Catchment outlet sediments (0-10 cm depth, sieved to <2 mm) collected at a very low density over most of the Australian continent have been analysed using the Mobile Metal Ion (MMI®) partial extraction technique. Of the 54 elements analysed, eight are generally regarded as essential nutrients for plant growth: Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, P and Zn. For these, 'bioavailability', defined here as the ratio of the partial digest concentration to the total concentration, has been investigated. This estimation of 'bioavailability' gives results comparable with standard agricultural measurements. Average 'bioavailability' ranges from 15.0% for Ca to 0.1% for Fe. Smoothed (kriged) colour contour maps for continental Australia have been produced for these eight nutrients and interpreted in terms of lithology (e.g., presence of carbonates in the MMI® Ca map), mineralization (e.g., well known and possibly less known mineral districts in the Cu, P and Zn maps), environmental processes (e.g., salinity in K map, weathering and acid generation in Fe map) and agricultural practices (e.g., application of fertilizers in P and Zn maps). This first application of a partial extraction technique at the scale of a continent has yielded meaningful, coherent and interpretable results.

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Map(s) of In (indium) concentration (Total content, Aqua Regia soluble content, and/or Mobile Metal Ion soluble content) in Top Outlet Sediment (TOS) and/or Bottom Outlet Sediment (BOS) samples, dry-sieved to <2 mm and/or <75 um grain size fractions. Source: The Geochemical Atlas of Australia (Caritat and Cooper, 2011)

Map(s) of Li (lithium) concentration (Total content, Aqua Regia soluble content, and/or Mobile Metal Ion soluble content) in Top Outlet Sediment (TOS) and/or Bottom Outlet Sediment (BOS) samples, dry-sieved to <2 mm and/or <75 um grain size fractions. Source: The Geochemical Atlas of Australia (Caritat and Cooper, 2011)

Map(s) of Lu (lutetium) concentration (Total content, Aqua Regia soluble content, and/or Mobile Metal Ion soluble content) in Top Outlet Sediment (TOS) and/or Bottom Outlet Sediment (BOS) samples, dry-sieved to <2 mm and/or <75 um grain size fractions. Source: The Geochemical Atlas of Australia (Caritat and Cooper, 2011)

Map(s) of P (phosphorus) concentration (Total content, Aqua Regia soluble content, and/or Mobile Metal Ion soluble content) in Top Outlet Sediment (TOS) and/or Bottom Outlet Sediment (BOS) samples, dry-sieved to <2 mm and/or <75 um grain size fractions. Source: The Geochemical Atlas of Australia (Caritat and Cooper, 2011)

Map(s) of Na (sodium) concentration (Total content, Aqua Regia soluble content, and/or Mobile Metal Ion soluble content) in Top Outlet Sediment (TOS) and/or Bottom Outlet Sediment (BOS) samples, dry-sieved to <2 mm and/or <75 um grain size fractions. Source: The Geochemical Atlas of Australia (Caritat and Cooper, 2011)

Map(s) of Pd (palladium) concentration (Total content, Aqua Regia soluble content, and/or Mobile Metal Ion soluble content) in Top Outlet Sediment (TOS) and/or Bottom Outlet Sediment (BOS) samples, dry-sieved to <2 mm and/or <75 um grain size fractions. Source: The Geochemical Atlas of Australia (Caritat and Cooper, 2011)

Map(s) of Se (selenium) concentration (Total content, Aqua Regia soluble content, and/or Mobile Metal Ion soluble content) in Top Outlet Sediment (TOS) and/or Bottom Outlet Sediment (BOS) samples, dry-sieved to <2 mm and/or <75 um grain size fractions. Source: The Geochemical Atlas of Australia (Caritat and Cooper, 2011)

Map(s) of S (sulfur) concentration (Total content, Aqua Regia soluble content, and/or Mobile Metal Ion soluble content) in Top Outlet Sediment (TOS) and/or Bottom Outlet Sediment (BOS) samples, dry-sieved to <2 mm and/or <75 um grain size fractions. Source: The Geochemical Atlas of Australia (Caritat and Cooper, 2011)