<div>This report brings together data and information relevant to understanding the regional geology, hydrogeology, and groundwater systems of the South Nicholson – Georgina (SNG) region in the Northern Territory and Queensland. This integrated, basin-scale hydrogeological assessment is part of Geoscience Australia’s National Groundwater Systems project in the Exploring for the Future program. While the northern Georgina Basin has been at the centre of recent investigations as part of studies into the underlying Beetaloo Sub-basin, no regional groundwater assessments have focused on central and southern parts of the Georgina Basin since the 1970s. Similarly, there has been no regional-scale hydrogeological investigation of the deeper South Nicholson Basin, although the paucity of groundwater data limited detailed assessment of the hydrogeology of this basin. This comprehensive desktop study has integrated numerous geoscience and hydrogeological datasets to develop a new whole-of-basin conceptualisation of groundwater flow systems and recharge and discharge processes within the regional unconfined aquifers of the Georgina Basin.</div><div><br></div><div>Key outputs arising from this study include: (1) the development of a hydrostratigraphic framework for the region, incorporating improved aquifer attribution for over 5,000 bores; and (2) publicly available basin-scale groundwater GIS data layers and maps, including a regional watertable map for the whole Georgina Basin. This regional assessment provides new insights into the hydrogeological characteristics and groundwater flow dynamics within the Georgina Basin, which can aid in the sustainable management of groundwater for current and future users reliant on this critical water resource.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div>

<div>The interpretation of AusAEM airborne electromagnetic (AEM) survey conductivity sections in the Canning Basin region delineates the geo-electrical features that correspond to major chronostratigraphic boundaries, and captures detailed stratigraphic information associated with these boundaries. This interpretation forms part of an assessment of the underground hydrogen storage potential of salt features in the Canning Basin region based on integration and interpretation of AEM and other geological and geophysical datasets. A main aim of this work was to interpret the AEM to develop a regional understanding of the near-surface stratigraphy and structural geology. This regional geological framework was complimented by the identification and assessment of possible near-surface salt-related structures, as underground salt bodies have been identified as potential underground hydrogen storage sites. This study interpreted over 20,000 line kilometres of 20&nbsp;km nominally line-spaced AusAEM conductivity sections, covering an area approximately 450,000 km2 to a depth of approximately 500&nbsp;m in northwest Western Australia. These conductivity sections were integrated and interpreted with other geological and geophysical datasets, such as boreholes, potential fields, surface and basement geology maps, and seismic interpretations. This interpretation produced approximately 110,000 depth estimate points or 4,000 3D line segments, each attributed with high-quality geometric, stratigraphic, and ancillary data. The depth estimate points are formatted for Geoscience Australia’s Estimates of Geological and Geophysical Surfaces database, the national repository for formatted depth estimate points. Despite these interpretations being collected to support exploration of salt features for hydrogen storage, they are also intended for use in a wide range of other disciplines, such as mineral, energy and groundwater resource exploration, environmental management, subsurface mapping, tectonic evolution studies, and cover thickness, prospectivity, and economic modelling. Therefore, these interpretations will benefit government, industry and academia interested in the geology of the Canning Basin region.</div>

<div>GeoInsight was an 18-month pilot project developed in the latter part of Geoscience Australia’s Exploring for the Future Program (2016–2024). The aim of this pilot was to develop a new approach to communicating geological information to non-technical audiences, that is, non-geoscience professionals. The pilot was developed using a human-centred design approach in which user needs were forefront considerations. Interviews and testing found that users wanted a simple and fast, plain-language experience which provided basic information and provided pathways for further research. GeoInsight’s vision is to be an accessible experience that curates information and data from across the Geoscience Australia digital ecosystem, helping users make decisions and refine their research approach, quickly and confidently. </div><div><br></div><div>In the first iteration of GeoInsight, selected products for energy, minerals, water, and complementary information from Geoscience Australia’s Data Discovery Portal and Data and Publications Catalogue were examined to (1) gauge the relevance of the information they contain for non-geoscientists and, (2) determine how best to deliver this information for effective use by non-technical audiences. </div><div><br></div><div>This Record documents the technical details of the methods used for summarising groundwater information for GeoInsight, including groundwater reliance, depth, salinity, and uses. This Record will be updated, including a change log, when the scope of information or methods for generating the data change.</div>

