Geomorphology, geology and palaeohydrology of the broad alluvial valleys of the Salt River System, Western Australia

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Abstract
The Salt River System forms the connection between the saline lakes of the Yilgarn River catchment in the east and the rejuvenated Avon River System in the west. Judging from the age of the deposits in the palaeochannels of the Salt River after the Darling uplift and from the deltaic deposits of the river before the uplift, it appears that the river has been occupying this same course since the Early Tertiary. The uplift dammed the course of the river and caused the formation of large inland lakes. The inland lake at Yenyening persisted for a long time until the opening of the northern outlet of the Avon. This explains the absence of sedimentary deposits from the Avon in the Perth Basin during the closure time. The relatively thick sediments that fill up the palaeochannels comprise three formations of the Salt River Group: South Caroline Clay, Yenyening Formation and Quairading Sandstone. The reconstruction of the palaeoriver showed that the river was occupying a steep gorge about 70 m deep with a slope of about 0.35 m km‐1.