Past is Prologue
Field photographs · The Younger Dryas and beyond
A visual companion to our literature bibliography: black mats, boundary profiles, and sediment cores. Start with the clearest exposures, then explore dark sediment layers from sites around the world.
93 of 93 photo cards · Select a photograph to enlarge
USA · Arizona
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
Clear profile; useful baseline for newcomers.
USGS — Paleowetland deposits showing a black mat
Jeff Pigati photograph
Reuse: Public domain — USGS source
Catalog: BM-009. Group: USGS Pigati Murray.
USA · New Mexico
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
Clear pale exposure and thin dark band; strong introductory image.
George Howard — Younger Dryas Impact V1
Slide 16 · 2022 upload / 2023 Tusk post
Reuse: Tusk invites reuse of deck; underlying photo authorship not established
Slide 17: same view with artifact overlay
Catalog: BM-003. Group: Howard slide 16.
USA · Arizona
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
Algal mat above the Clovis surface. Identified in Haynes (2008); original panel extracted without enhancement.
Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination
Supporting Fig. 6a · 2008
Reuse: Photograph: C. Vance Haynes Jr.. © 2008 National Academy of Sciences; open reuse permission not established.
Supporting captions and site tables
Catalog: BM-089. Group: Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination.
USA · New Mexico
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
Diatomite above the Clovis-bearing sands. Identified in Haynes (2008); original panel extracted without enhancement.
Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination
Supporting Fig. 6c · 2008
Reuse: Photograph: Glen L. Evans. © 2008 National Academy of Sciences; open reuse permission not established.
Supporting captions and site tables
Catalog: BM-091. Group: Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination.
USA · Wyoming
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
Dark wetland soil. Identified in Haynes (2008); original panel extracted without enhancement.
Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination
Supporting Fig. 8a · 2008
Reuse: Photograph: C. Vance Haynes Jr.. © 2008 National Academy of Sciences; open reuse permission not established.
Supporting captions and site tables
Catalog: BM-101. Group: Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination.
USA · Nevada
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
Peat exposed in a spring mound. Identified in Haynes (2008); original panel extracted without enhancement.
Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination
Supporting Fig. 8c · 2008
Reuse: Photograph: C. Vance Haynes Jr.. © 2008 National Academy of Sciences; open reuse permission not established.
Supporting captions and site tables
Catalog: BM-103. Group: Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination.
USA · New Jersey
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
A gray-black band crosses this sand exposure, with sample locations and the proposed YDB labeled. The supplement reports no direct date on the proposed boundary layer; its age remains less secure than the visual clarity of the band. Photograph credited to M. Demitroff and M. LeCompte.
Kinzie et al. — nanodiamond study
Appendix B, Fig. B6 · 2014 paper; Tusk supplemental copy
Reuse: Photo credited to M. Demitroff and M. LeCompte; reuse permission not established
Supplementary figure and caption (PDF, page 24)
Catalog: BM-079. Group: Kinzie et al. — nanodiamond study / Appendix B, Fig. B6.
Germany / Belgium / Netherlands
Usselo / Finow / European comparison
Three exposed European soil profiles. Red arrows identify the horizons discussed by the authors. Lingen (A) and Ommen (C) extend this collection to two additional sites; Lommel is the comparison in panel B. The proposed YDB correlation is an interpretation, and the Usselo soil is not everywhere a single-age event layer.
Wolbach et al. — biomass-burning study, Part 2
Supplementary Fig. A6 · 2018
Reuse: © University of Chicago; open reuse permission not established
Supplementary figure and full caption (PDF, page 6)
Discussion of Usselo chronology — Meltzer et al. 2014
Catalog: BM-076, BM-077, BM-078. Group: Wolbach et al. — biomass-burning study, Part 2 / Supplementary Fig. A6.
USA · California · San Miguel Island
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
The cave setting (A), a close-up of the sampled dark sediment (B), and a measured section (C). Yellow dotted lines mark the authors’ proposed boundary near the top of Stratum I. The supplement uses nearby radiocarbon dates rather than a direct date on the nanodiamond-rich interval.
Kinzie et al. — nanodiamond study
Appendix B, Fig. B4 · 2014 paper; Tusk supplemental copy
Reuse: © University of Chicago; original photographer and open reuse permission not established
Supplementary figure (PDF page 20; caption on page 21)
Catalog: BM-080. Group: Kinzie et al. — nanodiamond study / Appendix B, Fig. B4.
USA · Arizona
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
Vivid orange, pale and dark sediment layers. The same view occurs in Ballard slide 40 and the smaller Tusk image.
Cosmic Tusk archive — classic Murray Springs exposure
bm21 / PNAS-associated image
Reuse: Reuse permission not established
Catalog: BM-011. Group: Classic Murray Springs orange exposure.
