This service represents a combination of two data products, the DEM_SRTM_1Second dataset and the Australian_Bathymetry_Topography dataset. This service was created to support the CO2SAP (Co2 Storage application) Project to create a transect elevation graph within the application. This data is not available as a dataset for download as a Geoscience Australia product. The DEM_SRTM_1Second service represents the National Digital Elevation Model (DEM) 1 Second product derived from the National DEM SRTM 1 Second. The DEM represents ground surface topography, with vegetation features removed using an automatic process supported by several vegetation maps. eCat record 72759. The Australian_Bathymetry_Topography service describes the bathymetry dataset of the Australian Exclusive Economic Zone and beyond. Bathymetry data was compiled by Geoscience Australia from multibeam and single beam data (derived from multiple sources), Australian Hydrographic Service (AHS) Laser Airborne Depth Sounding (LADS) data, Royal Australian Navy (RAN) fairsheets, the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO) bathymetric model, the 2 arc minute ETOPO (Smith and Sandwell, 1997) and 1 arc minute ETOPO satellite derived bathymetry (Amante and Eakins, 2008). Topographic data (onshore data) is based on the revised Australian 0.0025dd topography grid (Geoscience Australia, 2008), the 0.0025dd New Zealand topography grid (Geographx, 2008) and the 90m SRTM DEM (Jarvis et al, 2008). eCat record 67703. IMPORTANT INFORMATION For data within this service that lays out of the Australian boundary the following needs to be considered. This grid is not suitable for use as an aid to navigation, or to replace any products produced by the Australian Hydrographic Service. Geoscience Australia produces the 0.0025dd bathymetric grid of Australia specifically to provide regional and local broad scale context for scientific and industry projects, and public education. The 0.0025dd grid size is, in many regions of this grid, far in excess of the optimal grid size for some of the input data used. On parts of the continental shelf it may be possible to produce grids at higher resolution, especially where LADS or multibeam surveys exist. However these surveys typically only cover small areas and hence do not warrant the production of a regional scale grid at less than 0.0025dd. There are a number of bathymetric datasets that have not been included in this grid for various reasons.

The seascape of the vast Australian continental margin is characterised by numerous submarine canyons (n=753) that represent an equally vast array of geomorphic and oceanographic heterogeneity. Theoretically, this heterogeneity translates into habitats that may vary equally widely in their ecological characteristics. Here we describe the methodology to develop a surrogacy framework to broadly derive estimates of potential habitat condition (¿suitability¿ sensu lato) for pelagic and epibenthic megafauna (including demersal fishes), and benthic infauna in all of Australia¿s known submarine canyons using 22 environmental/ecological variables. We find that the high geomorphic and oceanographic diversity of submarine canyons creates a multitude of potential habitat types. In general, it appears that canyons may be particularly high-quality for benthic species. Canyons that incise the shelf tend to score higher in habitat potential than those confined to the slope. Canyons with particularly high habitat potential are located mainly off the Great Barrier Reef, the NSW coast, the eastern margin of Tasmania and Bass Strait, and on the southern margin. Many of these canyons have complex bottom topography, are likely to be productive, and have less intense sediment disturbance regimes. The framework presented here can be relevant ¿ once refined and comprehensively validated with ecological data - in a management and conservation context to identify canyons (or groups of canyons) that are likely to represent high-value habitat along a vast continental margin where marine planning decisions may require spatial prioritization decisions. This abstract was submitted/presented to the 2017 Australian Marine Science Association Conference - AMSA (https://www.amsa.asn.au/2017-darwin)

Australia Minerals is a collaboration of Australia's federal, state and Northern Territory government geoscience agencies working together to offer ground-breaking information, unrivalled expertise and a record of innovation that supports mineral explorers to realise investment opportunities. Australia is one of the world's biggest minerals exploration markets with huge remaining brownfields and greenfields discovery potential. With readily accessible geoscience expertise and research support, Australia Minerals enables investors to tap into Australia's diverse geological potential in a range of commodities to achieve one of the highest exploration returns. Australia's business, policy and investment processes, proven record of environmental, social, financial, legal and political stability, and its proximity to Asia's fast-growing markets, make it the smart, secure choice for exploration investment. Article for the AEGC 2018: First Australian Exploration Geoscience Conference

