Product catalogue
Exploring for the Future — Geological and hydrogeological investigations in the Western Davenport region: Northern Territory
This report presents key results from the Western Davenport study conducted as part of Exploring for the Future (EFTF), an Australian Government-funded geoscience data and information acquisition program.
The Western Davenport (WD) investigation used existing geological and hydrogeological data and new AEM data to develop a 3D hydrostratigraphic model of the central part of the study area. This was augmented by existing and newly acquired hydrogeological and hydrochemistry data to improve the understanding of groundwater in the area. The collection and interpretation of these datasets have enabled a correlation between hydrostratigraphic units in the Wiso and Georgina basins in the WD area. The hydrochemistry data shows that the central zone of the WD is characterised by good-quality groundwater (<1000 mg/L total dissolved solids), with the newly drilled bores identifying areas of low-salinity groundwater. These initial hydrochemistry results suggest groundwater in the WD could support irrigated agriculture.
The hydrochemistry data has identified three zones of potentially higher recharge. The groundwater stable isotope dataset suggests that there is minimal evaporation of water prior to recharge and that groundwater recharge only occurs following heavy rainfall events. This preliminary information suggests recharge to groundwater is dominated by episodic recharge from floodouts and creeks rather than direct infiltration across the WD area from large rainfall events. However, more data are needed to better define the role of floodouts in recharge to the groundwater system and to determine the contribution of creek beds versus floodouts to recharge.
Given the aridity of the area and the variable nature of recharge events, managed aquifer recharge could increase the security of groundwater resources in the area. The regolith mapping presented can assist in better understanding the surface and near-surface environments, and their influence on hydrogeological processes. This provides a tool with which to begin identifying potential areas for enhancing natural recharge processes to supplement existing groundwater resources. This mapping was possible because of the increasing availability of higher resolution digital elevation, airborne radiometric and Landsat satellite remotely sensed data.
The improved understanding of geology and hydrogeology, coupled with managed aquifer recharge mapping undertaken as part of the EFTF program, provides new information to support groundwater management in the WD area.
Simple
Identification info
- Date (Creation)
- 2021-03-10
- Date (Publication)
- 2021-03-10T04:00:50
- Citation identifier
- Geoscience Australia Persistent Identifier/https://pid.geoscience.gov.au/dataset/ga/133989
- Citation identifier
- Digital Object Identifier/http://dx.doi.org/10.11636/Record.2020.056
- Cited responsible party
-
Role Organisation / Individual Name Details Author Northey, J.E.
Author Smith, M.L.
Author Clark, A.
Author Hostetler, S.
Author Parige, R.H.
Author McPherson, A.A.
Author Clarke, J.D.A.
- Issue identification
-
2020/056
- Status
- Point of contact
-
Role Organisation / Individual Name Details Point of contact Commonwealth of Australia (Geoscience Australia)
Voice Point of contact Carey, H.
MEG Internal Contact Resource provider Minerals, Energy and Groundwater Division
External Contact
- Spatial representation type
- Topic category
-
- Geoscientific information
Extent
Extent
))
- Maintenance and update frequency
- As needed
Resource format
- Title
-
Product data repository: Various Formats
- Website
-
Data Store directory containing the digital product files
Data Store directory containing one or more files, possibly in a variety of formats, accessible to Geoscience Australia staff only for internal purposes
- theme.ANZRC Fields of Research.rdf
-
-
EARTH SCIENCES
-
- Project
-
-
EFTF
-
- Project
-
-
Exploring For The Future
-
- Keywords
-
-
Western Davenport
-
- Keywords
-
-
Published_External
-
Resource constraints
- Title
-
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence
- Alternate title
-
CC-BY
- Edition
-
4.0
- Access constraints
- License
- Use constraints
- License
Resource constraints
- Title
-
Australian Government Security ClassificationSystem
- Edition date
- 2018-11-01T00:00:00
- Classification
- Unclassified
- Language
- English
- Character encoding
- UTF8
Distribution Information
- Distributor contact
-
Role Organisation / Individual Name Details Distributor Commonwealth of Australia (Geoscience Australia)
Voice
- OnLine resource
-
Download the Record (pdf) [10.6 MB]
Download the Record (pdf) [10.6 MB]
- Distribution format
-
-
pdf
-
Resource lineage
- Statement
-
This study was completed under the Exploring for the Future initiative, as part of the Southern Stuart Corridor Groundwater component. The study uses newly acquired AEM data with new and existing geological, hydrogeological and hydrochemical data, to improve the understanding of groundwater in the Western Davenport area.
Metadata constraints
- Title
-
Australian Government Security Classification System
- Edition date
- 2018-11-01T00:00:00
- Classification
- Unclassified
Metadata
- Metadata identifier
-
urn:uuid/68788d76-5750-4044-8b1e-1417b119545b
- Title
-
GeoNetwork UUID
- Language
- English
- Character encoding
- UTF8
- Contact
-
Role Organisation / Individual Name Details Point of contact Commonwealth of Australia (Geoscience Australia)
Voice Point of contact Carey, H.
MEG Internal Contact
Type of resource
- Resource scope
- Document
- Name
-
GA publication: Record
Alternative metadata reference
- Title
-
Geoscience Australia - short identifier for metadata record with
uuid
- Citation identifier
- eCatId/133989
- Date info (Creation)
- 2019-04-08T01:55:29
- Date info (Revision)
- 2019-04-08T01:55:29
Metadata standard
- Title
-
AU/NZS ISO 19115-1:2014
Metadata standard
- Title
-
ISO 19115-1:2014
Metadata standard
- Title
-
ISO 19115-3
- Title
-
Geoscience Australia Community Metadata Profile of ISO 19115-1:2014
- Edition
-
Version 2.0, September 2018
- Citation identifier
- https://pid.geoscience.gov.au/dataset/ga/122551