Description:
We report the first observations of Holocene cryptotephra deposits in lacustrine sediments from mainland Australia. All counts of cryptotephra shards are presented, but we focus on two prominent peaks of dark coloured glass shards representing, distinct cryptotephras within the sediments of Lake Keilambete, Victoria, southeast Australia. These two basaltic cryptotephras, aged 4589-3826 cal BP and 7149-5897 cal BP, may have derived from eruptions of Mts Gambier or Schank, South Australia. In addition, colourless shards, most likely of silicic composition and therefore unlikely to emanate from an Australian volcano were observed, suggesting a distant volcanic source beyond Australia. The presence of both the 'local' basaltic shards and the distal silicic shards highlights the potential to identify isochronous marker horizons in southern Australian sediments, thus potentially enabling a long-term goal of establishing a novel chronostratigraphic tool based on a cryptotephra network. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Description:
We report the first observations of Holocene cryptotephra deposits in lacustrine sediments from mainland Australia. All counts of cryptotephra shards are presented, but we focus on two prominent peaks of dark coloured glass shards representing, distinct cryptotephras within the sediments of Lake Keilambete, Victoria, southeast Australia. These two basaltic cryptotephras, aged 4589-3826 cal BP and 7149-5897 cal BP, may have derived from eruptions of Mts Gambier or Schank, South Australia. In addition, colourless shards, most likely of silicic composition and therefore unlikely to emanate from an Australian volcano were observed, suggesting a distant volcanic source beyond Australia. The presence of both the 'local' basaltic shards and the distal silicic shards highlights the potential to identify isochronous marker horizons in southern Australian sediments, thus potentially enabling a long-term goal of establishing a novel chronostratigraphic tool based on a cryptotephra network. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Description:
Ostracods are microscopic, aquatic Crustacea with calcareous carapaces and are common components of estuarine ecosystems. The valves of ostracods are commonly preserved in sediment and thus can be very useful for reconstruction of palaeoenvironmental conditions. Utilising a combination of assemblage composition, ecophenotypy, taphonomy and shell chemistry (stable isotope and trace element), a great deal can be determined about estuarine formation and evolution, such as past salinity, water temperature, hydrochemistry, substrate characteristics and nutrient availability. Here, I provide an overview of how ostracods can be utilised in palaeo-studies of estuaries with examples that include hydrodynamic change, sea-level and climate variability, and the impact of pollution.
Description:
Gippsland Pride embarked on an ambitious undertaking to capture the lived experiences of the LGBTQIA+ community across Gippsland through a series of professional development workshops and a Gippsland wide survey. A total of 119 people registered to attend the professional development workshops and a total of 214 surveys were collected, this report represents the findings from this data collection. The purpose of this evidence-based report is to highlight the thoughts and experiences of members of the Gippsland LGBTQIA+ community to inform future strategic plans. The summary report and the expanded report are products of Gippsland Pride's engagement of CERG. The recommendations within and summaries provided have been collated, analysed, and produced by the CERG team.
Description:
Gippsland Pride embarked on an ambitious undertaking to capture the lived experiences of the LGBTQIA+ community across Gippsland through a series of professional development workshops and a Gippsland wide survey. A total of 119 people registered to attend the professional development workshops and a total of 214 surveys were collected, this report represents the findings from this data collection. The purpose of this evidence-based report is to highlight the thoughts and experiences of members of the Gippsland LGBTQIA+ community to inform future strategic plans. The summary report and the expanded report are products of Gippsland Pride's engagement of CERG. The recommendations within and summaries provided have been collated, analysed, and produced by the CERG team.
Description:
Summary of the findings of Gippsland Rainbow Brick Road Project report - Gippsland Pride Inc. embarked on an ambitious undertaking to capture the lived experiences of the LGBTQIA+ community across Gippsland through a series of professional development workshops and a Gippsland wide survey. A total of 119 people registered to attend the professional development workshops and a total of 214 surveys were collected, this report presents a summary of the findings from this data collection. The purpose of this evidence-based report is to highlight the thoughts and experiences of members of the Gippsland LGBTQIA+ community to inform future strategic plans.