<div>Previous work by the SA government and CSIRO[i] highlighted the value of integrating AEM data with other geological and hydrogeological data to model palaeovalley groundwater systems and develop regional hydrogeological conceptualisations. This allows better-informed water supply decisions and management for communities in remote parts of Australia where these systems provide the only available and long-term water resource. The Exploring for the Future Musgrave Palaeovalley module seeks to apply similar work flows across the western Musgrave Province and adjacent Officer and Canning basins.</div><div>Open file mineral exploration AEM data from 11 surveys in WA and SA flown between 2009 and 2012 were re-processed and inverted to produce conductivity models and a suite of derived datasets. Geoscience Australia’s Layered-Earth-Inversion was used as a single standard processing and inversion method to improve continuity and data quality.</div><div>These legacy AEM data, originally for mineral exploration, have been incorporated with DEM-derived landscape attributes, previous palaeovalley mapping and available bore lithologies to model palaeovalley base surfaces. This presentation will provide an example from four blocks of AEM data to show how repurposing data from mineral exploration, public bore data and landscape analysis can be used to identify palaeovalley systems which provide critical water supplies for remote and regional communities and industry[ii].</div><div>This approach can be used to model palaeovalley systems from a range of geoscientific and other datasets. The Exploring for the Future Musgrave Palaeovalley module has acquired ~23,000 line km of AEM across parts of WA and the NT at line spacings of 1 and 5 km. This new precompetitive data will be used to model palaeovalley system geometry and integrate with new and existing AEM, drilling, landscape, groundwater chemistry and surface geophysics data to test hydrogeological conceptualisations of these groundwater systems.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div> [i] Costar, A., Love, A., Krapf, C., Keppel, M., Munday, T., Inverarity, K., Wallis, I. &&nbsp;Sørensen, C. (2019). Hidden water in remote areas – using innovative exploration to uncover the past in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands. MESA Journal 90(2), 23 - 35 pp.</div><div>Krapf, C., Costar, A., Stoian, L., Keppel, M., Gordon, G., Inverarity, K., Love, A. &&nbsp;Munday, T. (2019). A sniff of the ocean in the Miocene at the foothills of the Musgrave Ranges - unravelling the evolution of the Lindsay East Palaeovalley. MESA Journal 90(2), 4 - 22 pp.</div><div>Krapf, C. B. E., Costar, A., Munday, T., Irvine, J. A. & Ibrahimi, T., 2020. Palaeovalley map of the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands (1st edition), 1:500 000 scale. Goyder Institute for Water Research, Geological Survey of South Australia, CSIRO.</div><div>https://sarigbasis.pir.sa.gov.au/WebtopEw/ws/samref/sarig1/wci/Record?r=0&m=1&w=catno=2042122. </div><div>Munday, T., Taylor, A., Raiber, M., Sørensen, C., Peeters, L. J. M., Krapf, C., Cui, T., Cahill, K., Flinchum, B., Smolanko, N., Martinez, J., Ibrahimi, T. &&nbsp;Gilfedder, M., 2020a. Integrated regional hydrogeophysical conceptualisation of the Musgrave Province, South Australia, Goyder Institute for Water Research Technical Report Series 20/04, Goyder Institute for Water Research, Adelaide.</div><div>Munday, T., Gilfedder, M., Costar, A., Blaikie, T., Cahill, K., Cui, T., Davis, A., Deng, Z., Flinchum, B., Gao, L., Gogoll, M., Gordon, G., Ibrahimi, T., Inverarity, K., Irvine, J., Janardhanan, Sreekanth, Jiang, Z., Keppel, M., Krapf, C., Lane, T., Love, A., Macnae, J., Mariethoz, G., Martinez, J., Pagendam, D., Peeters, L., Pickett, T., Robinson, N., Siade, A., Smolanko, N., Sorensen, C., Stoian, L., Taylor, A., Visser, G., Wallis, I. &&nbsp;Xie, Y., 2020b. Facilitating Long-term Outback Water Solutions (G-Flows Stage 3): Final Summary Report. Goyder Institute for Water Research, Adelaide, http://hdl.handle.net/102.100.100/376125?index=1. </div><div>[ii] Symington, N. J., Ley-Cooper, Y. A. &&nbsp;Smith, M. L., 2022. West Musgrave AEM conductivity models and data release. Geoscience Australia, Canberra, https://pid.geoscience.gov.au/dataset/ga/146278.&nbsp;</div> This Abstract was submitted/presented to the 2022 Sub 22 Conference 28-30 November (http://sub22.w.tas.currinda.com/)

