Multiproxy approach for Holocene paleoenvironmental reconstructions from microorganisms (testate amoebae and foraminifera) and sediment analyses: The infilling of the Loire Valley in Nantes (France)

A multiproxy analysis of sediments and microorganisms reveals the Holocene infilling process of the Loire estuary near Nantes, France. The study found that the valley's sediment deposition began with gravels on a Hercynian substratum, followed by laminated clay-sand deposits influenced by increased input from the Sèvre Nantaise River. Estuarine fauna transitioned to marine as sea levels rose, slowing after 5850 cal. yr BP and leading to channel migration and erosion. Post-2100 cal. yr BP, testate amoebae dominance indicated continentalization, with recent sediments reflecting human activity. The research integrates foraminifera, testate amoebae, sediment size, and mineralogy to reconstruct environmental changes over millennia.

Delaine, M., Armynot du Châtelet, E., Bout-Roumazeilles, V., Goubert, E., Le Cadre, V., Recourt, P., Trentesaux, A., & Arthuis, R. (2014). Multiproxy approach for Holocene paleoenvironmental reconstructions from microorganisms (testate amoebae and foraminifera) and sediment analyses: The infilling of the Loire Valley in Nantes (France). The Holocene, 25(3), 407–420. https://doi.org/10.1177/0959683614561883