USA · Colorado
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
Arrow points to dark horizon.
George Howard — Younger Dryas Impact V1
Slide 14 · 2022 upload / 2023 Tusk post
Reuse: Tusk invites reuse of deck; underlying photo authorship not established
Slide 15: same view with artifact overlay
Catalog: BM-002. Group: Howard slide 14.
Belgium
Usselo / Finow / European comparison
Broad sandy exposure and dark Usselo horizon.
George Howard — Younger Dryas Impact V1
Slide 26 · 2022 upload / 2023 Tusk post
Reuse: Tusk invites reuse of deck; underlying photo authorship not established
Slide 27: same view with artifact overlay
Catalog: BM-008. Group: Howard slide 26.
Belgium
Usselo / Finow / European comparison
Unobstructed sandy face and undulating dark Usselo horizon.
Andrew Collins — Lommel field report
Fig. 4
Reuse: Reuse permission not established
Catalog: BM-025. Group: Lommel / Fig. 4.
Mexico · Zacatecas
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
Wide exposure with dark band; compare the 2018 paper.
George Howard — Younger Dryas Impact V1
Slide 22 · 2022 upload / 2023 Tusk post
Reuse: Tusk invites reuse of deck; underlying photo authorship not established
Slide 23: same view with artifact overlay
Catalog: BM-006. Group: Howard slide 22.
Mexico · San Luis Potosí
Other-age or mixed-age black mats
Three visible dark layers; distinguish individual beds and dates. Strong comparative field photograph.
Israde-Alcántara et al. — Five Younger Dryas black mats in Mexico
Fig. 5 / PDF p. 13 · Online 2017 / volume 2018
Reuse: Reuse permission not established
Catalog: BM-046. Group: El Cedral / Fig. 5 / PDF p. 13.
Netherlands
Usselo / Finow / European comparison
Usselo profile. Dating and relationship to the YDB are debated.
Cosmic Tusk image archive
2012 Tusk screenshot
Reuse: Reuse permission not established
Catalog: BM-015. Group: Geldrop-Aalsterhut / 2012 Tusk screenshot.
Netherlands
Usselo / Finow / European comparison
Clean exposed horizon with ruler.
Joanne P. Ballard — European fieldwork presentation
PDF page / slide 20 · 2014; fieldwork discussed includes 2011
Reuse: Cite Ballard; third-party photo rights vary
Catalog: BM-028. Group: Laarder Wasmeren / PDF page / slide 20.
Netherlands
Usselo / Finow / European comparison
Closer exposure with shovel.
Joanne P. Ballard — European fieldwork presentation
PDF page / slide 21 · 2014; fieldwork discussed includes 2011
Reuse: Cite Ballard; third-party photo rights vary
Catalog: BM-029. Group: Laarder Wasmeren / PDF page / slide 21.
Belgium
Usselo / Finow / European comparison
Clean sampling face with tape measure and dark horizon.
Cosmic Tusk historical media
lommel-ydb
Reuse: Reuse permission not established
Archive capture: 2025-10-13 (archive index confirmed; replay not individually verified)
Archive capture: 2011-01-31 (archive index confirmed; replay not individually verified)
Catalog: BM-019. Group: Lommel / lommel-ydb.
Belgium
Usselo / Finow / European comparison
Field view with person and close-up with red tool.
Joanne P. Ballard — European fieldwork presentation
PDF page / slide 28 · 2014; fieldwork discussed includes 2011
Reuse: Cite Ballard; third-party photo rights vary
Catalog: BM-032. Group: Lommel / PDF page / slide 28.
Belgium
Usselo / Finow / European comparison
Close-up of curved dark laminae alongside XRF results.
Joanne P. Ballard — European fieldwork presentation
PDF page / slide 30 · 2014; fieldwork discussed includes 2011
Reuse: Cite Ballard; third-party photo rights vary
Catalog: BM-033. Group: Lommel / PDF page / slide 30.
USA · Ohio
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
Paired close-ups; right panel explicitly labels the black carbon mat.
University of Cincinnati — platinum research
Photo 7 · 2017-03-14
Reuse: Reuse permission not established
Catalog: BM-024. Group: Sheriden Cave / Photo 7.
Europe · precise locality unresolved
Usselo / Finow / European comparison
Iconic close-up with trowel. Do not infer exact locality from filename alone.
Cosmic Tusk image archive
Kloosterman archive image
Reuse: Reuse permission not established
Archive capture: 2014-05-03 (archive index confirmed; replay not individually verified)
Catalog: BM-016. Group: Usselo horizon — trowel view / Kloosterman archive image.
USA · California
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
RETRACTED SOURCE. Retained as photographic provenance only; its claims should not be relied upon without independent verification.
