. (2017) - Postcollisional cooling history of the Eastern and Southern Alps and its linkage to Adria indentation. International Journal of Earth Sciences (Geologische Rundschau), 106:1557–1580.Gianolla G., Caggiati M. & Riva A. (2022) - Note Illustrative della Carta Geologica d'Italia alla scala 1:50.000, F. 046, Longarone.

Since the 19th century, various authors have assigned the glacial landforms in the lower valleys of northern Italy to different ice ages (Penck and Brückner 1909). This study was part of a project that involved a broad geomorphological analysis and the first-time absolute in-situ exposure dating of erratic boulders using 10Be and 36Cl (Braakhekke et al. 2020). In addition to the cosmogenic analysis, seven radiocarbon samples were taken from a fluvial terrace outcropping 6 meters high along the Ticino River. Where possible, the samples were sieved to separate a bulk fraction (

We present new chronological and palaeoclimatological constraints on the evolution of the Valsugana glacier network (south-eastern European Alps) during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). The detection of ice-marginal sediments and landforms, related to the geological mapping of the area at 1 : 50 000 scale (CARG project, sheet 061 "Borgo Valsugana"), enabled a detailed reconstruction of past glaciers at their maximum extent. Chronological control on the geomorphological evidence is obtained using 10Be surface exposure dating of erratic boulders from lateral moraine ridges at Monte Lefre, a nunatak within the LGM ice network. The exposure ages cluster between 20 and 19 ka, demonstrating that lateral moraines were formed at the very end of the LGM and that ice surface lowering in the area did not start prior to ca. 19 ka. Isolated from the Valsugana glacier network, several smaller ice masses developed. The reconstruction of four of these isolated glaciers and their equilibrium line altitudes (ELAs) allows us to better understand the climatic conditions that controlled glacier evolution during the LGM: glacier ELAs were lowest in the Venetian Prealps (ca. 1300-1500 m a.s.l.) and were gradually rising towards the more internal mountain chains (ca. 1500-1700 m a.s.l.). This ELA gradient suggests that precipitation sourced from the Mediterranean Sea was highest in the vicinity of the Alpine fringe, with successive moisture starvation towards the north. The detailed glacier reconstructions, the chronological data, and the palaeoclimatological insights may serve as ground control for future modelling efforts of large and interconnected palaeoglacier networks. Wir pr & auml;sentieren neue geochronologische und pal & auml;oklimatische Daten zur Entwicklung des glazialen Eisstromnetzes im Valsugana (s & uuml;d & ouml;stliche Europ & auml;ische Alpen) w & auml;hrend des Letzteiszeitlichen Maximums (LGM). Die Kartierung glazialer Sedimente und Landschaftsformen im Zuge der Erstellung der regionalen geologischen Grundlagenkarte (CARG-Projekt, Blatt 061 "Borgo Valsugana"), erm & ouml;glichte eine detaillierte Rekonstruktion der Gletscher zum Zeitpunkt ihrer gr & ouml;ss ten Ausdehnung. Die chronologische Einordnung wurde mithilfe der 10Be-Oberfl & auml;chenexpositionsdatierung von erratischen Bl & ouml;cken auf Seitenmor & auml;nen am Monte Lefre, einem Nunatak im Eisstromnetz, vorgenommen. Die Expositionsalter fallen gr & ouml;ss tenteils in den Zeitraum zwischen 20 und 19 ka, was zeigt, dass die Bildung dieser Seitenmor & auml;nen bis zum Ende des LGMs andauerte und dass die Absenkung der Eisoberfl & auml;che nicht vor ca. 19 ka begann. Mehrere kleinere Gletscher entwickelten sich unabh & auml;ngig vom Valsugana-Eisstromnetz. Die Rekonstruktion vierer dieser isolierten Gletscher und ihrer Gleichgewichtslinien (ELAs) erlaubt ein besseres Verst & auml;ndnis der klimatischen Bedingungen, die die Entwicklung der LGM-Gletscher beeinflussten: ELAs waren am niedrigsten in den Venezianischen Voralpen (ca. 1300-1500 m) und stiegen allm & auml;hlich in Richtung des inneralpinen Raums an (ca. 1500-1700 m). Dieser ELA-Gradient deutet darauf hin, dass der aus dem Mittelmeerraum stammende Niederschlag in der N & auml;he des Alpenrands am h & ouml;chsten war und gegen Norden kontinuierlich abnahm. Die detaillierten Gletscherrekonstruktionen, die chronologischen Daten und die pal & auml;oklimatischen Erkenntnisse dieser Studie k & ouml;nnen zur Validierung k & uuml;nftiger Modellierungen gro ss er und komplexer Eistromnetze hilfreich sein.

