The base of this unit is often characterised by the presence of discontinuous basal gravel lenses which could imply that increasing lake levels were preceded by the progradation of fluvial deposition into the lake. In contrast, Unit 1c is very localised and is mostly sandy with erosional boundaries and rip-up clasts. It may thus represent a feeder channel of the active fan delta responsible for Unit 1b deposition. In fact, the available ages suggest that Units 1b and 1c are synchronous within the chronological resolution given by TL and OSL. The ostracods found in Unit 1b are dominated by Reticypris sp. and D. dietzi with minor numbers of Mytilocypris sp. and a few D. spinosa. This assemblage of ostracods species indicates a very broad level of salinity tolerance extending from 4 to 141‰, but the presence of a very small number of D. spinosa within this unit also
indicates sufficient input of freshwater at times to provide a habitat
for this species (De Deckker and Geddes, 1980).