Human activities have profoundly altered Earth-surface processes and ecosystems during the Anthropocene, modifying erosion and sediment dynamics, biogeochemical cycles, biodiversity, and ecosystem functioning. At the same time, these anthropogenic pressures interact with hydroclimatic variability and extreme events, potentially amplifying their impacts and resulting in compound effects.

Recent sedimentary records from lakes, wetlands, reservoirs and fluvial systems provide high-resolution archives for reconstructing human–climate–environment interactions over timescales ranging from decades to centuries. By integrating environmental responses across spatial and temporal scales, these archives can document the timing, magnitude and persistence of disturbances, identify their sources and pathways, and reveal long-term trajectories, legacy effects, thresholds, and patterns of ecosystem resilience and recovery.

In this session, we invite contributions using recent sedimentary archives to reconstruct environmental changes and trajectories during the Anthropocene. We particularly welcome studies addressing land-use and land-cover changes and their impacts on erosion, sediment sources and connectivity; contaminant inputs and their fate (e.g. metals, organic contaminants, radionuclides and microplastics); changes in biodiversity and ecosystem functioning; and interactions between anthropogenic pressures, hydroclimatic variability and extreme events. Studies investigating pollution legacies, ecosystem recovery, and sedimentary responses to restoration and catchment-management practices are also encouraged. Methodological contributions using or developing innovative proxies (e.g. sedDNA, CSSI and isotopic approaches), dating methods, sediment-source tracing and multidisciplinary analyses of recent sediment records are also encouraged.