1. Luminescence dating of spring mound deposits in the southwestern Great Artesian Basin, northern South Australia
- Author
-
M. A. Habermehl and John R. Prescott
- Subjects
Hydrology ,geography ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,Thermoluminescence dating ,Artesian aquifer ,Geochemistry ,Aquifer ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,chemistry ,Tufa ,Spring (hydrology) ,Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous) ,General Earth and Planetary Sciences ,Carbonate ,Groundwater discharge ,Groundwater ,Geology - Abstract
Artesian spring mound deposits in the southwestern part of the Great Artesian Basin arise from groundwater discharge from flowing springs in the southern and western margins which reaches the surface through faults and weaknesses in thin confining beds overlying the Mesozoic artesian aquifers. Carbonate in solution in the artesian groundwater is deposited by many springs as tufa, building ‘spring mounds.’ Active flowing and dry inactive spring mounds occur in a variety of sizes and shapes. The ages of a representative selection of spring mound deposits have been found by luminescence dating of quartz sand grains that have been incorporated in the mound deposits. The spring deposits of the active flowing springs, Big Bubbler, Blanche Cup and Beresford Spring have ages of 15.1 ± 2.2, 10.9 ± 1.5 and 13.9 ± 1.0 ka, respectively. Spring complexes with both active flowing and dry extinct mounds, Strangways and Beresford Springs, have ages of 60 ± 8 and 219 ± 35 ka, respectively. Spring deposits of springs which...
- Published
- 2008