Geochemical surveys deliver fundamental data, information and knowledge about the concentration and spatial distribution of chemical elements, isotopes and compounds in the natural environment. Typically near-surface sampling media, such as soil, sediment, outcropping rocks and stream or groundwater, are used. The application of such datasets to fields such as mineral exploration, environmental management, and geomedicine has been widely documented. In this presentation I reflect on a sabbatical experience with the Australian Federal Police (AFP) in 2017-2018 that allowed me to extend the interpretation of geochemical survey data beyond these established applications. In particular, with my collaborators we explore ways in which geochemical survey data and maps can be used to indicate the provenance of an evidentiary sample collected at a crime scene or obtained for instance from items belonging to a suspect intercepted at border entry. Because soils are extremely diverse mineralogically, geochemically and biologically, it should theoretically be possible to exclude very large swathes of territory (>90%) from further provenancing investigation using soil data. In a collaboration between Geoscience Australia (GA), the AFP and the University of Canberra (UC), a recent geochemical survey of the urban/suburban Canberra region in southeastern Australia is being used as a testbed for developing different approaches to forensic applications of geochemical surveys. A predictive soil provenancing method at the national scale was also developed and tested for application where no actual detailed, fit-for-purpose geochemical survey data exist. Over the next few years, GA, AFP and UC are collaborating with Flinders University to add biome data from soil and soil-derived dust to further improve the provenancing technique. This Abstract was presented at the 2021 Goldschmidt Conference (https://conf.goldschmidt.info/goldschmidt/2021/meetingapp.cgi)

We collected 38 groundwater and two surface water samples in the semi-arid Lake Woods region of the Northern Territory to better understand the hydrogeochemistry of this system, which straddles the Wiso, Tennant Creek and Georgina geological regions. Lake Woods is presently a losing waterbody feeding the underlying groundwater system. The main aquifers comprise mainly carbonate (limestone and dolostone), siliciclastic (sandstone and siltstone) and evaporitic units. The water composition was determined in terms of bulk properties (pH, electrical conductivity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, redox potential), 40 major, minor and trace elements as well as six isotopes (δ18Owater, δ2Hwater, δ13CDIC, δ34SSO4=, δ18OSO4=, 87Sr/86Sr). The groundwater is recharged through infiltration in the catchment from monsoonal rainfall (annual average rainfall ~600 mm) and runoff. It evolves geochemically mainly through evapotranspiration and water–mineral interaction (dissolution of carbonates, silicates, and to a lesser extent sulfates). The two surface waters (one from the main creek feeding the lake, the other from the lake itself) are extraordinarily enriched in 18O and 2H isotopes (δ18O of +10.9 and +16.4 ‰ VSMOW, and δ2H of +41 and +93 ‰ VSMOW, respectively), which is interpreted to reflect evaporation during the dry season (annual average evaporation ~3000 mm) under low humidity conditions (annual average relative humidity ~40 %). This interpretation is supported by modelling results. The potassium (K) relative enrichment (K/Cl mass ratio over 50 times that of sea water) is similar to that observed in salt-lake systems worldwide that are prospective for potash resources. Potassium enrichment is believed to derive partly from dust during atmospheric transport/deposition, but mostly from weathering of K-silicates in the aquifer materials (and possibly underlying formations). Further studies of Australian salt-lake systems are required to reach evidence-based conclusions on their mineral potential for potash, lithium, boron and other low-temperature mineral system commodities such as uranium. <b>Citation:</b> P. de Caritat, E. N. Bastrakov, S. Jaireth, P. M. English, J. D. A. Clarke, T. P. Mernagh, A. S. Wygralak, H. E. Dulfer & J. Trafford (2019) Groundwater geochemistry, hydrogeology and potash mineral potential of the Lake Woods region, Northern Territory, Australia, <i>Australian Journal of Earth Sciences</i>, 66:3, 411-430, DOI: 10.1080/08120099.2018.1543208

Conodont Biostratigraphy of the upper Devonian reef complexes of the Canning Basin, Western Australia