<div>Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples hold a wealth of traditional knowledge about their land and waters gathered and passed down from observations over thousands of years. Geoscience Australia (GA) is the national geoscience public sector organisation that advises on the geology, hydrogeology, and geography of Australia by applying science and technology to describe and understand the Earth. Respectful and successful two-way engagement with Indigenous peoples provides an opportunity to identify and share traditional understanding, complementing geoscientific studies and preserving traditional knowledge Through its Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan, GA is committed to building mutually beneficial relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Aligned with this vision, and as part of the Exploring for the Future Program, GA engaged a subject matter expert to undertake a scoping study. The aim of this study was to provide advice to strengthen the internal processes it uses to engage and undertake projects with Indigenous peoples. Drawing on two case studies (northeast NSW; eastern WA), a framework was developed to guide GA staff in the collection and recording of information and knowledge in a culturally appropriate manner. The project also delivered a road map to achieve better engagement and inclusion of Indigenous peoples in geoscience studies, to be tested and refined in future work programs. The road map is built on six key elements: (1) increasing Indigenous employment; (2) building partnerships; (3) respecting timeframes; (4) embedding Indigenous values and culture; (5) adhering to ethical practices and principles; and (6) embracing two-way knowledge sharing. Trust is crucial to building a partnership with Indigenous communities, binding the six elements of the road map. In the future GA hopes to share the outcomes with other organisations, from applying the framework and road map aimed at improving engagement with Indigenous peoples in groundwater activities and the geosciences more broadly. Presented at the 2022 Australasian Groundwater Conference (AGC)

<div>Groundwater is critical to the survival of a range of ecosystems in Australia through provision of a direct source of water to plants with suitable root systems, and through discharge into surface water systems. Effectively managing groundwater dependent ecosystems (GDEs) alongside other water demands requires the ability to identify, characterise, and monitor vegetation condition.&nbsp;<em>&nbsp;</em><br> As part of the <a href="https://www.eftf.ga.gov.au/upper-darling-river-floodplain-groundwater-study">Exploring for the Future Upper Darling Floodplain</a> (UDF) groundwater project in western New South Wales, we present results from a study testing the suitability of two novel methods (a) recently available tasselled cap percentile products with national coverage through Digital Earth Australia, and (b) dry-conditions interferometric radar (InSAR) coherence images for mapping vegetation that is potentially groundwater dependent. <em>&nbsp;</em></div><div><em>&nbsp;</em></div><div>A combination of greenness and wetness 10th percentile tasselled cap products delineated terrestrial and aquatic GDEs with greater accuracy than existing regional ecosystem mapping, demonstrating the utility of these products for GDE identification. These results suggest the tasselled cap products can be used to support and refine the existing GDE mapping for this region, and further testing of their suitability and application for other regions is warranted.&nbsp;<em>&nbsp;</em></div><div><em>&nbsp;</em></div><div>The InSAR coherence images produced good agreement with the Bureau of Meteorology national GDE Atlas for areas of high probability of groundwater dependence. Although data availability and technical expertise currently lags behind optical imagery products, if research continues to show good performance in mapping potential GDEs and other applications, InSAR could become an important line of evidence within multi-dataset investigations.&nbsp;<em>&nbsp;</em></div><div><em>&nbsp;</em></div><div>Key next steps for improving the utility of these techniques &nbsp;are (a) comparison with vegetation condition data, and (b) further assessment of the likelihood of groundwater dependence through assessing relationships between vegetation condition and groundwater, surface water, and soil moisture availability.<em>&nbsp;</em></div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>This abstract was submitted/presented to the 2023 Australasian Groundwater / New Zealand Hydrological Society (AGC NZHS) Joint Conference (https://www.hydrologynz.org.nz/events-1/australasian-groundwater-nzhs-joint-conference)</div>

