Detailed field mapping between Cloncurry and Selwyn has established the existence of a common stratigraphic/tectonic history of almost all the geology east of the Overhang Shear Zone, a major suture separating the Cloncurry-Selwyn Zone from the Quamby-Malbon Belt and Mitakoodi Block. The major exception is a discrete tectonic belt in the far south of the region, the Gin Creek Block, which forms an anomalous zone of older stratigraphy and high grade metamorphism enveloped by tectonic boundaries with the surrounding units. The Cloncurry-Selwyn Zone itself could be subdivided into several sub-regions with similar internal characteristics, but for simplicity the key findings reveal that there are two principal supra-crustal packages folded and interleaved together along major faults and intruded by 1550-1510Ma granitic rocks.

Williams et al. (2009) report on new multibeam sonar bathymetry and underwater video data collected from submarine canyons and seamounts on Australia's southeast continental margin to 'investigate the degree to which geomorphic features act as surrogates for benthic megafaunal biodiversity' (p. 214). The authors describe what they view as deficiencies in the design of the Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the southeast region of Australia, in which geomorphology information was employed as a surrogate to infer regional-scale patterns of benthic biodiversity. This comment is designed to support and underscore the importance of evaluating MPA designs and the validity of using abiotic surrogates such as geomorphology to infer biodiversity patterns, and seeks to clarify some of the discrepancies in geomorphic terminologies and approaches used between the original study and the Williams et al. (2009) evaluation. It is our opinion that the MPA design criteria used by the Australian Government are incorrectly reported by Williams et al. (2009). In particular, we emphasise the necessity for consistent terminology and approaches when undertaking comparative analyses of geomorphic features. We show that the MPA selection criteria used by the Australian Government addressed the issues of false homogeneity described by Williams et al. (2009), but that final placement of MPAs was based on additional stakeholder considerations. Finally, we argue that although the Williams et al. (2009) study provides valuable information on biological distributions within seamounts and canyons, the hypothesis that geomorphic features (particularly seamounts and submarine canyons) are surrogates for benthic biodiversity is not tested explicitly by their study.

Australia has become the first country to offer commercial offshore acreage for the purpose of storing greenhouse gases in geological formations. Ten offshore areas in five basins/sub-basins are open for applications for Assessment Permits, which will allow exploration in those areas for suitable geological formations and conditions for storage of greenhouse gases (predominantly CO2). The acreage was released on the 27th March 2009 under the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006. The acreage release is modelled on Australia's annual Offshore Petroleum Acreage Release; applicants can apply for an Assessment Permit for any of the ten areas, which is approximately equivalent to an exploration permit in petroleum terms. Applications will be assessed on a work-bid basis and other selection criteria outlined in the Regulations and Guidance Notes for Applicants. Following the assessment period, project proponents may apply for an injection license (equivalent to a production license in the petroleum industry) to inject and store greenhouse gas substances in the permit area. The areas offered in this first round of Acreage Release include five areas located within the Gippsland and Otway basins, offshore Victoria and South Australia, and the other five areas are located in the Vlaming and Petrel sub-basins, offshore Western Australia and the Northern Territory. The offshore areas offered for GHG geological storage assessment are significantly larger than their offshore petroleum counterparts to account for, and fully contain, the expected migration pathways of the injected GHG substances.

A diverse range of mineralisation, including porphyry and epithermal deposits, intrusion-related gold and other metal deposits, iron oxide-copper-gold (IOCG) deposits and orogenic gold deposits all have linkages to crustal growth and magmatic arcs. Furthermore, all of these deposit types are associated with fluids containing H2O, CO2 and NaCl in varying and differing proportions. In all cases, it can be argued that magmas are a key source of hydrothermal fluids for these types of mineral system, and that subduction processes are critical to controlling fluid chemistries, the metal-bearing capabilities of the fluids and depositional processes. The differences on typical/bulk fluid chemistries between deposit types can be explained in part by differences in the P-T conditions of fluid segregation from its magmatic source. The most significant control here is the pressure at which fluid forms from the magma as this has a strong effect on fluid CO2/H2O values. This is clearly exemplified by the rare occurrence of readily detectable CO2 in deep porphyry systems (Rusk et al., 2004). On the other hand, fluid Cl contents (which strongly influence its base metal carrying capacity) are very sensitive to the magma's bulk composition. However, only some subduction-related magmas are fertile, and the differences do not seem to be due solely to variations in effectiveness of depositional processes. So what controls the volatile content of the magmas? Isotopic and other evidence, in particular for S and Cl, shows (unsurprisingly) that the greater contents of these elements in arc magmas compared to other melts is due to contributions from subducted materials, although there may be additional, lower crustal sources of Cl. Variations in the budget of volatiles subducted may thus play a role in controlling the chemistry of magmas and associated hydrothermal fluids, but variations within individual arcs suggests that again this is not the entire story.

