Geochemical evolution of Lake Deborah East, prototype salt lake in the relict drainage of the Yilgarn River of Western Australia

Salama, R. B.; Barber, Chris; Hosking, Jan; Briegel, D.

doi:10.1080/08120099208728051

Cited by 13 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…These playas are also fed my marine aerosols (Chivas et al, 1991), are positioned in drainage systems (Jacobson et al, 1988;Clarke, 1994) and experience losses by deflation and overflow (Salma et al, 1992). Some of the playas even feature gypsum dunes (Chen et al, 1991) and equally promote pedogenic gypsum crust formation.…”

Section: W I N D S C O U R E D R E G O L I T Hmentioning

confidence: 98%

The role of playas in pedogenic gypsum crust formation in the Central Namib Desert: a theoretical model

Eckardt

Drake

Goudie

et al. 2001

Earth Surf Processes Landf

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The formation of Namibia's extensive pedogenic gypsum crusts CaSO 4 Ð2H 2 O is interpreted in a new light. It is suggested that gypsum primarily precipitates at isolated points of evaporitic concentration, such as inland playas, and that deflation of evaporitic-rich gypsum dust from these playas contributes to the formation of pedogenic gypsum duricrusts on the coastal gravel plains of the Namib Desert surrounding these playas. This study establishes the nature, extent and distribution of playas in the Central Namib Desert and provides evidence for playa gypsum deflation and gravel plain deposition. Remote sensing shows the distribution of playas, captures ongoing deflation and provides evidence of gypsum deflation. It is proposed that, following primary marine aerosol deposition, both inland playas and coastal sabkhas generate gypsum which through the process of playa deflation and gravel plain redeposition contributes to the extensive pedogenic crusts found in the Namib Desert region.

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Section: W I N D S C O U R E D R E G O L I T Hmentioning

confidence: 98%

The role of playas in pedogenic gypsum crust formation in the Central Namib Desert: a theoretical model

Eckardt

Drake

Goudie

et al. 2001

Earth Surf Processes Landf

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“…Discharge of salt from groundwater into playa lakes and river systems has been occurring in southwestern Australia for hundreds of thousands of years (Salama et al 1992, Salama 1997. Consequently, the region contains large numbers of lentic species such as brine shrimp adapted to hypersaline conditions (De Deckker 1983).…”

Section: Salinity Tolerancesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distribution and environmental tolerances of aquatic macroinvertebrate families in the agricultural zone of southwestern Australia

Kay¹,

Halse²,

Scanlon³

et al. 2001

Journal of the North American Benthological Society

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The agricultural zone of southwestern Australia is an extensively modified landscape. Ninety percent of the perennial native vegetation has been cleared and replaced by annual cereal crops and pasture. Consequently, groundwater has risen and much of the region is affected by dryland salinity. River geomorphology and water quality have been severely impacted by land clearing, anthropogenic patterns of land use, and secondary salinization. The objectives of this study were to determine patterns of distribution of aquatic macroinvertebrates in the region, and to identify environmental variables influencing these patterns. Aquatic macroinvertebrates were sampled at 176 river sites during spring 1997 and a range of environmental data were collected at each site. Eighty-one families were collected, with the fauna being dominated by insects. At the family level, macroinvertebrate communities were homogeneous and depauperate, and consisted of families that tolerated a broad range of environmental conditions. The fauna was particularly resilient to high salinities, with some families tolerating salinities orders of magnitude greater than previously reported for lotic waters. The most significant environmental factors influencing the distribution of aquatic invertebrates were rainfall, salinity, land use, and instream habitat.

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“…In short, uplift of the western and southern margins of the Yilgarn Craton during the early Cenozoic reconfigured regional drainage networks, which previously exported weathering products to the western and southern Australian coasts, such that they became internally draining ( Mulcahy et al, 1972 ; Lillicrap and George, 2010 ). Subsequent inland accumulation of sediments and salts, coupled with drying of the continental climate as Australia shifted north during the breakup of Gondwana, gave rise to the numerous salt lakes and saline river systems present today ( Salama et al, 1992 , 1993 ; Commander et al, 2001 ; George et al, 2008 ). Most catchments are internally draining with lakes at the terminus, though some can overflow and connect during exceptional rainfall events ( Salama, 1997 ; Commander et al, 2001 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microbial Community Structure Is Most Strongly Associated With Geographical Distance and pH in Salt Lake Sediments

et al. 2022

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Salt lakes are globally significant microbial habitats, hosting substantial novel microbial diversity and functional capacity. Extremes of salinity and pH both pose major challenges for survival of microbial life in terrestrial and aquatic environments, and are frequently cited as primary influences on microbial diversity across a wide variety of environments. However, few studies have attempted to identify spatial and geochemical contributions to microbial community composition, functional capacity, and environmental tolerances in salt lakes, limiting exploration of novel halophilic and halotolerant microbial species and their potential biotechnological applications. Here, we collected sediment samples from 16 salt lakes at pH values that ranged from pH 4 to 9, distributed across 48,000 km2 of the Archaean Yilgarn Craton in southwestern Australia to identify associations between environmental factors and microbial community composition, and used a high throughput culturing approach to identify the limits of salt and pH tolerance during iron and sulfur oxidation in these microbial communities. Geographical distance between lakes was the primary contributor to variation in microbial community composition, with pH identified as the most important geochemical contributor to variation in microbial community composition. Microbial community composition split into two clear groups by pH: Bacillota dominated microbial communities in acidic saline lakes, whereas Euryarchaeota dominated microbial communities in alkaline saline lakes. Iron oxidation was observed at salinities up to 160 g L–1 NaCl at pH values as low as pH 1.5, and sulfur oxidation was observed at salinities up to 160 g L–1 NaCl between pH values 2–10, more than doubling previously observed tolerances to NaCl salinity amongst cultivable iron and sulfur oxidizers at these extreme pH values. OTU level diversity in the salt lake microbial communities emerged as the major indicator of iron- and sulfur-oxidizing capacity and environmental tolerances to extremes of pH and salinity. Overall, when bioprospecting for novel microbial functional capacity and environmental tolerances, our study supports sampling from remote, previously unexplored, and maximally distant locations, and prioritizing for OTU level diversity rather than present geochemical conditions.

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Geochemical evolution of Lake Deborah East, prototype salt lake in the relict drainage of the Yilgarn River of Western Australia

Cited by 13 publications

References 21 publications

The role of playas in pedogenic gypsum crust formation in the Central Namib Desert: a theoretical model

The role of playas in pedogenic gypsum crust formation in the Central Namib Desert: a theoretical model

Distribution and environmental tolerances of aquatic macroinvertebrate families in the agricultural zone of southwestern Australia

Microbial Community Structure Is Most Strongly Associated With Geographical Distance and pH in Salt Lake Sediments

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