Lake Eliza Sediment Data for Oil Shale Genesis Analysis

Australian Ocean Data Network hosts data on contrasting marginal sediments from Lake Eliza, a hypersaline coastal lake in South Australia. The dataset compares fine carbonate sediments from a protected western shore with quartz-carbonate sands from an exposed eastern shore. This comparison is used to draw parallels with the Green River Formation, suggesting lamosite oil shales may form in saline lake margins.

Use Cases

• Modeling oil shale genesis based on sediment composition and lake margin exposure.
• Comparing modern saline lake sediments with ancient deposits like the Green River Formation.
• Analyzing the relationship between organic content and sedimentary environment protection from wave action.

Strengths

• Dataset provides a direct comparison of two distinct sedimentary environments within the same lake.
• Description includes specific salinity ranges (<100 to >360%) and seasonal lake level changes.
• Research context links modern Lake Eliza sediments to a major ancient oil shale formation.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to data_gov_au.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Field study of two lake margin areas exposed in summer.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-16 19:21:08.600015; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Lake Eliza, southeast South Australia.