2025 Arlington Canyon article — RETRACTED
Fig. 3 · 2025
Reuse: Reuse permission not established
Catalog: BM-055. Group: Arlington Canyon / Fig. 3.
Netherlands
Usselo / Finow / European comparison
Locality must be traced before use in a site-specific caption.
Cosmic Tusk image archive
Archive image ydb-holland
Reuse: Reuse permission not established
Catalog: BM-014. Group: Dutch exposure — locality unresolved / Archive image ydb-holland.
Netherlands / Belgium / Germany / Poland
Usselo / Finow / European comparison
Multiple photographed horizons, including European soil/peat comparisons. Use the original panel labels; precise panel-to-site mapping remains a provenance task. These are two portions of a composite, not two individual field photographs.
Cosmic Tusk — Van Hoesel thesis figure screenshots
Fig. 5.2 screenshot 1 · 2014 Tusk screenshot
Reuse: Reuse permission not established
Catalog: BM-073. Group: Van Hoesel Fig5.2.
Netherlands / Belgium / Germany / Poland
Usselo / Finow / European comparison
Multiple photographed horizons, including European soil/peat comparisons. Use the original panel labels; precise panel-to-site mapping remains a provenance task. These are two portions of a composite, not two individual field photographs.
Cosmic Tusk — Van Hoesel thesis figure screenshots
Fig. 5.2 screenshot 2 · 2014 Tusk screenshot
Reuse: Reuse permission not established
Catalog: BM-074. Group: Van Hoesel Fig5.2.
Europe
Usselo / Finow / European comparison
Six-panel field-photo comparison; some images may recur in the thesis compilation. Original photographer and panel-level duplication require resolution.
Ballard presentation reproducing Kaiser et al. material
Slide 3 · 2014 presentation / 2009 cited source
Reuse: Reuse permission not established
Catalog: BM-075. Group: European comparative montage.
USA · Michigan
Related profile; not a classic black mat
Sampling profile; YDB-associated, not a confirmed black mat.
Cosmic Tusk image archive
Wittke 2013 SI Fig. 7
Reuse: Reuse permission not established
Catalog: BM-013. Group: Gainey / Wittke 2013 SI Fig. 7.
USA · Texas
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
Annotated west section, 2 m scale; caption credits Nan Sun. Proposed YD layer is marked; visually a brown cave stratum rather than a jet-black mat.
Cosmic Tusk historical media
black-mat-halls-cave
Reuse: Reuse permission not established
Archive capture: 2025-04-16 (archive index confirmed; replay not individually verified)
Archive capture: 2020-08-30 (archive index confirmed; replay not individually verified)
Catalog: BM-018. Group: Hall’s Cave / black-mat-halls-cave.
Southeastern Baltic
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
A source figure with multiple profiles. Open the panel notes below for each location and its identification.
Druzhinina et al. — Late Glacial Baltic layers
Fig. 4 · 2025-06-06
Reuse: Reuse permission not established
Catalog: BM-050, BM-051, BM-052, BM-053. Group: Kulikovo / Fig. 4, panel a.
Netherlands
Usselo / Finow / European comparison
Sampling team and exposure context.
Joanne P. Ballard — European fieldwork presentation
PDF page / slide 22 · 2014; fieldwork discussed includes 2011
Reuse: Cite Ballard; third-party photo rights vary
Catalog: BM-030. Group: Laarder Wasmeren / PDF page / slide 22.
Belgium
Usselo / Finow / European comparison
Profile photograph with sampling plot.
Cosmic Tusk image archive
Wittke 2013 SI Fig. 9
Reuse: Reuse permission not established
Catalog: BM-012. Group: Lommel / Wittke 2013 SI Fig. 9.
Belgium
Usselo / Finow / European comparison
Montage: excavation, laminated horizon and specimen.
Joanne P. Ballard — European fieldwork presentation
PDF page / slide 1 · 2014; fieldwork discussed includes 2011
Reuse: Cite Ballard; third-party photo rights vary
Catalog: BM-026. Group: Lommel / PDF page / slide 1.
Belgium
Usselo / Finow / European comparison
Sampling and trowel montage; overlaps other circulated imagery.
Joanne P. Ballard — European fieldwork presentation
PDF page / slide 2 · 2014; fieldwork discussed includes 2011
Reuse: Cite Ballard; third-party photo rights vary
Catalog: BM-027. Group: Lommel / PDF page / slide 2.
Belgium / Hungary
Usselo / Finow / European comparison
Usselo photo alongside a different podzol; do not identify both as YDB.
Joanne P. Ballard — European fieldwork presentation
PDF page / slide 38 · 2014; fieldwork discussed includes 2011
Reuse: Cite Ballard; third-party photo rights vary
Catalog: BM-034. Group: Lommel / Hungary comparison / PDF page / slide 38.
