Elsevier

Journal of Arid Environments

Volume 122, November 2015, Pages 93-108
Journal of Arid Environments

Late Quaternary evolution of a playa margin at Lake Frome, South Australia

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2015.06.012Get rights and content

Highlights

  • Playa margin at Lake Frome links lacustrine and shoreline records.

  • Chronostratigraphy covers >100 ka.

  • Fluvio-deltaic sediments and high local runoff during MIS 5.

  • Lower lake levels during the Holocene.

  • Complex shoreline processes expressed in diverse playa marginal geomorphology.

Abstract

Playa margins are often characterised by a wide spectrum of landforms, which provide links between major lake stands, as recorded by beach ridges, and the detailed stratigraphic and paleoenvironmental information stored in lacustrine sediments. We mapped playa marginal geomorphology at Lake Frome, South Australia, documented the sedimentary characteristics, and analysed microfossil assemblages in selected sediments. Using a luminescence based approach, the sediments were summarised in four main stratigraphic units. During the later stages of Marine Isotope Stage (MIS)5 fluvio-deltaic sediments were deposited (Unit 1), indicating significant runoff from the adjacent Flinders Ranges into partly freshwater-dominated lakes. No sediments were dated between ∼70 and 25 ka, but renewed sediment delivery from the Flinders Ranges and re-deposition characterised the playa margin LGM and the early Holocene (Unit 2). The most recent phase of depositional activity is reflected by source-bordering dunes and lake marginal spit formation (Unit 3). Short-lived flooding events in the late Holocene are recorded by lake floor sediments and terminal splays (Unit 4). Our findings outline a dynamic late Quaternary playa margin, and highlight the complementary role which playa marginal landforms and sediments may play for the interpretation of runoff, sedimentary dynamics and paleoenvironments related to high regional lake levels.

Introduction

Lakes are sensitive archives for the reconstruction of paleoenvironments and hydrology, and can thus provide crucial data for an improved understanding of past regional to global-scale changes in atmospheric circulation systems in the Quaternary (Harrison, 1993, Street-Perrott and Harrison, 1985). In Australia, the large endorheic playa lake systems of lakes Eyre, Frome, Callabonna, Blanche and Gregory are situated in the arid interior of the continent, and have played a central role in reconstructing regional-scale changes in paleoenvironments and hydrology (Nanson and Price, 1998). Early studies made use of discontinuous lacustrine sedimentary archives in the central parts of the lake basins to infer changes in depositional environments over time (Bowler et al., 1986, Magee et al., 1995). The chronology and sedimentology of shoreline, fluvial and aeolian sediments has been used to indicate that these dry playa lakes in the now arid centre of Australia had repeatedly filled to form a continuous water body or mega-lake with a maximum extent of nearly 35,000 km2 (DeVogel et al., 2004, Leon and Cohen, 2012, Magee et al., 2004).

More recently, the detailed survey of the lake floor topography (Leon and Cohen, 2012) and shoreline geomorphology (Nanson et al., 1998) in combination with the increasing availability of chronological data from beach ridges around these mega-lakes (Cohen et al., 2015, Cohen et al., 2012, Cohen et al., 2011) have placed new constraints on both timing and magnitude of peak lake levels and volumes during these mega-lake events. Peak highstands with maximum water depths of ∼20–25 m and >15 m at Lake Eyre and Lake Frome/Callabonna, respectively, occurred exclusively in the first half of the last glacial cycle prior to ∼50 ka (Cohen et al., 2012, Magee et al., 2004), while no significant evidence for filling events has been reported from Lake Eyre during the last 45–50 ka (Cohen et al., 2015, Magee and Miller, 1998, Magee et al., 2004). In contrast, successively younger and lower lake levels are recorded around the southernmost internally draining playa lakes Frome and Callabonna during the same time (Cohen et al., 2012, Cohen et al., 2011), raising the question if this divergence could result from regionally differing responses to lake-specific hydrologic boundary conditions and thresholds (Benson and Paillet, 1989, Cohen et al., 2012), or may in fact reflect significant changes in runoff and/or precipitation sources related to large-scale shifts in atmospheric circulation pattern (Cohen et al., 2012).