Map produced for the Australian Government Solicitor in July 2009 showing the Torres Strait Regional Claim. Produced for the use of AGS in the their provision of advice regarding native title.

The tectonic origin, paleoearthquake histories and slip rates of six normal faults (referred to here as the Rahotu, Oaonui, Kina, Kiri, Ihaia and Pihama faults) have been examined for up to ~26 kyr within the Taranaki Rift, New Zealand. A minimum of 13 ground-surface rupturing paleoearthquakes have been recognised on four of the faults using analysis of displaced late Quaternary stratigraphy and landforms. These data, in combination with 21 new radiocarbon dates, constrain the timing, slip and magnitude of each earthquake. The faults have low throw rates (~0.1-0.8 mm/yr) and appear to be buried near the Mt Taranaki volcanic cone. Recurrence intervals between earthquakes on individual faults typically range from 3-10 kyr (average ~ 6 kyr), with slip/earthquake ranging from ~0.3-1.5 m (average ~0.7 m). Recurrence intervals and slip/earthquake typically vary by up to a factor of three on individual faults, with only the Oaonui Fault displaying near-characteristic slip (of about 0.5 m) during successive earthquakes. The timing and slip of earthquakes on individual faults appear to have been interdependent, with each event possibly relieving stress and decreasing the likelihood of additional earthquakes across the system. Earthquake magnitudes are estimated to be M 6.5-6.7. The dating resolution of paleoearthquakes is generally ±1-2 kyr and is presently too imprecise to test the temporal relations between seismic events and either volcanic eruptions or lahars formed by debris avalanches during cone collapse. It is unlikely, however, that formation of the ~7.8 kyr Opua Formation lahar was triggered by a large earthquake on the Rahotu, Oaonui or Kina faults which, of the faults studied, are farthest from the Mt Taranaki volcanic cone.

Seagrass communities in the northwest of Torres Strait are known to disappear episodically over broad areas. Sediment mobility surveys were undertaken within two study areas during the monsoon and trade wind seasons, in the vicinity of Turnagain Island, to find out if the migration of bedforms could explain this disappearance. The two study areas covered sand bank and sand dune environments to compare and contrast their migration characteristics. Repeat multibeam sonar surveys were used to measure dune-crest migration during each season.

Disaster management is most effective when it is based on evidence. Evidence-based disaster management means that decision makers are better informed, and the decision making process delivers more rational, credible and objective disaster management outcomes. To achieve this, fundamental data needs to be translated into information and knowledge, before it can be put to use by the decision makers as policy, planning and implementation. Disaster can come in all forms: rapid and destructive like earthquakes and tsunamis, or gradual and destructive like drought and climate change. Tactical and strategic responses need to be based on the appropriate information to minimise impacts on the community and promote subsequent recovery. This implies a comprehensive supply of information, in order to establish the direct and indirect losses, and to establish short and long term social and economic resilience. The development of the National Exposure Information System (NEXIS) is a significant national project being undertaken by Geoscience Australia (GA). NEXIS collects, collates, manages and provides the information required to assess multi-hazard impacts. Exposure information may be defined as a suite of information relevant to all those involved in a natural disaster, including the victims, the emergency services, and the policy and planning instrumentalities.

Summary of last 12 months activity in Acreage Release Area.

Some of the most visible consequences arising from climate change are sea level rise and more intense and frequent storms. On the open coast and low lying estuarine waterways these impacts will lead to the increased risks of inundation, storm surge and coastal erosion that can damage beaches, property and infrastructure and impact on a significant number of people. Understanding the potential risk of these coastal hazards is critical for coastal zone management and the formulation of adaptation responses, while early action is likely to be the most cost effective approach to managing the risk. Geoscience Australia (GA) is assisting the Australian Government's Department of Climate Change to develop a 'first pass' National Coastal Vulnerability Assessment. GA and the University of Tasmania (UTas) are developing fundamental spatial datasets and GIS modelling tools to identify which land areas of the Australian coast are likely to be physically sensitive to the effects of sea level rise, storms and storm surge. Of special interest is to identify sensitive areas where there is significant property and infrastructure that will be the focus of a more detailed study in a second pass assessment. A new national shoreline geomorphic and stability map or Smartline, developed for the project by UTas, is a key new spatial dataset. The Smartline is an interactive, nationally-consistent coastal GIS map in the form of a segmented line. Each line segment identifies distinct coastal landform types using multiple attribute fields to describe important aspects of the geology, geomorphology and topography of the coast. These data enable an assessment of the stability of the coast and its sensitivity to the potential impacts of shoreline erosion (soft coast) and inundation (low-lying coast), providing a useful indicative coastal risk assessment.