The Energy component of Geoscience Australia’s Exploring for the Future (EFTF) Programme is aimed at improving our understanding of the petroleum resource potential of northern Australia, in partnership with the state and territory geological surveys. The sediments of the Mesoproterozoic South Nicholson Basin and the underlying Paleoproterozoic Isa Superbasin in the Northern Territory and Queensland are amongst the primary targets of the EFTF Energy program as they are known to contain organic rich sedimentary units with the potential to host unconventional gas plays, although their subsurface extent under the cover of the Georgina Basin is presently unknown. In order to economically produce from unconventional reservoirs, the petrophysical rock properties and in-situ stresses must be conducive to the creation of secondary permeability networks that connect a wellbore to as large a reservoir volume as possible. This study utilises data from the recently drilled Armour Energy wells Egilabria 2, Egilabria 2-DW1, and Egilabria 4 to constrain rock properties and in-situ stresses for the Isa Superbasin sequence where intersected on the Lawn Hill Platform of northwest Queensland. These results have implications for petroleum prospectivity in an area with proven gas potential, which are discussed here in the context of the rock properties and in-situ stresses desired for a viable shale gas play. In addition, this has relevance to potential future exploration across the broader Isa Superbasin sequence.

Consideration of samples from the large range of ore samples analysed as part of the OSNACA (Ore Samples Normalised to Average Crustal Abundance: http://www.cet.edu.au/projects/osnaca-ore-samples-normalised-to-average-crustal-abundance) analytical program at the Centre for Exploration Targeting at the University of Western Australia and as certified reference materials by ORE Research & Exploration Pty Ltd (http://ore.com.au) indicates that some Australian ores have potential as sources for critical commodities as by-products or 'companion metals'. Komatiite-hosted nickel sulfide and related deposits currently produce both platinum-group elements (PGEs) and Co as by products, but PGEs are also known to be present in unconformity-related uranium deposits and some porphyry Cu deposits, and Co is known but not recovered in some sediment-hosted copper deposits. The data suggest some potential for recovery of PGEs as companion metals, although at present time such recovery is not economic. Although Mo and Re are not currently produced in Australia, there are a number of potential sources of these metals, including deposits in which molybdenite is recovered as the main commodity (e.g. porphyry Mo-Cu and skarn deposits) and others in which these metals could be recovered as by-products (e.g. porphyry Cu deposits and sediment-hosted deposits of various kinds). As Mo and Re are commonly recovered as by-products from porphyry Cu deposits around the world, these deposits are perhaps the best potential source of Mo and Re as companion metals in Australia. Pegmatite deposits in Western Australia and the Northern Territory, which are presently being assessed as Li resources, have potential for by-product Ta and Sn. The Toongi zirconia project in New South Wales, if developed, would recover Ta along with other metals including Hf, Nb, Y and rare earth elements (REEs). Although not currently recovered, the Olympic Dam and Prominent Hill iron oxide coper-gold (IOCG) deposits contain highly anomalous REE grades, with the Olympic Dam deposit having the second largest resource (after Bayan Obo) of these metals in the world. At present, sphalerite (Zn) concentrates are an important source of Cd, Ga, Ge and In, with Cd currently being recovered by Australian Zn smelters. Although Cd concentrations are mostly a function of Zn grade, the concentrations of Ga, Ge and In depend strongly on deposit type, and the highest grades of Ga and In are from ores in which Zn is not the major commodity. The highest concentrations of Ga and In in Zn-rich ores are from deposits formed from higher temperature ore fluids, and include, for example, volcanic-hosted massive sulfide (VHMS) ores. In contrast, the highest concentrations of Ge are from deposits formed by low temperature, oxidised fluids such as Mississippi Valley-type deposits and siliciclastic-carbonate sediment-hosted Zn-Pb deposits (e.g. Mount Isa and McArthur River). However, the highest concentrations of Ga and In are not from Zn-rich deposits, but from intrusion-related deposits. Gallium is most highly enriched in intrusion-related W ores and the Mount Weld REE-rich carbonatite, but extraction of Ga from these types of ores in not presently feasible. The highest concentration of In in the samples analysed is from intrusion-related Sn deposits, where it closely correlates with Cu, indicating that chalcopyrite may be a repository. Like Ga, recovery of In from these ore is not presently feasible. Antimony and Bi, although not recovered from sphalerite concentrates, are also enriched in Zn-rich deposits. Antimony can be enriched in a large range of Zn ores types, but the most likely Australian Sb sources are orogenic stibnite deposits in which Sb would be the main recovered commodity if mined. Recovery of Sb from Zn-rich ores is at present not viable, although these ores contain significant potential companion resources of Sb. Bismuth, on the other hand, can be recovered from a range of mill products, including Pb (galena) and Cu concentrates. Like Ga and In, Bi is enriched in higher temperature deposits including VHMS deposits and some granite-related deposits. Selenium and Te are currently recovered from anodic slimes produced during electrolytic recovery of Cu, hence Cu-rich ores are the best sources of these elements. The greatest potential for Se recovery is from some IOCG deposits and Cu-rich VHMS deposits, which are also the most promising sources of Te. Other deposit types can contain elevated Se and Te, but given the constraints imposed by extraction technologies, these sources may not be economically viable.