Belgium
Usselo / Finow / European comparison
Disturbed Usselo horizon with trowel. Source interpretation as tsunami-related is a hypothesis, not established by the photograph.
Cosmic Tusk historical media
lommel-tsunami
Reuse: Reuse permission not established
Archive capture: 2023-05-31 (archive index confirmed; replay not individually verified)
Archive capture: 2012-01-20 (archive index confirmed; replay not individually verified)
Catalog: BM-020. Group: Lommel-Maatheide / lommel-tsunami.
USA · Texas
Other-age or mixed-age black mats
Sediment profile with ages and analytical plots. Inspect stratigraphic ages before treating any dark bed as the YDB.
2016 blind-test paper
Fig. 2 · 2016
Reuse: Reuse permission not established
Catalog: BM-045. Group: Lubbock Lake / Fig. 2.
Netherlands
Usselo / Finow / European comparison
Riverbank view and peaty-horizon detail.
Joanne P. Ballard — European fieldwork presentation
PDF page / slide 23 · 2014; fieldwork discussed includes 2011
Reuse: Cite Ballard; third-party photo rights vary
Catalog: BM-031. Group: Lutterzand / PDF page / slide 23.
Venezuela · Mérida Andes
Related profile; not a classic black mat
Rock-crust specimen photograph; not a conventional soil-profile black mat.
Mahaney et al. — Notes on the black mat sediment
Fig. 2 / PDF p. 4 · 2011
Reuse: Reuse permission not established
Catalog: BM-061. Group: Mucuñuque catchment / Fig. 2 / PDF p. 4.
USA · Arizona
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
Annotated contextual view with inset.
George Howard — Younger Dryas Impact V1
Slide 13 · 2022 upload / 2023 Tusk post
Reuse: Tusk invites reuse of deck; underlying photo authorship not established
Catalog: BM-001. Group: Howard slide 13.
USA · Arizona
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
Vegetation obscures the exposure; context photo, weak teaching choice.
Wikimedia Commons — Ammodramus
Clanton clay black mat 1 · 2016-03-12
Reuse: CC0 — Commons file page
Catalog: BM-010. Group: Murray Springs / Clanton clay black mat 1.
USA · Arizona
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
Wide profile with a Twitter logo overlay; locate unbranded original for publication.
Cosmic Tusk historical media
twitter-murray-springs-2
Reuse: Reuse permission not established
Archive capture: 2023-05-19 (archive index confirmed; replay not individually verified)
Catalog: BM-021. Group: Murray Springs / twitter-murray-springs-2.
USA · Arizona
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
Profile with microscopic insets. Smaller Tusk copy is the same composite.
Cosmic Tusk historical media
murray-springs-clovis-comet
Reuse: Reuse permission not established
Archive capture: 2025-09-15 (archive index confirmed; replay not individually verified)
Archive capture: 2014-04-12 (archive index confirmed; replay not individually verified)
Catalog: BM-022. Group: Murray Springs / murray-springs-clovis-comet.
USA · Arizona
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
Vance Haynes pointing out the black mat during the November 2019 tour. Photo: Vance T. Holliday.
Old Pueblo Archaeology bulletin 80
PDF p. 1 · March 2020
Reuse: Reuse permission not established
Catalog: BM-056. Group: Murray Springs / PDF p. 1.
USA · Arizona
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
Vance Haynes pointing out the black mat during the November 2019 tour. Photo: Allen Dart.
Old Pueblo Archaeology bulletin 80
PDF p. 14 · March 2020
Reuse: Reuse permission not established
Catalog: BM-057. Group: Murray Springs / PDF p. 14.
USA · Arizona · Canada · Alberta · Canada · Manitoba · USA · New Mexico · USA · South Carolina
Multiple horizons / comparison
A source figure with multiple profiles. Open the panel notes below for each location and its identification.
Firestone et al. 2007
Fig. 1 · 2007
Reuse: Reuse permission not established
Catalog: BM-039, BM-040, BM-041, BM-042, BM-043, BM-044. Group: Murray Springs / Fig. 1 — Murray Springs.
USA · Arizona
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
Dry and flowing-water comparison views; inspect publication for individual photo dates.
Archaeology Southwest 23(3)
PDF p. 20 · 2009
Reuse: Reuse permission not established
Catalog: BM-058. Group: Murray Springs / Curry Draw / PDF p. 20.
USA · Arizona · Chile
Multiple horizons / comparison
A source figure with multiple profiles. Open the panel notes below for each location and its identification.
Pigati et al. 2012 — black mats and wetland processes
Fig. 2 · 2012
Reuse: Reuse permission not established
Catalog: BM-035, BM-036, BM-037, BM-038. Group: Murray Springs / Fig. 2, panel A.
Mexico · Zacatecas
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
A source figure with multiple profiles. Open the panel notes below for each location and its identification.
