The middle Tanana Valley of central Alaska contains a well‐preserved record of human occupation and paleoenvironmental change since the Late Glacial period (c. 16,000 cal yr BP) and is a critical region for understanding human dispersal into the Americas. Micromorphology analysis of soils and sediments from six archaeological sites yields valuable information about soil formation processes and landscape evolution during the Late Glacial and into the Holocene. At the macroscale, site stratigraphies are very similar, and thin organic‐rich layers (locally known as “stringers”) are commonly interpreted as buried soils. However, at the microscale, these layers exhibit significant differences in the degree of bioturbation, organic matter humification, and boundary abruptness, indicating that pedogenesis was not the sole process at every site. In this way, our microscale analysis addresses issues of equifinality related to site formation interpretations, a persistent problem with subarctic and high‐latitude stratigraphy. Additionally, this study reveals a certain level of landform and landscape instability within a broader trend of regional increases in pedogenesis and vegetation coverage, adding to the existing model of heterogeneity across this subarctic landscape. Here we demonstrate the utility of micromorphology to test field interpretations and improve models of Late Glacial landscape evolution in high‐latitude contexts.

中文翻译：

---

阿拉斯加中部黄土古土壤序列的微观形态：冰川晚期以来土壤形成和景观演变的新观点（约有16,000 cal BP至今）

自晚冰河时期（约16,000 cal BP）以来，阿拉斯加中部塔纳纳河谷的中部保存了人类占领和古环境变化的记录，是了解人类向美洲扩散的重要地区。从六个考古现场对土壤和沉积物进行微观形态分析，可得出有关晚冰川和全新世期间土壤形成过程和景观演变的宝贵信息。在宏观尺度上，场地地层非常相似，而富含有机物的薄层（当地称为“纵梁”）通常被解释为埋藏的土壤。但是，在微观尺度上，这些层在生物扰动，有机质腐殖化和边界突变的程度上显示出显着差异，这表明成岩作用并不是每个位置的唯一过程。这样，我们的微观分析就解决了与地层解释有关的均等性问题，这是一个持续存在的亚弧和高纬度地层问题。此外，这项研究还揭示了在成岩作用和植被覆盖的区域性增长的更广泛趋势内，一定程度的地形和景观不稳定性，为该亚北极景观的现有异质性模型增加了优势。在这里，我们演示了微观形态学在高纬度背景下测试野外解释和改进晚冰川景观演化模型的实用性。这项研究揭示了在成岩作用和植被覆盖的区域性增长的更广泛趋势中，一定程度的地貌和景观不稳定性，为整个亚北极景观增加了现有的非均质性模型。在这里，我们演示了微观形态学在高纬度背景下测试野外解释和改进晚冰川景观演化模型的实用性。这项研究揭示了在成岩作用和植被覆盖的区域性增长的更广泛趋势中，一定程度的地貌和景观不稳定性，为该亚北极景观增加了现有的非均质性模型。在这里，我们演示了微观形态学在高纬度背景下测试野外解释和改进晚冰川景观演化模型的实用性。