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Holocene Foraminifera as Indicators of Relative Estuarine-Lagoonal and Oceanic Influences in Estuarine Sediments of the River Murray, South Australia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

John H. Cann ,
Robert P. Bourman  and
Elizabeth J. Barnett
John H. Cann
Affiliation:
School of Engineering (Applied Geology), University of South Australia, Levels Campus, Mawson Lakes Boulevard, Mawson Lakes, South Australia 5095
Robert P. Bourman
Affiliation:
School of Environmental and Recreation Management, University of South Australia, Levels Campus, Mawson Lakes Boulevard, Mawson Lakes, South Australia 5095
Elizabeth J. Barnett
Affiliation:
Mawson Graduate Centre for Environmental Studies, University of Adelaide, South Australia 5005
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Abstract

In southeastern South Australia, the River Murray debouches through a coastal barrier separating euryhaline estuarine-lagoonal waters from the Southern Ocean. Depending upon the relative freshwater outflow of the river and ingress of the ocean, water salinity varies greatly within the lower estuary. Ammonia beccarii and Elphidium articulatum are euryhaline species of foraminifera that characterize the estuary and back-barrier Coorong Lagoon. The inner-shelf marine environment hosts an assemblage in which Discorbis dimidiatus, E. crispum, E. macelliforme, and various cibicidid species predominate. In cored sediments recovered from the shallow lower estuary, the relative abundance of A. beccarii + E. articulatum was compared with that of D. dimidiatus + E. crispum + E. macelliforme + other species. These data, and AMS radiocarbon ages determined for foraminifera and ostracods, provide evidence of a change from maximum oceanic influence (5255 ± 60 yr B.P.) to maximum estuarine influence (3605 ± 70 yr B.P.). Over this same time interval, sea level fell relatively by about 2 m. However, the event was also contemporaneous with falling water levels in several Victorian lakes, and it is thus attributed to onset of climatic aridity. Reduced precipitation in the River Murray catchment and reduced freshwater outflow enhanced development of the flood-tide delta and constriction of the mouth.

Keywords

Coorong LagoonforaminiferaHoloceneLake KeilambeteostracodspaleoclimatesradiocarbonRiver Murraysea levelSouth Australia
Type
Research Article
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 53 , Issue 3 , May 2000 , pp. 378 - 391
Copyright
University of Washington

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