Cosmic Tusk image archive
Ardelean et al. 2018 Fig. 5
Reuse: Reuse permission not established
Catalog: BM-017, BM-049. Group: Ojo Fig5.
Mexico · Zacatecas
Other-age or mixed-age black mats
Gully and X10 trench; older dark deposits discussed, including material older than 39,000 cal BP. Not interchangeable with the YD unit.
Ardelean et al. — Ojo de Agua black mat
Fig. 3 · 2018
Reuse: Reuse permission not established
Catalog: BM-047. Group: Ojo de Agua / Fig. 3.
Mexico · Zacatecas
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
Wide western arroyo exposure, about 6 m high.
Ardelean et al. — Ojo de Agua black mat
Fig. 4 · 2018
Reuse: Reuse permission not established
Catalog: BM-048. Group: Ojo de Agua / Fig. 4.
Chile
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
Dark sediment profile; proposed YDB identification.
George Howard — Younger Dryas Impact V1
Slide 24 · 2022 upload / 2023 Tusk post
Reuse: Tusk invites reuse of deck; underlying photo authorship not established
Slide 25: same view with artifact overlay
Catalog: BM-007. Group: Howard slide 24.
USA · California
Other-age or mixed-age black mats
Black mats of multiple ages; not every dark layer is YDB.
Cosmic Tusk reproducing Pinter 2011 material
Multi-panel field figure · 2011 image source / 2026 Tusk post
Reuse: Reuse permission not established
Catalog: BM-054. Group: Santa Rosa Island / Multi-panel field figure.
USA · Ohio
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
Dark cave sediment; attribution is to the presentation, not a known photographer.
George Howard — Younger Dryas Impact V1
Slide 18 · 2022 upload / 2023 Tusk post
Reuse: Tusk invites reuse of deck; underlying photo authorship not established
Slide 19: same view with artifact overlay
Catalog: BM-004. Group: Howard slide 18.
USA · Ohio
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
Researchers beside the exposure; field context.
University of Cincinnati — platinum research
Photo 6 · 2017-03-14
Reuse: Reuse permission not established
Catalog: BM-023. Group: Sheriden Cave / Photo 6.
USA · South Carolina
Related profile; not a classic black mat
YDB-associated soil profile. Do not label this as a confirmed black mat.
George Howard — Younger Dryas Impact V1
Slide 20 · 2022 upload / 2023 Tusk post
Reuse: Tusk invites reuse of deck; underlying photo authorship not established
Slide 21: same view with artifact overlay
Catalog: BM-005. Group: Howard slide 20.
France · Alps
Related profile; not a classic black mat
Landscape and clast-rind photograph with stratigraphic diagrams; related hypothesis, not an iconic black band.
Recent developments in analysis of the black mat layer
Fig. 2 / PDF p. 5 · 2014
Reuse: Reuse permission not established
Catalog: BM-062. Group: Upper Guil / Fig. 2 / PDF p. 5.
USA · New Mexico
Other-age or mixed-age black mats
A source figure with multiple profiles. Open the panel notes below for each location and its identification.
Water Canyon black mat — NM Geological Society guidebook
Fig. 5; printed p. 495 / PDF p. 7 · 2016
Reuse: Reuse permission not established
Catalog: BM-059, BM-060. Group: Water Canyon / Fig. 5; printed p. 495 / PDF p. 7.
USA · North Carolina
Related profile; not a classic black mat
A measured excavation face with sampling column, archaeological levels, dates, and platinum results. The authors mark a proposed YDB near 80 cm; this is a sandy profile, not a conspicuous black mat.
Moore et al. — widespread platinum anomaly
Supplementary Fig. 9 · 2017
Reuse: CC BY 4.0 — Moore et al.; original figure annotations retained
Recovered supplementary files (Europe PMC ZIP)
Catalog: BM-082. Group: Moore et al. — widespread platinum anomaly / Supplementary Fig. 9.
USA · North Carolina
Related profile; not a classic black mat
The west profile exposes younger windblown sand above older alluvium. Dating and platinum measurements identify the interval of interest; a continuous dark mat is not visible.
Moore et al. — widespread platinum anomaly
Supplementary Fig. 10 · 2017
Reuse: CC BY 4.0 — Moore et al.; original figure annotations retained
Recovered supplementary files (Europe PMC ZIP)
Catalog: BM-083. Group: Moore et al. — widespread platinum anomaly / Supplementary Fig. 10.
USA · South Carolina
Related profile; not a classic black mat
A reddish excavation profile with a scale, sampling column, artifact counts, and dating annotations. The source proposes a boundary around 90–92.5 cm. Retained as a comparison showing that a candidate YDB need not be a black band.
