Depositional timing and palaeoclimate interpretation of the Tamala Limestone aeolianites in Shark Bay, Western Australia

Abstract

• AAR dating shows an aging of the Tamala Limestone aeolianites towards the east. • The Tamala Limestone aeolianites are landward-advancing (i.e., transverse) dunes that have migrated from west to east. • Dune accumulation occurred during dry/cold glacials of the Pleistocene period. • Dune activity in the region is strongly linked to a weak Leeuwin Current. • Dune accumulation occurred during a northward shift of both the Hadley and Ferrel cells. The carbonate units grouped under the name “Tamala Limestone” outcrop for a thousand kilometres along the coast of Western Australia. The extensive Zuytdorp Cliffs shaping the northern half of the coastline up to Shark Bay expose and offer an exceptional access to the stratigraphy of this formation. The regional survey of the Shark Bay region, which combines both stratigraphic and sedimentological analyses, reveals that the Tamala Limestone is a dry accumulating aeolian system composed of large transverse dunes migrating parallel to the prevailing winds. Accordingly, the amino acid-data show an aging of the units towards the east. Episodes of carbonate aeolian sedimentation correlate with the successive glacial intervals of the Pleistocene whilst paleosols are correlated with breaks in the sedimentation during interglacial intervals. Palaeoclimate reconstructions reveal that sea level and sea surface temperature of the Indo-Pacific Warm Pool were lower during glacial intervals. The weakened Leeuwin Current, which flows along the western coast of Australia and is the main source of precipitation, contributed to the aridification of the region. Consequently, and associated with a northward migration of the Hadley and Ferrel cells, periods of glaciation were drier. By contrast, paleosols developed through dissolution of the carbonate units during more humid interglacial intervals.