Long‐term hydrologic connectivity on the Australian dryland margins: Evidence from the Willandra Lakes World Heritage Area over the last 60 ky

A new study reveals that the Willandra Lakes Region experienced rapid and extreme hydrologic shifts during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), despite lower precipitation and increased evaporation. Unlike prior periods where permanent lakes persisted due to higher catchment precipitation, the LGM saw rapid cycles of lake filling and drying, driven by seasonal snowmelt from highland headwaters and reduced vegetation cover, which enhanced runoff efficiency. This research integrates sediment-based chronologies, water-flux modeling, and palaeoclimate reconstructions to quantify thresholds for lake system filling and reconstruct past hydroclimatic conditions over the last 60,000 years.

Fitzsimmons, K. E., Fischer, M. L., Smith, T., Lauer, T., Nowatzki, M., Mishra, K., & Murray‐Wallace, C. V. (2025). Long‐term hydrologic connectivity on the Australian dryland margins: Evidence from the Willandra Lakes World Heritage Area over the last 60 ky. Journal of Quaternary Science, 40(5), 876–892. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/jqs.3717