Moore et al. — widespread platinum anomaly
Supplementary Fig. 11 · 2017
Reuse: CC BY 4.0 — Moore et al.; original figure annotations retained
Recovered supplementary files (Europe PMC ZIP)
Catalog: BM-084. Group: Moore et al. — widespread platinum anomaly / Supplementary Fig. 11.
USA · South Carolina
Related profile; not a classic black mat
A sand-rim excavation at a Carolina bay. The source labels the proposed boundary around 50–55 cm and overlays platinum results. The dark near-surface soil should not be mistaken for that deeper interval.
Moore et al. — widespread platinum anomaly
Supplementary Fig. 12 · 2017
Reuse: CC BY 4.0 — Moore et al.; original figure annotations retained
Recovered supplementary files (Europe PMC ZIP)
Catalog: BM-085. Group: Moore et al. — widespread platinum anomaly / Supplementary Fig. 12.
USA · South Carolina
Related profile; not a classic black mat
A broad excavation face with archaeological zones and the sampled column. The source places the candidate boundary near the lower part of the section; this is a related sandy profile rather than a classic black mat.
Moore et al. — widespread platinum anomaly
Supplementary Fig. 13 · 2017
Reuse: CC BY 4.0 — Moore et al.; original figure annotations retained
Recovered supplementary files (Europe PMC ZIP)
Catalog: BM-086. Group: Moore et al. — widespread platinum anomaly / Supplementary Fig. 13.
USA · South Carolina
Related profile; not a classic black mat
A Carolina-bay sand-rim exposure with depth scale, sample column, and age estimates. The proposed boundary lies near the base of the sampled section. Its identification relies on stratigraphy and measurements rather than a dark band.
Moore et al. — widespread platinum anomaly
Supplementary Fig. 15 · 2017
Reuse: CC BY 4.0 — Moore et al.; original figure annotations retained
Recovered supplementary files (Europe PMC ZIP)
Catalog: BM-087. Group: Moore et al. — widespread platinum anomaly / Supplementary Fig. 15.
USA · Arizona
Related profile; not a classic black mat
Pale pond deposits; not a dark mat. Identified in Haynes (2008); original panel extracted without enhancement.
Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination
Supporting Fig. 6b · 2008
Reuse: Photograph: C. Vance Haynes Jr.. © 2008 National Academy of Sciences; open reuse permission not established.
Supporting captions and site tables
Catalog: BM-090. Group: Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination.
USA · Texas
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
Black-and-white diatomite above fluvial sand. Identified in Haynes (2008); original panel extracted without enhancement.
Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination
Supporting Fig. 6d · 2008
Reuse: Photograph: Vance T. Holliday. © 2008 National Academy of Sciences; open reuse permission not established.
Supporting captions and site tables
Catalog: BM-092. Group: Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination.
USA · North Dakota
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
Leonard paleosol with Paleoindian occupations. Identified in Haynes (2008); original panel extracted without enhancement.
Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination
Supporting Fig. 6e · 2008
Reuse: Photograph: Stanley A. Ahler; courtesy Center for the Study of the First Americans. © 2008 National Academy of Sciences; open reuse permission not established.
Supporting captions and site tables
Catalog: BM-093. Group: Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination.
USA · Colorado
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
Dark soil above Peoria loess. Identified in Haynes (2008); original panel extracted without enhancement.
Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination
Supporting Fig. 6f · 2008
Reuse: Photograph: C. Vance Haynes Jr.. © 2008 National Academy of Sciences; open reuse permission not established.
Supporting captions and site tables
Catalog: BM-094. Group: Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination.
USA · Wyoming
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
Goshen paleosol. Identified in Haynes (2008); original panel extracted without enhancement.
Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination
Supporting Fig. 7a · 2008
Reuse: Photograph: C. Vance Haynes Jr.. © 2008 National Academy of Sciences; open reuse permission not established.
Supporting captions and site tables
Catalog: BM-095. Group: Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination.
USA · Wyoming
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
Multiple dark bands alternate with alluvium. Identified in Haynes (2008); original panel extracted without enhancement.
Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination
Supporting Fig. 7b · 2008
Reuse: Photograph: C. Vance Haynes Jr.. © 2008 National Academy of Sciences; open reuse permission not established.
Supporting captions and site tables
Catalog: BM-096. Group: Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination.
USA · South Dakota
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
Dark soil over an erosion surface. Identified in Haynes (2008); original panel extracted without enhancement.
Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination
Supporting Fig. 7c · 2008
Reuse: Photograph: C. Vance Haynes Jr.. © 2008 National Academy of Sciences; open reuse permission not established.
Supporting captions and site tables
Catalog: BM-097. Group: Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination.
USA · Oklahoma
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
Organic sediment above the mammoth. Identified in Haynes (2008); original panel extracted without enhancement.
Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination
Supporting Fig. 7d · 2008
Reuse: Photograph: Frank C. Leonhardy. © 2008 National Academy of Sciences; open reuse permission not established.
