The research focuses on overdeepenings in the former Rhine glacier domain north from Lake Constance in southwestern Germany. We expand the current knowledge of the Quaternary stratigraphy of the Lake Constance Amphitheatre by revealing two new drill cores, both reaching the quaternary base of two different overdeepened basins. As a result, we show that our investigated sediment successions are quite atypical for alpine foreland overdeepenings.

This paper provides a review of numeric dating methods for the Quaternary, which is unique in its focus on applications of the methods to volcanism. The methods included are K/Ar and Ar/Ar, radiocarbon, uranium series, cosmogenic nuclide exposure, and luminescence dating, each with a section on extra concerns for application to volcanic products. The paper’s objective is to serve as a resource for researchers using these methods or using dates produced by these methods for further research.

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.

This study examines the evolution of the lower Bruche River valley in north-eastern France through its fluvial terraces, reflecting past river dynamics and environmental changes. Terrace formations are dated using luminescence to ~ 12–14 ka, ~ 27–35 ka, and at least 200 ka. Methodological improvements over conventional luminescence dating techniques are also discussed and refined in this study.

Previous reconstructions conclude that the southern Black Forest, south-west Germany, temporarily hosted four ice caps during the Late Pleistocene (129 000–11 700 years before present). This work reviews existing studies on glacial landforms north-east of its highest summit, Feldberg (1493 m above sea level), in the light of new observations. Whilst this study largely confirms previous work, we reject and newly describe several glacial landforms.