Late Quaternary climates of the Australian arid zone: a review

Hesse, Paul; Magee, John; Kaars, Sander van der

doi:10.1016/s1040-6182(03)00132-0

Cited by 257 publications

(181 citation statements)

References 74 publications

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“…In such a scenario, the measured ( 234 U/ 238 U) ratios of the valley-fill deposits would reflect a mixture between higher ( 234 U/ 238 U), 'shorter' comminution age fluvial material and lower ( 234 U/ 238 U), 'longer' comminution age recycled sediment. The trend of increasing disequilibria with decreasing depositional age is consistent with an increasing contribution of 'older' recycled aeolian sediment in the younger deposits and would be expected if relative aridity and dust flux increased towards the LGM (e.g., Bowler, 1976;Hesse et al, 2004). Furthermore, if the floor of Lake Torrens has been lowered by ~ 2.5 m during the last glacial period due to wind erosion, the most recent contribution of dust from the lake bed would be of greater depositional age and therefore, potentially of older comminution age, amplifying the effect of lower ( (Table 1 footnote) are distinct from one another, suggesting that the fine-grained fraction of the sand dune deposit is of different provenance to the bedrock and is likely to be aeolian derived but the Sr-Nd isotopic ratios of the valley-fill sediments were not determined in this study.…”

Section: Complex Sedimentary Systemssupporting

confidence: 71%

Considerations for U-series dating of sediments: Insights from the Flinders Ranges, South Australia

Handley¹,

Turner²,

Dosseto³

et al. 2013

Chemical Geology

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Uranium isotope ratios have been determined for the fine-grained detrital fraction of Pleistocene Wilkawillina valley-fill sediments, four local Proterozoic bedrock samples and fine-grained aeolian material from a sand dune deposit of the Flinders Ranges, South Australia. The aim was to quantify the comminution age, i.e. the time elapsed since physical weathering of the bedrock, and residence time of the valley-fill sediments and to place tighter constraints on input parameters for the comminution age calculation. Despite using two independent approaches for determination of the recoil lost fraction of 234U from the sediment (weighted geometric and surface area estimates), samples fail to produce realistic comminution ages and hence, residence times. The issues involved in the ability to determine sediment comminution ages are discussed. The (234U/238U) activity ratio of the local bedrock is not in secular equilibrium, despite the bedrock being much older than 1Ma, i.e. the timeframe for 234U and 238U to reach secular equilibrium in a closed system. Using the average Flinders Ranges bedrock (234U/238U) ratio instead of an assumed (234U/238U) activity ratio of unity for the source would significantly reduce calculated residence times. This result warrants concern for future studies using the comminution approach for which a secular equilibrium source (234U/238U) activity ratio is assumed. Significant input of aeolian material may modify the measured (234U/238U) activity ratios. Such input may be more tightly constrained in future studies using rare earth element and radiogenic isotopic data. Future comminution studies would benefit from further consideration of the importance of 1) leaching lost 234U from source rock and bulk sediment samples, 2) wind deposition of fine-grained material and 3) the appropriateness and robustness of sample pre-treatment procedures. AbstractUranium isotope ratios have been determined for the fine-grained detrital fraction of Pleistocene Wilkawillina valley-fill sediments, four local Proterozoic bedrock samples and fine-grained aeolian material from a sand dune deposit of the Flinders Ranges, South Australia. The aim was to quantify the comminution age, i.e. the time elapsed since physical weathering of the bedrock, and residence time of the valley-fill sediments and to place tighter constraints on input parameters for the comminution age calculation. Despite using two independent approaches for determination of the recoil lost fraction of 234 U from the sediment (weighted geometric and surface area estimates), samples fail to produce realistic comminution ages and hence, residence times. The issues involved in the ability to determine sediment comminution ages are discussed. The ( 234 U/ 238 U) activity ratio of the local bedrock is not in secular equilibrium, despite the bedrock being much older than 1 Ma, i.e. the timeframe for 234 U and 238 U to reach secular equilibrium in a closed system. Using the average Flinders Ranges bedrock ( 234 U/ 238 U) ratio instead of an ass...

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Section: Complex Sedimentary Systemssupporting

confidence: 71%

Considerations for U-series dating of sediments: Insights from the Flinders Ranges, South Australia

Handley¹,

Turner²,

Dosseto³

et al. 2013

Chemical Geology

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“…Similarly, glacially wet conditions pertained in glacial age catchments in the Flinders Ranges (Williams et al 2001). Basins more distant from effective water supply, between or away from streams, responded more sensitively to the onset of aridity (Nanson et al 1992;Kershaw and Nanson 1993;Magee et al 1995;Hesse et al 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wind v water: Glacial maximum records from the Willandra Lakes

Bowler¹,

Gillespie²,

Johnston³

et al. 2012

Peopled Landscapes: Archaeological and Biogeographic Approaches to Landscapes

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“…First, the spatial analytical results are derived from the modern distribution of permanent water points in the landscape. Of course, it is likely that substantially less water was available across the continent at some times in the past and particularly during the Last Glacial Maximum (47,48). However, during the millennia following human arrival, the hydroclimate at the continental scale cycled several times through conditions similar to modern conditions, toward both wetter and drier periods, potentially with different timing and to differing degrees from the south to the north of the continent (48)(49)(50)(51).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Humans, water, and the colonization of Australia

Bird

O’Grady

Ulm

2016

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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The Pleistocene global dispersal of modern humans required the transit of arid and semiarid regions where the distribution of potable water provided a primary constraint on dispersal pathways. Here, we provide a spatially explicit continental-scale assessment of the opportunities for Pleistocene human occupation of Australia, the driest inhabited continent on Earth. We establish the location and connectedness of persistent water in the landscape using the Australian Water Observations from Space dataset combined with the distribution of small permanent water bodies (springs, gnammas, native wells, waterholes, and rockholes). Results demonstrate a high degree of directed landscape connectivity during wet periods and a high density of permanent water points widely but unevenly distributed across the continental interior. A connected network representing the least-cost distance between water bodies and graded according to terrain cost shows that 84% of archaeological sites >30,000 y old are within 20 km of modern permanent water. We further show that multiple, well-watered routes into the semiarid and arid continental interior were available throughout the period of early human occupation. Depletion of high-ranked resources over time in these paleohydrological corridors potentially drove a wave of dispersal farther along well-watered routes to patches with higher foraging returns.Sahul | Pleistocene colonization | radiocarbon | human dispersal | paleohydrological corridor

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Late Quaternary climates of the Australian arid zone: a review

Cited by 257 publications

References 74 publications

Considerations for U-series dating of sediments: Insights from the Flinders Ranges, South Australia

Considerations for U-series dating of sediments: Insights from the Flinders Ranges, South Australia

Wind v water: Glacial maximum records from the Willandra Lakes

Humans, water, and the colonization of Australia

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