Supporting captions and site tables
Catalog: BM-098. Group: Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination.
USA · Texas
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
Lake sediment above the occupation surface. Identified in Haynes (2008); original panel extracted without enhancement.
Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination
Supporting Fig. 7e · 2008
Reuse: Photograph: C. Reid Ferring. © 2008 National Academy of Sciences; open reuse permission not established.
Supporting captions and site tables
Catalog: BM-099. Group: Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination.
USA · Wyoming
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
Probable Younger Dryas paleosol. Identified in Haynes (2008); original panel extracted without enhancement.
Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination
Supporting Fig. 7f · 2008
Reuse: Photograph: C. Vance Haynes Jr.. © 2008 National Academy of Sciences; open reuse permission not established.
Supporting captions and site tables
Catalog: BM-100. Group: Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination.
USA · South Dakota
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
Dark soil with Paleoindian occupations. Identified in Haynes (2008); original panel extracted without enhancement.
Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination
Supporting Fig. 8b · 2008
Reuse: Photograph: C. Vance Haynes Jr.. © 2008 National Academy of Sciences; open reuse permission not established.
Supporting captions and site tables
Catalog: BM-102. Group: Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination.
USA · Arizona
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
Localized remnant of peat. Identified in Haynes (2008); original panel extracted without enhancement.
Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination
Supporting Fig. 8d · 2008
Reuse: Photograph: C. Vance Haynes Jr.. © 2008 National Academy of Sciences; open reuse permission not established.
Supporting captions and site tables
Catalog: BM-104. Group: Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination.
USA · Texas
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
Cienega soil beneath the Leanne paleosol. Identified in Haynes (2008); original panel extracted without enhancement.
Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination
Supporting Fig. 8e · 2008
Reuse: Photograph: Vance T. Holliday. © 2008 National Academy of Sciences; open reuse permission not established.
Supporting captions and site tables
Catalog: BM-105. Group: Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination.
USA · Montana
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
Multiple organic stringers. Identified in Haynes (2008); original panel extracted without enhancement.
Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination
Supporting Fig. 8f · 2008
Reuse: Photograph: C. Vance Haynes Jr.. © 2008 National Academy of Sciences; open reuse permission not established.
Supporting captions and site tables
Catalog: BM-106. Group: Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination.
USA · California
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
Dark layers above the bone-bearing deposits. Identified in Haynes (2008); original panel extracted without enhancement.
Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination
Supporting Fig. 9a · 2008
Reuse: Photograph: G. James West. © 2008 National Academy of Sciences; open reuse permission not established.
Supporting captions and site tables
Catalog: BM-107. Group: Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination.
USA · New York
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
Peat above glacial sediment. Identified in Haynes (2008); original panel extracted without enhancement.
Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination
Supporting Fig. 9b · 2008
Reuse: Photograph: Kenneth Tankersley; courtesy Center for the Study of the First Americans. © 2008 National Academy of Sciences; open reuse permission not established.
Supporting captions and site tables
Catalog: BM-108. Group: Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination.
USA · Colorado
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
Dark soil beneath the pick. Identified in Haynes (2008); original panel extracted without enhancement.
Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination
Supporting Fig. 9c · 2008
Reuse: Photograph: C. Vance Haynes Jr.. © 2008 National Academy of Sciences; open reuse permission not established.
Supporting captions and site tables
Catalog: BM-109. Group: Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination.
USA · Colorado
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
Bone-bed context within dark soil. Identified in Haynes (2008); original panel extracted without enhancement.
Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination
Supporting Fig. 9d · 2008
Reuse: Photograph: C. Vance Haynes Jr.. © 2008 National Academy of Sciences; open reuse permission not established.
Supporting captions and site tables
Catalog: BM-110. Group: Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination.
USA · Colorado
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
Channel fill and dark overlying sediment. Identified in Haynes (2008); original panel extracted without enhancement.
Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination
Supporting Fig. 9e · 2008
Reuse: Photograph: C. Vance Haynes Jr.. © 2008 National Academy of Sciences; open reuse permission not established.
Supporting captions and site tables
Catalog: BM-111. Group: Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination.
USA · North Dakota
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
Strongly bioturbated dark soil. Identified in Haynes (2008); original panel extracted without enhancement.
Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination
Supporting Fig. 9f · 2008
Reuse: Photograph: C. Vance Haynes Jr.. © 2008 National Academy of Sciences; open reuse permission not established.
Supporting captions and site tables
Catalog: BM-112. Group: Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination.
USA · North Dakota
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
Leonard paleosol above loess. Identified in Haynes (2008); original panel extracted without enhancement.
Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination
Supporting Fig. 10a · 2008
Reuse: Photograph: C. Vance Haynes Jr.. © 2008 National Academy of Sciences; open reuse permission not established.