To answer these questions, a more comprehensive understanding of the lake history is required, which could be achieved by combining existing shoreline data with sedimentary and stratigraphic records (Wohl and Enzel, 1995). While the information stored in shoreline records such as beach ridges is generally restricted to the major lake stands (Burrough and Thomas, 2009, Sack and Álvarez, 2001), playa marginal settings provide valuable complementary information on changes in local-scale sedimentary environments during transgressive, regressive and low-stand episodes. This is particularly obvious when considering the wide range of landforms such as aeolian dunes, coastal spits and bars, or terminal fan-delta and splay systems around the modern day margins of the dry playa lakes in Central Australia (Ainsworth et al., 2012, Callen and Tedford, 1976, Croke et al., 1996, Draper and Jensen, 1976, Fisher et al., 2008, Lang et al., 2004). This study presents an overview of these diverse playa marginal landforms, sediments, stratigraphy and chronology in the vicinity of the Balcanoona Creek terminal splay on the western shore of Lake Frome with the objectives of (i) evaluating the potential of playa margins to provide complementary information to link existing shoreline records and lacustrine sediments, and (ii) contribute new data towards linking major changes in regional fluvial activity and lake environments over the late Quaternary.

Section snippets

Regional setting

The Lake Eyre Basin occupies a structural depression in the centre of Australia and drains an area of approximately 1.12 million km2, where rainfall and runoff ranges are highly variable (Alley, 1998, Habeck-Fardy and Nanson, 2014, Magee et al., 1995). In the southern basin, Lake Frome is an ephemeral salt lake or playa located between ∼30 and 31°S, and 139.5–140°E (Fig. 1a, b). With a total area of ∼2700 km2 at an average elevation close to sea level, it is the most southerly playa in an arc

Geomorphology and topography

The geomorphology of the study area was visually interpreted from colour, density and texture patterns in the high-resolution satellite imagery in Google Earth and mapped in ArcGIS 10.0 (Fig. 2); (Verstappen, 1977). Contour lines and mean elevations for some of the mapped landforms were derived from a one arcsecond (∼30 m) digital elevation model (Fig. 3); (Gallant et al., 2011). Most field work was conducted during the dry season of 2011, and complemented by high-resolution topographic

Playa margin geomorphology

Our study area is located at the interface between the lowermost footslopes of large pediments and alluvial fans descending from the Flinders Ranges, and the playa floor of Lake Frome separated by the modern shoreline (Fig. 1, Fig. 2). Based on our topographically corrected DGPS measurements the lake floor in the immediate vicinity of the shoreline and at the spit is ∼1.2 m AHD (Fig. 3), and the geomorphology on both sides of the shoreline shows considerable variability. Most of the northern

Interpretation and discussion

In combination, our geomorphological, stratigraphic, macrofossil and chronological data provide the first record for the evolution of the Lake Frome playa margin over at least ∼90–110 ka, providing the base for the interpretation of types and temporal changes of fluvial, aeolian, lacustrine and coastal processes at the dynamic interface of the shoreline, and the discussion of their paleoenvironmental significance.

Conclusions

This combined geomorphic, sedimentary, microfossil and chronological dataset has enabled the first reconstruction of the late Quaternary evolution of the western playa margin of Lake Frome. As such, it provides new data towards an improved link between previously published records of lake stands as expressed by beach ridges along the western shores of Lake Frome and Callabonna (Cohen et al., 2012, Gliganic et al., 2014), and the detailed sedimentary, paleoenvironmental and geochemical records

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Government of South Australia, for providing a research permit (Y-25926-1) for field work at Lake Frome. Funding was provided to TJC and BGJ by an ARC Discovery Grant (DP 1096911). The thoughtful comments of David Thomas and an anonymous reviewer helped to improve an earlier version of the manuscript.

References (70)

  • G. Duller

    Distinguishing quartz and feldspar in single grain luminescence measurements

    Radiat. Meas.

    (2003)
  • K.E. Fitzsimmons

    Morphological variability in the linear dunefields of the Strzelecki and Tirari deserts, Australia

    Geomorphology

    (2007)
  • K.E. Fitzsimmons et al.

    Characterisation of aeolian sediments from the Strzelecki and Tirari Deserts, Australia: implications for reconstructing palaeoenvironmental conditions

    Sediment. Geol.

    (2009)
  • L.A. Gliganic et al.

    All mixed up: using single-grain equivalent dose distributions to identify phases of pedogenic mixing on a dryland alluvial fan

    Quat. Int.

    (2015)
  • A. Habeck-Fardy et al.

    Environmental character and history of the Lake Eyre Basin, one seventh of the Australian continent

    Earth Sci. Rev.

    (2014)
  • S.P. Harrison

    Late Quaternary lake-level changes and climates of Australia

    Quat. Sci. Rev.

    (1993)
  • J.X. Leon et al.

    An improved bathymetric model for the modern and palaeo Lake Eyre

    Geomorphology

    (2012)
  • J.M. Magee et al.

    Lake Eyre palaeohydrology from 60 ka to the present: beach ridges and glacial maximum aridity

    Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol.

    (1998)
  • J.W. Magee

    Late Quaternary lacustrine, groundwater, aeolian and pedogenic gypsum in the Prungle Lakes, southeastern Australia

    Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol.

