The source-to-sink (S2S) approach is a fundamental, comprehensive method in sedimentary geology, offering a strong framework to understand the full journey of sediment from continental source areas to deep-sea basins. These sediment routing systems serve as invaluable records, capturing the complex interaction between external forces, such as climate, sea-level changes, tectonics, and Earth's internal surface processes. By examining the entire sediment continuum, researchers can uncover key information about landscape development, basin evolution, ancient environments, and sediment provenance. The vast and active landscapes of Asia and Oceania, shaped by active mountain-building, strong monsoonal weather, and major sea-level shifts, provide an exceptional natural laboratory for deepening our grasp of these complex Earth systems. Despite its power and widespread use, the S2S approach faces ongoing challenges that can reduce its predictive accuracy. Significant uncertainties still exist when trying to connect different spatial and temporal scales, from grain-scale processes in a catchment to the basin-scale stratigraphic architecture built up over millions of years. Combining diverse datasets and accurately measuring the influence of various forces on the sedimentary record remains a major obstacle. These scaling, resolution, and process-related challenges can cause unquantified risks in geological models, highlighting the urgent need for a dedicated platform to gather recent advancements and promote a more reliable, quantitative, and reproducible S2S science.
This session aims to address these challenges by showcasing the latest advancements in S2S research across Asia and Oceania. We welcome the submission of interdisciplinary studies that highlight recent advancements in perspectives, methods, and applications. The session will span the breadth of S2S research with contributions that utilize multi-proxy approaches including geophysical data, numerical and analogue modelling, sedimentary provenance analysis, and field observations to develop a comprehensive understanding of sediment routing systems. By promoting diverse research that links S2S dynamics to urgent global issues such as sustainable geoscience, energy transition, geohazard mitigation, and climate change, this session will not only deepen our fundamental understanding of Earth surface processes but also underscore the vital role of S2S science in addressing contemporary societal challenges.