Description:
Summary of the findings of Gippsland Rainbow Brick Road Project report Gippsland Pride Inc. embarked on an ambitious undertaking to capture the lived experiences of the LGBTQIA+ community across Gippsland through a series of professional development workshops and a Gippsland wide survey. A total of 119 people registered to attend the professional development workshops and a total of 214 surveys were collected, this report presents a summary of the findings from this data collection. The purpose of this evidence-based report is to highlight the thoughts and experiences of members of the Gippsland LGBTQIA+ community to inform future strategic plans.
Description:
During routine chemical analyses of the stalked ibliform barnacle Chaetolepas calcitergum Buckeridge & Newman 2006, peaks of more than 7% (by dry mass) of bromine were detected. Although bromine ions occur in seawater (up to 66 ppm), this level of accumulation, in the soft tissue of the barnacle, is extraordinary. Organic concentration of bromine compounds occurs in a number of invertebrates, such as algae and sponges, but this is the first record of elevated bromine in goose barnacles. The high accumulation of bromine compound(s) is most likely a defense mechanism. The present paper includes a review of the mechanisms deployed by barnacles to repel predators.
Description:
This special issue, produced by the members of the Australasian INTegration of Ice core, MArine and TErrestrial records (AUS-INTIMATE) group, represents the culmination of a project spanning just on ten years. INTIMATE was first established as a core programme of the INQUA Palaeoclimate Commission in 1995 at the XIVth INQUA Congress in Berlin and aimed to establish a more detailed knowledge of the nature, timing and regional-to-global extent of climatic and environmental changes associated with Termination I (the end of the last glaciation). Facilitated through a series of international workshops, the project aimed to improve precision in correlating climatic events and associated ages for Termination I (e.g. Bjorck et al., 1998; Lowe and Hoek, 2001). INTIMATE then gradually expanded its focus from the North Atlantic to other regions.
Description:
Environmental evolution of the Gulf of Carpentaria region, the world's largest tropical epicontinental seaway, through the last glacial cycle has been determined from a series of six sediment cores. These cores form the focus of a multi-disciplinary study to elucidate sea level, climate and environmental change in the region. The sedimentary record reveals a series of facies including open shallow marine, marginal marine, estuarine, lacustrine and subaerial exposure, throughout the extent of the basin during this period. The partial or complete closure of the central basin from marine waters results from sea level falling below the height of one or both of the sills that border the Gulf-the Arafura Sill to the west (53 m below present sea level (bpsl)) and Torres Strait to the east (12 m bpsl). The extent and timing of these closures, and restriction of the shallow waterbody within, are intrinsic to local ocean circulation, available latent heat transport and the movement of people and animals between Australia and New Guinea. Whilst the occurrence of the palaeo-Lake Carpentaria has previously been identified, this study expands on the hydrological conditions of the lacustrine phases and extends the record through the Last Interglacial, detailing the previous sea-level highstand (MIS 5.5) and subsequent retreat. When sea levels were low during the MIS 6 glacial period, the Gulf was largely subaerially exposed and traversed by meandering rivers. The MIS 5 transgression (∼130 ka BP) led to marine then alternating marine/estuarine conditions through to MIS 4 (∼70 ka BP) when a protracted lacustrine phase, of varying salinity and depth/area, and including periods of near desiccation, persisted until about 12.2 cal ka BP. The lake expanded to near maximum size (∼190 000 km2) following the intensification/restoration of the Australian monsoon at 14 ka BP. This lake-full phase was short-lived, as by 12.2 cal ka BP, marine waters were entering the basin, coincident with the progressive sea-level rise. Fully marine conditions were restored by about 10.5 cal ka BP by westward connection to the Arafura Sea (Indian Ocean), whereas connections to the Pacific Ocean (Coral Sea) did not occur until about 8 cal ka BP.