<div>The Exploring for the Future program is a world leading program, delivering public geoscientific data and information required to empower decision-makers and attract future investment in resource exploration and development. Geoscience Australia engaged Alluvium Consulting Australia to quantify the impact and value of groundwater activities and outputs to the quadruple bottom line through an evaluation of 2 case studies, namely: • National Hydrogeological Mapping • The Southern Stuart Corridor project. This involved understanding the impact pathways for these case studies and the collection of data to be used in a cost benefit analysis. The work sought to provide feedback to Geoscience Australia, stakeholder groups and the broader community on the value of Geoscience Australia’s groundwater activities. The case study evaluations were facilitated by a series of specific questions, which were developed to guide data collection and the building of a knowledge base around the impact and value of the work in each case study and associated outputs. The questions broadly fell under the following categories: 1. Uptake and Usage 2. Impact 3. Benefit These evaluations were framed around the program impact pathway developed for each case study. This is a description of how inputs are used to deliver activities, which in turn result in outcomes and impacts (changes) for stakeholders, including the environment. The primary means of data collection to help answer the key evaluation questions was through online workshops and interviews with key stakeholders for each case study. These were undertaken between March 10 and March 24, 2023. In these workshops and interviews, representatives from industry, community and government agencies were asked if they could identify instances where case study program outputs were used for particular purposes, such as prioritising research or investment, advising Members of Parliament, or education and training. These examples were then explored further to understand what outcomes and benefits were derived from the use of the case study outputs, and how critical were the case study outputs to achieving those outcomes and benefits</div>

<div> A key issue for explorers in Australia is the abundant sedimentary and regolith cover obscuring access to underlying potentially prospective rocks. &nbsp;Multilayered chronostratigraphic interpretation of regional broad line-spaced (~20&nbsp;km) airborne electromagnetic (AEM) conductivity sections have led to breakthroughs in Australia’s near-surface geoscience. &nbsp;A dedicated/systematic workflow has been developed to characterise the thickness of cover and the depth to basement rocks, by delineating contact geometries, and by capturing stratigraphic units, their ages and relationships. &nbsp;Results provide a fundamental geological framework, currently covering 27% of the Australian continent, or approximately 2,085,000&nbsp;km2. &nbsp;Delivery as precompetitive data in various non-proprietary formats and on various platforms ensures that these interpretations represent an enduring and meaningful contribution to academia, government and industry.&nbsp;The outputs support resource exploration, hazard mapping, environmental management, and uncertainty attribution.&nbsp;This work encourages exploration investment, can reduce exploration risks and costs, helps expand search area whilst aiding target identification, and allows users to make well-informed decisions. Presented herein are some key findings from interpretations in potentially prospective, yet in some cases, underexplored regions from around Australia.&nbsp;</div> This abstract was submitted & presented to the 8th International Airborne Electromagnetics Workshop (AEM2023) (https://www.aseg.org.au/news/aem-2023)