The valley junction of Isarco and Pusteria (Rienza River), located in the Bressanone area, showcases a complex stratigraphic succession that traces back to the Late Pleistocene evolution. Extensive field surveys and numerous drillings conducted between Bressanone and Varna/Sciaves have unveiled the stratigraphic architecture of the valleys. Four distinct glacier advances have been identified, with the thickest deposits attributed to the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), characterised by a fine-grained subglacial traction till up to 30 metres thick. Additionally, two Lateglacial stadial moraines are linked to the Isarco glacier, indicating that the modern Rienza lower valley was sculpted as the ice retreated at the end of the LGM. A pre-LGM fluvial-lacustrine system, receiving contributions from both valleys, suggests that the junction was located further north than its current position. Below this deposit, an older glacigenic sediment layer consisting of coarse subglacial traction till marks a phase between two major ice advances. At the deepest point, core samples from the Isarco valley reveal fluvial deposits from the Pusteria valley catchment, highlighting the existence of a narrower lower reach across the Rienza River. This evidence indicates the long-standing presence of the river valley at the junction in the Sciaves/Varna area, well before the LGM. The discovery of a large landslide reveals notable slope dynamics due to glacial erosion, with the landslide body covered by LGM glacial deposits, whereas post-LGM slope deposits are related to small-scale slope processes.

The Alps have perhaps the most comprehensive chronology of Holocene glacier variations in the world. Cosmogenic nuclide data have shown that in the first centuries of the Holocene, glacier frontal positions were significantly larger than Late Holocene extents. The continued cold climate from the end of the Younger Dryas on into the Early Holocene promoted periglacial activity. Rock glaciers rapidly moved into the newly ice-free terrain and exhibited sporadic activity throughout the Holocene, with rejuvenation during the neoglacial (the last ~4.2 ka). The lack of preserved moraines between ~10.2 and 5.2 ka provides evidence of a long-lasting glacier retreat period punctuated by a number of minor advances that probably did not exceed mid-20th century ice levels. As large glaciers did not approach nor exceed their Late Holocene frontal extents during the Mid-Holocene, precise insight into the timing of these advances is only possible from the subfossil wood record. Based on the radiocarbon- and tree-ring-dated wood material, several Holocene Thermal Maximum Phases (~10.2–4.2 ka) characterised by glacier minima with smaller-than-present (CE 2000–2020) glacier extent have been recognised. From ~4.2 ka—and especially from 3.6 ka—the frequency and magnitude of glacier advances increased markedly. Notable maxima occurred at 3.5, 2.8–2.6, 2.1, 1.4 and 1.15 ka. The ‘Little Ice Age’ (LIA), 0.74–0.14 ka (CE 1260–1860)—characterised by several maxima with similar extent—is exceptionally well understood in the Alps. Prominent lateral moraines, which are a widespread feature of the high Alpine landscape and are often referred to as ‘LIA moraines’, were actually incrementally built during the neoglacial. Strong paraglacial activity linked with ongoing glacier wastage as a result of climate warming currently endangers the preservation of some of these Late Holocene landforms and the information they contain.

We present new chronological data and Equilibrium Line Altitude (ELA) information for palaeoglaciers in the Maritime Alps during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and the early deglaciation. Three relatively small catchments were investigated to test if the response of small (1-10 km2) glaciers to LGM climatic forcing was distinguishable from that of larger glacial systems. Palaeoglacier geometries and ELAs were reconstructed using geomorphological evidence and toolboxes in a geographic information system. Chronological control was provided through 10Be surface exposure dating of erratic boulders located on frontal and lateral moraine ridges. Our data indicate two phases of glacier advance or stabilisation in the Maritime Alps, the first occurring at ca. 25 to 24 ka and the second at ca. 20.5 to 19 ka. This is consistent with ages that have been reported from larger outlet lobes along the south -western Alpine fringe, where the second LGM advance is usually preserved in the form of a recessional moraine. Within the uncertainty of the dating technique, there are no distinguishable differences between the responses of small and large Alpine glaciers to the LGM climate. The reconstructed ELAs for palaeoglaciers in the Maritime Alps indicate a considerable variability, which appears to be linked to differences in received solar radiation, from ca. 1600 m a.s.l. for north-facing cirque glaciers to almost 2000 m a.s.l. for glaciers with a southerly aspect. We argue that such influence of solar radiation needs to be considered when using ELAs for palaeoclimatic inferences at regional scales. The calculated ELAs are up to 450 m higher than those in the northern Apennines or the Corsican mountains, indicating a relatively dry LGM climate on the Italian side of the Maritime Alps.