Google has partnered with hundreds of museums, cultural institutions and archives including Geoscience Australia to host treasures from our National Mineral and Fossil Collection online on the Google Arts & Culture website. Our building's public areas have been scanned and are online via a streetview virtual tour, there are a large number of collection items uploaded which have been used to create many unique and fascinating exhibits.

Over the last decade there has been an exponential growth in MT data acquisition over the Australian Continent through collaboration between Geoscience Australia, state and territory governments and academics. This data is resulting in a step change in our understanding of the lithosphere and basin architecture. Abstract submitted/presented at 2017 Target Conference (https://www.aig.org.au/events/target-2017/)

Geoscience Australia (GA) conducted a marine survey (GA0345/GA0346/TAN1411) of the north-eastern Browse Basin (Caswell Sub-basin) between 9 October and 9 November 2014 to acquire seabed and shallow geological information to support an assessment of the CO2 storage potential of the basin. The survey, undertaken as part of the Department of Industry and Science's National CO2 Infrastructure Plan (NCIP), aimed to identify and characterise indicators of natural hydrocarbon or fluid seepage that may indicate compromised seal integrity in the region. The survey was conducted in three legs aboard the New Zealand research vessel RV Tangaroa, and included scientists and technical staff from GA, the NZ National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Ltd. (NIWA) and Fugro Survey Pty Ltd. Shipboard data (survey ID GA0345) collected included multibeam sonar bathymetry and backscatter over 12 areas (A1, A2, A3, A4, A6b, A7, A8, B1, C1, C2b, F1, M1) totalling 455 km2 in water depths ranging from 90 - 430 m, and 611 km of sub-bottom profile lines. Seabed samples were collected from 48 stations and included 99 Smith-McIntyre grabs and 41 piston cores. An Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) (survey ID GA0346) collected higher-resolution multibeam sonar bathymetry and backscatter data, totalling 7.7 km2, along with 71 line km of side scan sonar, underwater camera and sub-bottom profile data. Twenty two Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) missions collected 31 hours of underwater video, 657 still images, eight grabs and one core. This catalogue entry refers to the sub-bottom profiler data acquired by the Fugro supplied AUV system (survey GA-0346).

In October 2019, opportunistic mapping and imagery of the Wessel Marine Park on the RV Investigator revealed a localised band of high biodiversity linked to a unique and culturally important geomorphological feature in the otherwise uniform seascape prevalent in the Wessel Marine Park. Our findings help contribute to an understanding of the values of a northern marine park, including an inventory of communities and habitats as well as potential relationships to geomorphic features and culturally important sites. This has national significance to the implementation of the northern marine park management plan, as well as informing future monitoring programs in northern Australia. <b>Citation:</b> Przeslawski R, Beaman R, Fava L, Nichol S, Woehler E, Yule C (2020). Wessel Marine Park: Post-Survey Report for INV2019T02. Report to the National Environmental Science Program, <i>Marine Biodiversity Hub</i>. Geoscience Australia.

This web service provides access to the Australian Stratigraphic Units Database (ASUD), the national authority on stratigraphic names in Australia. The database is maintained by Geoscience Australia on behalf of the Australian Stratigraphy Commission, a standing committee of the Geological Society of Australia. Where possible this service conforms to the GeoSciML v4.1 data transfer standard.