The Surface Hydrology Points (Regional) dataset provides a set of related features classes to be used as the basis of the production of consistent hydrological information. This dataset contains a geometric representation of major hydrographic point elements - both natural and artificial. This dataset is the best available data supplied by Jurisdictions and aggregated by Geoscience Australia it is intended for defining hydrological features.

This project consists of data that has been reprocessed by RPS and AAM for the purpose of creating an improved Victorian coastal DEM including contours based on the original data acquired in 2007. The purpose of this project is to reclassify the original level 2 classification LiDAR data into level 3 for input to a higher accuracy ICSM Level 3 classification (Level 3 DEM). LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) is an airborne remote sensing technique for rapid collection of terrain data. The sensor used for this LiDAR project collected XYZ and Intensity data for first and last return by bouncing a pulse from the aircraft to the surface that enables the height and intensity values to be calculated. From the raw LiDAR data, a suite of elevation products was generated including DEM and Contours. Project Products: DEM, Contours, raw LiDAR.

We propose a surface cover change detection system based on the Australian Geoscience Data Cube (AGDC). The AGDC is a common analytical framework for large volumes of regularly gridded geoscientific data initially developed by Geoscience Australia (GA). AGDC effectively links geoscience data sets from various sources by spatial and temporal stamps associated with the data. Therefore, AGDC enables analysis of generations of consistent remote sensing time series data across Australia. The Australian Reflectance Grid 25m is one of the remote sensing data sets in the AGDC. The data is currently hosted at the high performance computational cloud at the National Computational Infrastructure. The proposed change detection system takes advantage of temporally rich data in the AGDC, applying time series analysis to identify changes in surface cover. The proposed system consists of various modules, which are independent of each other. The modules include: - a pixel quality mask and time series noise detection mask, which detects and filters out noise in data; - spectral classification modules based on random forests algorithm, which classifies pixels into specific objects using spectral information; - training modules which create classification modules using known surface cover data; - time series analysis modules, which models and transforms time series data into coefficients relevant to change detection targets; - temporal and spatial classification modules, which classify pixels into predefined land cover classes. A typical work flow for a change detection system includes sequential integration of the above mentioned modules. The system has been tested for applications in shallow water coastal zones and reforestation / deforestation detection, and displays a good potential for further development. This paper summarises development of the work flow and the initial results from example applications, such as reforestation / deforestation detection.

Flyer to promote careers at Geoscience Australia

A consistent issue with using remote sensing data is the difficulty in accessing images that are well enough corrected and arranged to enable change detection and time series analyses especially over large areas. High Performance Computing (HPC) and the ability to store petabytes of data on rapid access storages, are now providing capabilities for large scale analysis - provided the data are well calibrated and appropriately structured. The Australian Geoscience Data Cube (AGDC) is providing such functionality. The AGDC incorporates efficient, lossless storage with metadata relating each pixel back to its original source. The approach is to standardise all data to quantitative measurements of surface reflectance, spatially locate the data to a regular gridded framework, and provide data management and access via a spatial database. This ensures that every pixel of every dataset samples a precisely known, invariant location and can be analysed consistently regardless of where or when the data was acquired. Data with different spatial resolutions, such as Landsat-TM and MODIS observations, are also supported. The system supports very large parallel processing and makes programming relatively simple, providing a platform for massive analyses. The processing concept is to allow analysis without requiring knowledge of the underlying HPC architecture. This makes it easy to model a workflow by a diagram, and has potential for drag-and-drop 'virtual laboratories'. The AGDC has been successfully used to examine surface water, bare soil characteristics, and shallow coastal and intertidal waters across Australia since 1987. Looking forward, we plan to develop along an OGC Standards path and we see a network of interoperable Data Cube facilities around the world as a real possibility.

Mapping the variations between average air temperature and ground surface temperature

Tectono-geomorphic landscape features in Australia, many of which are neotectonic, can be interpreted in the context of long-term patterns of large earthquake occurrence, and used to inform contemporary earthquake hazard science. Such features often represent our only means of defining seismic source parameters such as fault slip-rate, large earthquake recurrence and magnitude. They therefore provide an avenue for extending the short historic catalogue of seismicity to timeframes commensurate with the slow strain accumulation rates characteristic of intraplate environments (Clark et al., 2012). In addition to supporting seismic hazard assessment, an analysis of tectono-geomorphic landscape evolution might also be used to inform studies in a range of other disciplines. Here we present the example of the Avonmore Scarp in the Campaspe River valley of north-central Victoria, a tectono-geomorphic (and neotectonic) feature which has implications not only for seismic hazard in central Victoria, but also for mineral and groundwater resources.

The Caswell Sub-basin is a northeast-trending Paleozoic to Cenozoic depocentre in the Browse Basin, on the Northwest Shelf, offshore Western Australia. As part of a recent study to investigate the CO2 storage potential of the sub-basin, sequences within the latest Cretaceous section have been high-graded as potential CO2 storage targets based in part on their sequence stratigraphic and paleogeographic characteristics. Sequence stratigraphic analyses were used to improve the understanding of sequence architecture, facies and palaeogeography during early Campanian-Maastrichtian, a time of relative sea level fall in the basin. This phase is characterised by two supersequences (K60a and K60b), with maximum regression reached by the end of the Maastrichtian Sequence (K60b). During the early Campanian (K60a), a major sea level fall resulted in deep incision and channelling at the base of the supersequence. Wide fluvial systems draining to the north from the Kimberley Craton were captured by east-west canyons that fed large submarine fan complexes across the Caswell Sub-basin. This was followed by highstand fluvio-deltaic systems that prograded to the north over the structurally controlled ramp-like inner shelf. Supersequence K60b (near base to late Maastrichtian) was initiated by eustatic sea level fall punctuated by deep incision into K60a. Large EW-trending incised valleys and wide fluvial belts provided sediment pathways from to the basin during lowstand conditions. Outboard, transgressive pro-delta shales of the younger supersequence (K60b) provide a seal for the submarine fans. As for the K60a supersequence and in comparison with sediment transport direction for the lowstand fans, the fluvio-deltaic highstand successions are characterised by rapid northward progradation along the shelf margin. The submarine fan complexes of these two supersequences formed isolated sand-rich bodies sealed by thick transgressive and downlapping highstand shales. Containment risk for the evaluation of these fans as potential CO2 storage targets considered updip continuity of sand bodies, incision by channels, faulting and top/base seal. The studies identified a variety of CO2 storage sites and examined the area for potential conflict with active hydrocarbon exploration.

This report is part of the Gippsland Marine Environmental Monitoring (GMEM) project. The GMEM was developed in response to stakeholder concerns from the fisheries industry about a Geoscience Australia seismic survey in the Gippsland Basin (GA352 in April 2015), in addition to a broader need to acquire baseline data to be used to quantify impacts of seismic operations on marine organisms. Components of this study included monitoring and modelling sound produced from air guns during seismic survey GA 352, assessing potential impacts to scallops using seafloor images acquired with an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), and evaluating the use of the AUV in this capacity. The Fisheries Research and Development Corporation financially contributed to these components through the award of a grant (FRDC 2014-041). This report represents the final milestone for FRDC 2014-041.

IVS report on 2012-2015