This study aims to define a preliminary geological model of the Passo Mauria tunnel, designed as an alternative underground route to the current S.S.52 to ensure a safer connection over the top way Belluno (A27 Highway) Tolmezzo (A23 Highway), on which various tourist and economic activities revolve. The survey stage has allowed us to describe and represent the cartographic elements that describe the geology of the study area. The study has mainly focused on the investigation of the presumed entrances of the tunnel, characterized by specific geological and geomorphological conditions. The aerial photogrammetric survey supported the reconstruction of the geometry of discontinuities in the non-accessible areas. Besides, this study has allowed the definition of the possible behaviour of the rock mass subjected to the tunnel excavation and of sections with homogeneous mechanical properties. The drafting of a survey plan supplements the study to determine a geological and geotechnical model, for the subsequent investigation and design phases.

The deglaciation period in the Alps was characterised by the collapse of the huge system of interconnected glaciers. Active valley glaciers almost disappeared from most of the catchments, stagnant and downwasting ice remnants filled the main valleys during the earliest part of the Alpine Lateglacial, which is defined as the phase of ice decay (19–18 ka, in some sectors until 17 ka). In the lower valley reaches of the south-eastern sector tree vegetation had already started to recover. A short readvance and glacier front stabilisation took place at 17–16 ka (Gschnitz stadial) with the formation of prominent moraines, with most of the evidence coming from the Eastern Alps. This can be related to the 'Ragogna oscillation' cooling recognised in the south-eastern sector, which is highlighted by a period of reduced forest cover. At the end of GS2, before the onset of the Bølling interstadial, Alpine glaciers had already withdrawn and forest environments were spreading rapidly.

Evidence that during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) glaciers extended well into the piedmont plains is still identifiable in the alpine foreland as a system of well-preserved moraines. Glaciers are strongly controlled by temperature and precipitation, and therefore, they are excellent indicators of climate change. Here, we use a regional climate model (RCM) to investigate some of the physical processes sustaining Alpine glaciers during the last phase of the LGM during Greenland Stadial 2 at 21 ka. We find a predominance of convection during summer and increased southwesterly stratiform precipitation over the southern Alps when compared to pre-industrial (PI) conditions. This precipitation pattern, along with lower temperatures, determined summer snowfall extending to low elevations, with a consequent substantial drop of the equilibrium line altitude (ELA), which is consistent with the estimated LGM glacier extent. Our RCM-based estimates of 21 ka ELA at the LGM yield excellent consistency with Alpine ELA reconstructions, further demonstrating the great potential of this technique for use in palaeoclimate studies.

The Bølling–Allerød Interstadial was characterised by a sharp warming in comparison to the preceding Oldest Dryas, promoting final collapse of the Alpine glaciers of the Gschnitz stadial advance. During the interstadial, periglacial processes led to the spread of rock glaciers at high elevations, while forests recovered the valley slopes up to 2000 m a.s.l. If glaciers did advance slightly during the interstadial, the glacial landforms were likely obliterated by subsequent marked advances of the Younger Dryas (Egesen stadial).

Glacier-based reconstructions of Equilibrium Line Altitudes (ELAs) are important to understand changes of temperature and precipitation over longer time scales and may help to validate regional palaeoclimate models. Here, we present new insights into the ELA in the south-eastern part of the European Alps during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, 26.5 to 19 ka), based on the geomorphological record of the Monte Cavallo Group (Venetian Prealps, NE-Italy). This mountain range hosted a glacial system that remained isolated from larger valley glaciers in its vicinity and therefore likely responded very dynamically to changes in climatic boundary conditions. Through detailed mapping of glacial sediments and landforms, we were able to constrain the extent of these palaeoglaciers and model their surface geometry and ELA via semi-automated toolboxes in a geographic information system. In the absence of numerical datings, these landforms were related to an LGM advance through geomorphological and stratigraphical means. In a next step, ELAs were also recalculated for other LGM glaciers in the south-eastern Alps, allowing wider palaeoclimatic conclusions to be drawn. These ELAs are in the range of 1100 to almost 1700 m and show a strong E-W gradient with particular low values in the Julian and eastern Carnic Prealps. This pattern indicates that during the LGM a precipitation gradient existed along the southeastern fringe of the Alps, with moisture being preferentially advected to these mountain ranges while the Venetian Prealps in the West received less precipitation. Based on the reconstructed ELAs, annual precipitation sums during the regional LGM glacier culmination (ca. 25.5 to 23.5 ka) are estimated between 1820 and 2920 +/- 750 mm/yr. Those values are largely compatible with data from modern weather stations and indicate no or little reduction in LGM precipitation as it is reported from other parts of the Alps.