Geoscience Australia’s Exploring for the Future program provides precompetitive information to inform decision-making by government, community and industry on the sustainable development of Australia's mineral, energy and groundwater resources. By gathering, analysing and interpreting new and existing precompetitive geoscience data and knowledge, we are building a national picture of Australia’s geology and resource potential. This leads to a strong economy, resilient society and sustainable environment for the benefit of all Australians. This includes supporting Australia’s transition to a low emissions economy, strong resources and agriculture sectors, and economic opportunities and social benefits for Australia’s regional and remote communities. The Exploring for the Future program, which commenced in 2016, is an eight-year, $225m investment by the Australian Government. The Darling-Curnamona-Delamerian (DCD) 2D reflection seismic survey was acquired during May to August 2022 in the Delamerian Orogen, the Murray-Darling basin, the Curnamona Province, and the upper Darling River floodplain regions in South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales. This project is a collaboration between Geoscience Australia (GA), the Geological Survey of South Australia (GSSA), the Geological Survey of Victoria (GSV) and the Geological Survey of New South Wales (GSNSW) and was funded by the Australian Government’s Exploring for the Future (EFTF) program. The overall objective of the EFTF Darling-Curnamona-Delamerian project is to improve the understanding of mineral and groundwater resources of the Curnamona Province and Delamerian Orogen and overlying basin systems through acquisition and interpretation of new pre-competitive geoscience data sets. The total length of acquisition was 1256 km distributed over five deep crustal 2D reflection seismic lines 22GA-DL1 (446 km), 22GA-DL2 (249 km), 22GA-CD1 (287 km), 22GA-CD2 (178 km), 22GA-CD3 (39.5 km) to image deep crustal structures, and a high-resolution 2D reflection seismic line 22GA-UDF (56 km) to explore groundwater resources. The DL lines provide coverage of fundamental geophysical data over the Flinders Range, the Delamerian Province and the Murray-Darling basin region in eastern South Australia and Victoria. The CD lines extend through the Curnamona Province and into the Darling Basin. The UDF line will assist with refining the hydrogeological model, understanding groundwater dynamics, and locating areas better suited to groundwater bores for better quality groundwater in the upper Darling River floodplain area. The data processing was performed by a contractor under the supervision of Geoscience Australia. The five deep crustal lines (22GA-DL1,DL2,CD1,CD2,CD3) were processed with record lengths of 20 and 8 seconds, while the shallow high-resolution line (22GA-UDF) was processed at a 4 second length. This processing yielded DMO Stack, Post-Stack Time Migration, and Pre-Stack Time Migration products. <strong>Raw shot gathers and processed gathers for this survey are available on request from clientservices@ga.gov.au - Quote eCat# 147423</strong>

This grid is derived from gravity observations stored in the Australian National Gravity Database (ANGD) as at February 2016 as well as data from the 2013 New South Wales Riverina gravity survey. Out of the approximately 1.8 million gravity observations 1,371,998 gravity stations in the ANGD together with 19,558 stations from the Riverina survey were used to generate this image. The grid shows isostatic residual gravity anomalies over onshore continental Australia. The data used in this grid has been acquired by the Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments, the mining and exploration industry, universities and research organisations from the 1940's to the present day. The isostatic corrections were based on the assumption that topographic loads are compensated at depth by crustal roots following the Airy-Heiskanen isostatic principle. A crustal density of 2670 kg/m3 was used for the isostatic correction, with an assumed density contrast between the crust and mantle of 400 kg/m3. An initial average depth to Moho at sea level of 37 km was used in the calculation. The isostatic corrections were then applied to the Complete Bouguer Gravity Anomaly Grid of Onshore Australia 2016 to produce the Isostatic Residual Gravity Anomaly Grid of Onshore Australia 2016.

Geoscience Australia carried out a marine survey on Carnarvon shelf (WA) in 2008 (SOL4769) to map seabed bathymetry and characterise benthic environments through colocated sampling of surface sediments and infauna, observation of benthic habitats using underwater towed video and stills photography, and measurement of ocean tides and wavegenerated currents. Data and samples were acquired using the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) Research Vessel Solander. Bathymetric mapping, sampling and video transects were completed in three survey areas that extended seaward from Ningaloo Reef to the shelf edge, including: Mandu Creek (80 sq km); Point Cloates (281 sq km), and; Gnaraloo (321 sq km). Additional bathymetric mapping (but no sampling or video) was completed between Mandu creek and Point Cloates, covering 277 sq km and north of Mandu Creek, covering 79 sq km. Two oceanographic moorings were deployed in the Point Cloates survey area. The survey also mapped and sampled an area to the northeast of the Muiron Islands covering 52 sq km. cloates_3m is an ArcINFO grid of Point Cloates of Carnarvon Shelf survey area produced from the processed EM3002 bathymetry data using the CARIS HIPS and SIPS software

The Historical Bushfire Boundaries service represents the aggregation of jurisdictional supplied burnt areas polygons stemming from the early 1900's through to 2022 (excluding the Northern Territory). The burnt area data represents curated jurisdictional owned polygons of both bushfires and prescribed (planned) burns. To ensure the dataset adhered to the nationally approved and agreed data dictionary for fire history Geoscience Australia had to modify some of the attributes presented. The information provided within this service is reflective only of data supplied by participating authoritative agencies and may or may not represent all fire history within a state.

The coverage of this dataset is over the Taree region . The C3 LAS data set contains point data in LAS 1.2 format sourced from a LiDAR ( Light Detection and Ranging ) from an ALS50 ( Airborne Laser Scanner ) sensor . The processed data has been manually edited to achieve LPI classification level 3 whereby the ground class contains minimal non-ground points such as vegetation , water , bridges , temporary features , jetties etc . Purpose: To provide fit-for-purpose elevation data for use in applications related to coastal vulnerability assessment, natural resource management ( especially water and forests) , transportation and urban planning . Additional lineage information: This data has an accuracy of 0.3m ( 95 confidence ) horizontal with a minimum point density of one laser pulse per square metre. For more information on the data's accuracy, refer to the lineage provided in the data history .

This service has been created specifically for display in the National Map and the chosen symbology may not suit other mapping applications. The Australian Topographic web map service is seamless national dataset coverage for the whole of Australia. These data are best suited to graphical applications. These data may vary greatly in quality depending on the method of capture and digitising specifications in place at the time of capture. The web map service portrays detailed graphic representation of features that appear on the Earth's surface. These features include the administration boundaries from the Geoscience Australia 250K Topographic Data, including state forest and reserves.