Indurated Sand Layers in Northern Moreton Bay, Queensland: Composition and Age

Indurated sand layers in Quaternary coastal deposits can record past soil development phases and influence local hydrology. Samples from sand mine pits and an estuarine channel in southeast Queensland were analyzed for cement composition and trace metals. Optically stimulated luminescence and thermoluminescence dating indicate induration processes occurring over periods up to approximately 100,000 years.

Use Cases

• Modeling groundwater flow and perched water table formation based on the described hydraulic conductivity of indurated layers.
• Analyzing the relationship between sediment texture and induration degree based on the described comparison of gravely sands versus medium to coarse sands.
• Studying the geochemical evolution of coastal sediments based on cement composition analysis (kaolinite, amorphous organic complexes).
• Dating Quaternary coastal depositional events based on the optically stimulated luminescence and thermoluminescence ages provided.

Strengths

• Includes specific age estimates for induration processes, such as 100,000 ± 70,000 years and 76,700 ± 6,500 years.
• Provides comparative analysis of cement composition and trace metal concentrations against regional soils and modern sediments.
• Describes the influence of sediment texture (gravely vs. medium-coarse sand) on the degree of induration.

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 the specific study sites at Beachmere and Bells Creek.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Samples analyzed from exposures in sand mine pits and an estuarine channel.

Time Range

Quaternary period, with specific ages up to approximately 100,000 years.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-28 12:48:10.192099; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Northern Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia (specific sites: Beachmere and Bells Creek).