Supporting captions and site tables
Catalog: BM-113. Group: Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination.
USA · South Dakota
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
Leonard paleosol at the formation base. Identified in Haynes (2008); original panel extracted without enhancement.
Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination
Supporting Fig. 10b · 2008
Reuse: Photograph: C. Vance Haynes Jr.. © 2008 National Academy of Sciences; open reuse permission not established.
Supporting captions and site tables
Catalog: BM-114. Group: Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination.
USA · Arizona
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
Dark mat above beach deposits. Identified in Haynes (2008); original panel extracted without enhancement.
Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination
Supporting Fig. 10c · 2008
Reuse: Photograph: C. Vance Haynes Jr.. © 2008 National Academy of Sciences; open reuse permission not established.
Supporting captions and site tables
Catalog: BM-115. Group: Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination.
USA · Nevada
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
Dark Younger Dryas paleosol. Identified in Haynes (2008); original panel extracted without enhancement.
Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination
Supporting Fig. 10d · 2008
Reuse: Photograph: George T. Jones. © 2008 National Academy of Sciences; open reuse permission not established.
Supporting captions and site tables
Catalog: BM-116. Group: Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination.
USA · Oklahoma
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
Lower Nall paleosol beneath Baker paleosol. Identified in Haynes (2008); original panel extracted without enhancement.
Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination
Supporting Fig. 10e · 2008
Reuse: Photograph: Vance T. Holliday. © 2008 National Academy of Sciences; open reuse permission not established.
Supporting captions and site tables
Catalog: BM-117. Group: Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination.
USA · North Dakota
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
Dark bands separated by colluvium. Identified in Haynes (2008); original panel extracted without enhancement.
Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination
Supporting Fig. 10f · 2008
Reuse: Photograph: C. Vance Haynes Jr.. © 2008 National Academy of Sciences; open reuse permission not established.
Supporting captions and site tables
Catalog: BM-118. Group: Haynes — Younger Dryas black mats and the Rancholabrean termination.
Photographs of recovered sediment cores with the proposed Younger Dryas boundary interval identified by the source. Start with the annotated White Pond close view, then compare the full cores. These two figures show the same core series, not two independent sites. More verified soil and sediment cores will be added here.
USA · South Carolina
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
Actual sediment-core photomosaics with depth scales, ages, and proxy locations. The red dashed rectangle brackets lithologic Unit II, which contains the proposed YDB interval; it is not a single boundary line. The authors model the onset at about 12,875–12,775 calendar years BP. These are annotated views of the same 2016 cores shown in the 2019 overview below.
Moore et al. — White Pond boundary-layer study
Fig. 12, cores WP16-1 through WP16-4 · 2026
Reuse: CC BY 4.0 — Moore et al. (2026); original annotations retained
Full paper and caption (PDF, page 15)
Catalog: BM-088. Group: Moore et al. — White Pond boundary-layer study.
USA · South Carolina
Younger Dryas / proposed boundary
Photomosaics of four sediment cores, aligned at the mud-to-peat transition at the top of Unit II. The dark organic-rich unit preserves the interval investigated for the Younger Dryas boundary. Depths differ among cores; the modern surface peat is not the proposed boundary. Enlarge to compare the labeled units.
Moore et al. — White Pond sediment cores
Supplementary Fig. 9 · 2019
Reuse: CC BY 4.0 — Moore et al.; figure extracted without altering its labels
Open-access supplementary files (Europe PMC ZIP)
Catalog: BM-081. Group: Moore et al. — White Pond sediment cores / Supplementary Fig. 9.
Compiled from the Tusk archive, research papers, institutional collections, and field presentations. The clearest examples appear first. Haynes’s supporting plates are presented as individual site photographs, with links back to the complete plates and captions. Other composite figures retain their panels; related views are identified.
This is a growing inventory of suspected black mats and related profiles, not a claim that every pictured layer represents the same event. Source dates are publication dates unless otherwise stated. Credits and known reuse terms accompany each photograph; inclusion here does not grant permission to republish it.
Download the source-linked catalog (JSON)These leads are kept separate because the photographs or their provenance still need verification.
Thesis download blocked. Tusk has two figure screenshots; panel identities include Altdarss, Blankenförde, Geldrop-Aalsterhut, Katarzynka, Lommel, Lutterzand, Murray Springs and Rosenberg.
Current URL returned 403. CDX capture confirmed; replay not verified.
PDF recovered; relevant photo still needs page-level verification.
Presentation photo is cataloged; original publication photo provenance still to resolve.
Old source URL returned 404. Find institutional replacement.
Page access restricted; image-level source and license not verified.
Promising additional institutional photos; not individually inventoried in this snapshot.
Site/trench imagery may provide context; visible black-mat photograph not verified.
