Absolute dating of sedimentation on Lake Torrens with spring deposits,South Australia

The travertine structure containing Mountford Spring is in the only surface accumulation of CaCO₃ on Lake Torrens, a playa in South Australia. Here the first ¹⁴C data on Lake Torrens is presented. ¹⁴C ages for travertine samples surrounding Mountford Spring, range from 13 770 ± 130 years BP to 22 700 ± 290 years BP, giving a time frame for lacustrine sediments wedged in between. In the absence of recent tectonic movements, the old travertine (22 700 ± 130 years) on the clifftop, surrounded by younger spring deposits (13770 ± 130 years) at a lower level, prove a deflation event at this playa.