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Palaeoecology of fossil diatoms (the thermometers of salinity) of lake Bonneville, Utah, USA

DRS at CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography

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Title Palaeoecology of fossil diatoms (the thermometers of salinity) of lake Bonneville, Utah, USA
 
Creator Setty, M.G.A.P.
 
Subject Oceanography and Limnology
 
Description Kolbe (1927) described diatoms as indicators of salinity hence the fossil diatoms can yield paleoecological information considerable importance to the geologist regarding the environment in which their enclosing sediments were deposited. The progressive increase in salt content of the former fresh water Lake Bonneville to slightly saline to highly saline and to the extremely saline conditions of the present day Great Salt Lake is revealed by the different types of fossil diatoms that are characteristic of different saline conditions found as diatomite deposit at various terraces of the lake. The diatom assemblages differentiated into their respective habitats show that @iCyclotella meneghiniana, Epithemia hyndmanii, Cymbella tumida@@, and @iSurirelia ovalis@@ are characteristic of Bonneville and Alpine sediments at 5130-4340 ft levels (in eligohalobien or freshwater condition): @iSurirella regina, Navicula formasa, Cambylodiscus Sicostata, Amphora Kyaliana, Synedra pulchello, Nitzchia clausii@@ and @iDenticula valida@@ are characteristic of Provo sediments at 4840-4800 ft levels (in mesohalobien or brackish water), and @iNavicula peregrina, N. impressa@@, and @iNitzschia scutellum@@ are characteristic of Stansbury level (in euhalobien waters). This euhalobien condition is, similar to marine water conditions. As the water level of the lake fell further slowly, thus increasing its salinity, the diatom population decreased very sharply and finally disappeared. At 4194 feet the Lake Bonneville is only a remnant and is presently the Great Salt Lake of Utah, having a salinity of 276 ppt. It is estimated that the saline content changed at the rate of 1 ppt per foot in stages, which is due to variation in the balance between precipitation and inflow evaporation and outflow
 
Date 1995-04-30T09:57:10Z
2017-09-29T13:48:50Z
1995-04-30T09:57:10Z
2017-09-29T13:48:50Z
1980
 
Type Conference Article
 
Identifier Proceedings of Fourth International Palynological Conference, Lucknow, India; 1979. vol.2; 1979; 104-114
http://drs.nio.org/drs/handle/2264/6849
 
Language en
 
Relation 4th International Palynological Conference (1976-77), Lucknow, India; 1979
NON-SCI