This special issue focuses on the interactions between Quaternary Geology and Archaeology and results from the INQUA-NL Symposium: ‘Late Quaternary Climate Change: a Human Perspective’ held on April 14th 2009, KNAW Trippenhuis, Amsterdam. The symposium was attended by over 125 scientists and students with interest in the fields of Quaternary Geology and Archaeology. The symposium was organized for the INQUA Netherlands commission (INQUA-NL) by Wim Hoek, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University (UU), Henry Hooghiemstra, Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam (UvA), and Jos Deeben, National Service for Cultural Heritage (RCE). The INQUA Netherlands commission (INQUA-NL) is the Netherlands' national representation in INQUA, the International Union for Quaternary Research (see further www.geo.uu.nl/inqua-nl).

The Netherlands is a country made by humans, but before the large-scale impact of humans that formed the typical Dutch landscape, people inhabited our area and needed to be able to deal with natural disasters like climate change, river floods or sea-level change. In the field of archaeology, there is increasingly more space to include the environmental changes that partly determined the behaviour of prehistoric communities. The interactions between quaternary geology and archaeology are not only restricted to provide stratigraphical information during archaeological prospection or on exposures during excavations. Quaternary geology is increasingly applied to gain insight in the landscape development and environmental setting where people have lived in the past. Above this, predictive models can be improved by the interaction of archaeological and geological/palaeogeographical research (see also Deeben et al., 2010).

A new lyelliceratid, Lyelliceras escragnollensis sp. nov., is described from the condensed Albian of Escragnolles (Var) and La Balme de Rencurel (Isère), as well as from the upper Lower or lower Upper Albian of Maurepaire (Aube), in France. The new species is precisely dated on the basis of a previous record from the lower Middle Albian Lyelliceras lyelli Subzone of the Hoplites dentatus Zone at Courcelles (Aube). It is regarded as a short-lived descendant of Lyelliceras pseudolyelli, and is characterised as a compressed species of the genus in which the inner ventrolateral tubercles are weak and apparently absent on the early phragmocone whorls, the outer ventrolateral clavi feeble, offset to opposite across the venter, the siphonal clavi being more numerous than the outer ventrolateral.

The regional subsurface temperature field at the transition between the Palaeozoic Variscan Basement and the Cenozoic Lower Rhine Basin in Dutch, German and Belgium territories was mapped up to a depth of 1000 m. Temperature data from 66 wells and 11 coal mine subcrops were available. In 46 wells, temperature logs, covering a cumulative depth interval of 6600 m, were measured for this study.

Modelling of the shallow subsurface of the Dutch Wadden Sea is merely based on lithological information extracted from a limited amount of core samples. In order to improve the subsurface model and to provide a better basis for engineering purposes, seismic data have recently been acquired, processed and interpreted. This study focuses on the interpretation of seismic data in a pilot area in the southwestern part of the Dutch Wadden Sea near the Afsluitdijk. In order to acquire a maximum detail of subsurface information in a time-efficient way, multiple types of seismic systems were deployed simultaneously in a ‘one-sweep-survey’, providing information over depth ranges up to 60 m subsurface depth. Data from three seismic systems are presented; a chirp system, a boomer and sparker source in combination with hydrophone streamers. Geological interpretation of the seismic data was made by identifying seismic facies units and subsequently correlating them to geological cross-sections, running parallel to the Afsluitdijk. Geological cross-sections were derived from the existing geological and hydrogeological model and from relatively densely spaced borehole information. Six key reflectors were identified on the seismic data along the Dutch Afsluitdijk that make up four seismic facies units. Results of seismic profiles show good recognition of internal structures in especially Holocene sediments. A clay plug and a shallowing of a channel at the eastern side of the pilot area were interpreted as channel infills resulting from the rather sudden dominance by newer tidal channels to the west, probably coinciding with the opening of the Marsdiep channel. The channel wall deposits observed were interpreted as a turning of the drainage channel after closure of the IJsselmeer. Strong reflections of deeper levels (>15 m below Dutch vertical datum, i.e. N.A.P.) were interpreted as clay/sand interfaces in the Middle-Pleistocene Urk Formation and were more continuous than previously thought. It is concluded that high resolution seismics add valuable information yielding improved understanding of the sedimentary structure of the shallow subsurface, which in turn can be useful for near future engineering works along the Afsluitdijk.

