<div><strong>Output Type: </strong>Exploring for the Future Extended Abstract</div><div><br></div><div><strong>Short Abstract:</strong> Under the Exploring for the Future (EFTF) program, Geoscience Australia staff and collaborators engaged with land-connected stakeholders that managed or had an interest in land comprising 56% of the total land mass area of Australia. From 2020 to 2023, staff planning ground-based and airborne geophysical and geological data acquisition projects consulted farmers, National Park rangers and managers, Native Title holders, cultural heritage custodians and other land-connected people to obtain land access and cultural heritage clearances for surveys proposed on over 122,000 parcels of land. Engagement did not always result in field activities proceeding. To support communication with this diverse audience, animations, comic-style factsheets, and physical models, were created to help explain field techniques. While the tools created have been useful, the most effective method of communication was found to be a combination of these tools and open two-way discussions.</div><div><br></div><div><strong>Citation: </strong>Sweeney, M., Kuoni, J., Iffland, D. &amp; Soroka, L., 2024. Improving how we engage with land-connected people about geoscience. In: Czarnota, K. (ed.) Exploring for the Future: Extended Abstracts. Geoscience Australia, Canberra. https://doi.org/10.26186/148760</div>

Data accompanying the GA Record Regional geology and mineral systems of the Stavely region, western Victoria. Data release 6 - Pre-drilling geophysics. Prior to stratigraphic drilling, existing airborne magnetic data were analysed and new refraction seismic, reflection seismic and gravity data were acquired as part of a pre-drilling geophysical acquisition program. The aim of this geophysical program was to provide cover thickness estimates at the drill site locations prior to the drilling program commencing, in order to reduce the geological and financial risk. Passive seismic data were acquired post-drilling for benchmarking with the other methods against the completed drilling in order to assess a potential tool kit of geophysical methods for the explorer to predict reliably the cover thickness at the tenement scale. This is the first study where multiple geophysical methods are applied to the same site and where full drill core, downhole wireline logging and hyperspectral (HyLogger) data are freely available.

The AusArray program aims to install small temporary passive seismic stations every 200 km across Australia. The seismic stations will passively measure small natural vibrations that travel through the Earth to help scientists understand the distribution and composition of rocks beneath the ground. Seismometers are sensitive instruments used to measure small natural vibrations that travel through the Earth caused by earthquakes, waves breaking on the shore and even wind. The data collected are analysed to create a three-dimensional model of the Earth’s subsurface. Passive seismic data can be used to model the Earth‘s structure, which is used to infer the geological history and assess the resource potential and natural hazards of the region.