    (1991)
  • A.S. Murray et al.

    Luminescence dating of quartz using an improved single-aliquot regenerative-dose protocol

    Radiat. Meas.

    (2000)
  • G.C. Nanson et al.

    Hydroclimatic interpretation of Quaternary shorelines on South Australian playas

    Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol.

    (1998)
  • G.C. Nanson et al.

    Alluvial evidence for major climate and flow regime changes during the middle and late Quaternary in eastern central Australia

    Geomorphology

    (2008)
  • J. Prescott et al.

    Cosmic ray contributions to dose rates for luminescence and ESR dating: large depths and long-term time variations

    Radiat. Meas.

    (1994)
  • M.L. Readhead

    Thermoluminescence dating study of quartz on aeolian sediments from southeastern Australia

    Quat. Sci. Rev.

    (1988)
  • R.G. Roberts et al.

    Distinguishing dose populations in sediment mixtures: a test of single-grain optical dating procedures using mixtures of laboratory-dosed quartz

    Radiat. Meas.

    (2000)
  • A.G. Wintle

    Luminescence dating: laboratory procedures and protocols

    Radiat. Meas.

    (1997)
  • R.B. Ainsworth et al.

    Tidal signatures in an intracratonic playa lake

    Geology

    (2012)
  • M.J. Aitken

    Thermoluminescence Dating

    (1985)
  • E.C.F. Bird

    Coastal Geomorphology: an Introduction

    (2000)
  • J.M. Bowler et al.

    New ages for human occupation and climatic change at Lake Mungo, Australia

    Nature

    (2003)
  • R.V. Burne et al.

    Saline lake charaphytes and their geological significance

    J. Sediment. Petrol.

    (1980)
  • R.A. Callen

    The islands of Lake frome

    Quaterly Notes Geol. Surv. S. Aust.

    (1984)
  • R.A. Callen et al.

    New late cenozoic rock units and depositional environments, Lake frome area, South Australia

    Trans. R. Soc. S. Aust.

    (1976)
  • T.J. Cohen et al.

    Hydrological transformation coincided with megafaunal extinction in central Australia

    Geology

    (2015)
  • T.J. Cohen et al.

    Continental aridification and the vanishing of Australia's megalakes

    Geology

    (2011)
  • Cited by (11)

    • Climatic evolution in the Australian region over the last 94 ka - spanning human occupancy -, and unveiling the Last Glacial Maximum

      2020, Quaternary Science Reviews
      Citation Excerpt :

      After that, a severe hydrological deficit occurred continent-wide that culminated during the LGM, and ended at the onset of the Holocene. Within the Lake Eyre Basin, Lake Frome’s (Fig. 1) lake levels fluctuated (De Deckker et al., 2010; May et al., 2015; Cohen et al., 2015). Equally, Miller et al. (2016a,b) assessed point potential evapotranspiration for February plus March [PPET] from distinct regions of arid/semi-arid Australia, spanning mostly the last glacial/interglacial period based on the δ18O composition of emu eggshells.

    • Uranium series dating of Great Artesian Basin travertine deposits: Implications for palaeohydrogeology and palaeoclimate

      2018, Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology
      Citation Excerpt :

      Further sampling and dating of travertine deposits are required to determine if travertine deposition ages, and hence evidence of GAB discharge, overlap with these periods. Travertine U-series ages in the infilling Sulphuric Springs sample of 20 ka, 15 ka, 12 ka and 10–9 ka, as well as an age of 15 ka from a Strangways Springs sample correspond with wetter periods from a number of proxies throughout Australia, although the Holocene represents a shift to more arid conditions (May et al., 2015). High lake levels were found at Lake Callabonna between 26 and 20 ka (Nanson et al., 1998), Lake Frome and Mt. Chambers alluvial fan between 20 and 16 ka (Bowler et al., 1986; Cohen et al., 2012; Fitzsimmons et al., 2013; Gliganic et al., 2015) and Lake Lewis between 18 and 17 ka (English et al., 2001) highlight northern Australia varied with warmer and wetter periods (Reeves et al., 2013).

    • Palaeoclimate and human occupation in southeastern arid Australia

      2017, Quaternary Science Reviews
      Citation Excerpt :

      Gliganic et al., 2014). There were also short lived flooding events reaching Lake Frome near Balacanoona Creek in the north during the late Holocene (May et al., 2015). Further north at Yudnamutana Cave speleothem growth ceased at ∼5 ka, marking the onset of arid conditions similar to the present (Quigley et al., 2010).

    View all citing articles on Scopus
    1

    Present address: Institute of Earth and Environmental Sciences – Geology, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.

    2

    Present address: Institute for Geology, University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria.

    View full text