Compound orchocladine sponges are unusual in the Early Palaeozoic. In Europe, silicified material of Late Ordovician age has hitherto been referred to as Aulocopium aurantium Oswald, 1847 and the invalid Aulocopium compositium Conwentz, 1905. An examination of new material has resulted in the recognition of a new genus, Hydraspongia, with two new species, H. polycephala and H. erecta, and a third new species, Perissocoelia megahabra, to which most specimens can now be assigned. These taxa form part of rich erratic sponge assemblages, which originate from unknown source areas in the Baltic, and have been collected in northern and western Europe from fluvial sandy deposits of the Eridanos River system, which drained the Baltic area from the Middle Miocene to Early Pleistocene.

The Earth’ climate is a complex system consisting of the atmosphere, the ocean and the land surface. This system receives energy from the sun. Latitudinal variations in insolation and the rotation of the Earth lead to a complex turbulent geophysical flow which induces important transports of heat and mass. Part of the solar radiation is reflected, the rest is radiated as long wave radiation. The radiative balance is complicated by atmospheric water vapour and other trace gases, clouds, heat transport and other factors.

Is it possible to step twice into the same river? That is the question I would like to put to you. At first glance, there is no reason to assume that a river will not look exactly the same tomorrow as it does today. And we tend to forget whether it was different yesterday or the day before. ‘Will the weather ever get any better?’ we tend to say to each other after a couple of rainy days. Will we ever see a cold winter again with an Elfstedentocht? Fortunately, some people keep records of the weather, or keep track of rivers flooding or falling dry. That makes it possible to know for sure what stays the same and what changes.

Geomorphology as a scientific discipline has underwent major developments since the mid 20th century. From its original descriptive nature aiming to understand landscape evolution, it developed towards a more process-based oriented discipline. To a large extent this evolution followed a quantitative approach whereby modelling becomes more and more important. A schism between applied or engineering geomorphology and system-based geomorphology aiming at understanding landscape change emerges in the 1950-1960's. Only at the end of the 20th century – early 21st century, integration of quantitative field-based approaches on longer term issues of landscape evolution with numerical modelling emerges. This is particularly true for the Holocene for which the importance of human impact on geomorphic processes and landforms became acknowledged. With respect to landscape evolution on much longer timescales, the development of tectonic geomorphology becomes apparent. In this paper, some evolution of ideas and trends within geomorphology with respect to understanding landscape dynamics are summarised and put into the career perspective of Jef Vandenberghe.

The collection of extended and updated abstracts presented here resulted from a two-day workshop of the Collaborative Research Centre ‘Interactions between and Modelling of Continental Geo-Systems’ (SFB 350) held on 19th and 20th November, 1999 at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn. This workshop was entitled ‘Rift Tectonics and Syngenetic Sedimentation - the Cenozoic Lower Rhine Graben and Related Structures’. Its central topic was devoted to various approaches of understanding the evolution of a young graben structure, with the aim to trace the interaction of tectonics, sedimentation, facies development, burial history, and coherent structural behaviour by integration of geodetic, seismological, gravimetric, sedimentological, paleontological, and climatological data.

