Dataset for Northward expansion of westerlies over SE Australia

DOI

The purpose of this study was twofold. Firstly, we established the antiquity of aeolian sedimentary deposits at two sites (Willandra Lakes, Spring Creek) on the proposed margins of the last glacial maximum (LGM) arid zone of southeastern Australia. We collected sediments by driving stainless steel tubes into exposures of the aeolian deposits and determined their age using single grain and single aliquot quartz optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating. We include the relevant OSL data here. Having determined that the deposits in question were of (extended) LGM age, we investigated the likely synoptic conditions responsible for the eastward transport and deposition of these sediments. The second aim of the study involved modelling of the likelihood of aeolian transport by strengthened westerly wind systems during the LGM, compared with the present day. Here we provide wind regime data for the two sites for the present day, based on climate reanalysis using data from the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF) aided by atmospheric general circulation models (GCMs). We provide the wind regime data for the two sites for the LGM time slice by processing data produced by the MPI-ESM-P model (rlilpl-P experiment). From there we performed dust transport and source footprint analyses for the likelihood of aeolian transported particles arriving at a given site, from a given area, using the Lagrangian particle dispersal model FLEXPART, driven by the respective GCM product synoptic data for the LGM and present day. Our simulations are based on the transport of grain sizes 20, 60 and 120 µm in size. KMZ files refer to the sites sampled for the study. Files beginning with PD_(ERA-INTERIM)... refer to present-day wind roses based on climate reanalysis using the ERA dataset. Files beginning with LGM_(MPI-ESM-P)... refer to LGM-age wind roses based on data farmed from the MPI-earth system model. Files beginning with PD_SC and PD_LM refer to results of the Lagrangian footprint analysis of particle size transport under present-day conditions to Spring Creek (SC) and Lake Mungo (LM) in the Willandra Lakes respectively. Files beginning with LGM_SC and LGM_LM refer to results of the Lagrangian footprint analysis of particle size transport under modelled LGM conditions to Spring Creek (SC) and Lake Mungo (LM) in the Willandra Lakes respectively. Files including L-EVA1125-1128 in the name provide primary data for the calculation of luminescence ages from the Willandra Lakes. Files including K1917-1919 in the name provide primary data for the calculation of luminescence ages from Spring Creek.

Identifier
DOI https://doi.org/10.17617/3.OSKTIM
Metadata Access https://edmond.mpg.de/api/datasets/export?exporter=dataverse_json&persistentId=doi:10.17617/3.OSKTIM
Provenance
Creator Fitzsimmons, Kathryn
Publisher Edmond
Publication Year 2022
Funding Reference DP1092966; 01LP1921A; 01LP1921B; Australian Research Council; BMBF
OpenAccess true
Contact K.Fitzsimmons(at)mpic.de
Representation
Language English
Resource Type Dataset
Version 1
Discipline Other
Spatial Coverage (142.000 LON, -38.000 LAT)