Historical records of mosasaur discoveries in the Hornerstown Formation of the Atlantic Coastal Plain of New Jersey (USA) are reviewed in the light of recent geochemical and biostratigraphic investigations. The highest (i.e. youngest) mosasaur remains are from the basal Hornerstown Formation fossil assemblage, a widespread concentration of vertebrate and invertebrate remains that coincides with an iridium excursion and the micropalaeontological K/Pg boundary. Most of the mosasaur specimens from this horizon are single elements, but at least one specimen from the Hornerstown Formation, YPM 773, is a multi-element specimen, a skull with vertebrae. This specimen is a very large individual of Mosasaurus hoffmanni from the West Jersey Marl Company works at Barnsboro, New Jersey. It represents the stratigraphically highest multi-element articulated specimen in the K/Pg section here. In and above the basal Hornerstown, the fauna is dominated by crocodylians, lamnid sharks and chelonians. The extinction of mosasaurs created a vacant ecological niche at the top of the marine food web, and a trophic cascade of smaller predators ensued. Later in the Neogene the appearance of Elvis taxa archaeocetes such as Basilosaurus converged on mosasaur body shape.

Global sea level is rising at an increased rate since the late 19th century as a result of rising global mean temperatures. This rise is geographically non-uniform, with substantial spatial differences, and in the latest decade faster than expected. New evidence suggests that more rapid changes than indicated in the Fourth IPCC report take place in the two large continental ice sheets, Greenland and Antarctica. Consequently, the projected sea level rise threatens low-lying countries like the Netherlands. The process of ‘climate-proofing’ the flood protection system of the country offers, however, new opportunities for innovative solutions, providing not only higher flood protection, but also possibilities for multifunctional land-use.

Determining sea-level change caused by continental ice mass variations is a far more complicated matter than one might think. Even if effects like induced changes in ocean currents or thermal expansion of ocean water are neglected, melt water does not redistribute uniformly and homogeneously over the world’s oceans. If land ice melts, the gravity field of the earth changes due to the redistribution of the ice and melt water masses.

Value Analysis is a powerful tool to increase the value of a capital investment project and to capture cost saving opportunities. It is a method conceived during WorldWar II and frequently used on infrastructure projects, especially in the USA.

The Value Analysis process typically consists of a well prepared 3 to 5 day workshop with focus on generating ideas to improve the current engineering concept. Emphasis is on screening all proposals in order to identify the most promising ideas. The workshop results in a number of proposals to modify the existing engineering concept.

Stork Engineers & Contractors have used the Value Analysis method on several projects as well as in proposals for Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) projects in the Exploration and Production (EP) industry.

Typical results of Value Analysis led to a decrease of Total Cost of Ownership by some 10 to 30%. A well facilitated Value Analysis workshop also leads to mutual trust and understanding between the parties involved.

A key element in a Value Analysis is (re)definition of the proposed functionality of a project. This is done through challenging the existing technical concept by increasing this functionality or by meeting this functionality at a lower cost.

The history of the Amstel and Vecht rivers in the central part of the Netherlands during the Holocene has been debated for a considerable time (Bos et al., 2009; De Bont, 1994, 2000, 2008; De Bont & Kleij, 2012; De Gans, 2011; De Gans & Bunnik, 2011, 2012). Many publications in different disciplines have made their contribution to solve issues such as initiation and cessation of river flow, different and opposing river flow directions, and different chronologies.

Humans have played an important role in fluvial systems because of the impact of their land-use activities, frequently leading to degradation of environmental conditions. Rivers, which are the primary agents in sediment transport, have thus been subject to changes in sediment fluxes. The Suriname River has been affected by anthropogenic activities since colonial times, and has experienced strong discharge and sediment-load changes since the construction of the Afobaka Dam in 1964. The river's estuary sediments largely consist of fine-grained sediments, originating, ultimately, from the Amazon River and transported by the strong tidal current. The influence of this tidal current is diminished at the head of the estuary, allowing the river flow to become dominant. Also remarkable is the interaction of the Suriname River and the westward-migrating mudbanks which is evident in the changing magnitude and volume of Braamspunt, a mudcape located at the mouth of the estuary. The regulated discharge of the river results in a change of the river's morphology, resulting, among other things, in the growth of river bars.