<div>The Lake Eyre surface water catchment covers around 1,200,000 km2 of central Australia, about one-sixth of the entire continent. It is one of the largest endorheic river basins in the world and contains iconic arid streams such as the Diamantina, Finke and Georgina rivers, and Cooper Creek. The Lake Eyre region supports diverse native fauna and flora, including nationally significant groundwater-dependent ecosystems such as springs and wetlands which are important cultural sites for Aboriginal Australians.</div><div><br></div><div>Much of the Lake Eyre catchment is underlain by the geological Lake Eyre Basin (LEB). The LEB includes major sedimentary depocentres such as the Tirari and Callabonna sub-basins which have been active sites of deposition throughout the Cenozoic. The stratigraphy of the LEB is dominated by the Eyre, Namba and Etadunna formations, as well as overlying Pliocene to Quaternary sediments.</div><div><br></div><div>The National Groundwater Systems Project, part of Geoscience Australia's Exploring for the Future Program (https://www.eftf.ga.gov.au/), is transforming our understanding of the nation's major aquifer systems. With an initial focus on the Lake Eyre Basin, we have applied an integrated geoscience systems approach to model the basin's regional stratigraphy and geological architecture. This analysis has significantly improved understanding of the extent and thickness of the main stratigraphic units, leading to new insights into the conceptualisation of aquifer systems in the LEB.</div><div><br></div><div>Developing the new understanding of the LEB involved compilation and standardisation of data acquired from thousands of petroleum, minerals and groundwater bores. This enabled consistent stratigraphic analysis of the major geological surfaces across all state and territory boundaries. In places, the new borehole dataset was integrated with biostratigraphic and petrophysical data, as well as airborne electromagnetic (AEM) data acquired through AusAEM (https://www.eftf.ga.gov.au/ausaem). The analysis and integration of diverse geoscience datasets helped to better constrain the key stratigraphic horizons and improved our overall confidence in the geological interpretations.</div><div><br></div><div>The new geological modelling of the LEB has highlighted the diverse sedimentary history of the basin and provided insights into the influence of geological structures on modern groundwater flow systems. Our work has refined the margins of the key depocentres of the Callabonna and Tirari sub-basins, and shown that their sediment sequences are up to 400 m thick. We have also revised maximum thickness estimates for the main units of the Eyre Formation (185 m), Namba Formation (265 m) and Etadunna Formation (180 m).</div><div><br></div><div>The geometry, distribution and thickness of sediments in the LEB is influenced by geological structures. Many structural features at or near surface are related to deeper structures that can be traced into the underlying Eromanga and Cooper basins. The occurrence of neotectonic features, coupled with insights from geomorphological studies, implies that structural deformation continues to influence the evolution of the basin. Structures also affect the hydrogeology of the LEB, particularly by compartmentalising groundwater flow systems in some areas. For example, the shallow groundwater system of the Cooper Creek floodplain is likely segregated from groundwater in the nearby Callabonna Sub-basin due to structural highs in the underlying Eromanga Basin.</div><div> Abstract submitted and presented at the 2023 Australian Earth Science Convention (AESC), Perth WA (https://2023.aegc.com.au/)

<div>The Darling River is the primary water source for communities on the Upper Darling River Floodplain (UDF) in arid northwest New South Wales. A 70% reduction in mean annual flow down the Darling over the past 80 years, due to droughts and over-extraction, has resulted in critical water shortages and water quality issues for communities and ecosystems. Presently there is a limited understanding of the spatial extent and controls on the occurrence of lower salinity groundwater within the surrounding Darling Alluvium; a possible&nbsp;alternative water source that is also important to groundwater-dependent ecosystems.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>The UDF project, part of the Australian Government’s Exploring for the Future program is working in collaboration with State partners to collect and integrate new data with existing hydrogeological knowledge. The project aims to improve the hydrogeological understanding of the region to help inform water management decisions and increase water security. A key focus of the project is the Darling Alluvium (DA)—a closed regional groundwater system comprising unconsolidated Cenozoic sediments deposited primarily by the paleo and current Darling River systems and their tributaries. Connectivity with aquifers of varying quality, within the underlying Murray and Great Artesian Basins, is also being investigated. </div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Integration of airborne electromagnetic (AEM), hydrometric and hydrochemical data with lithology logs and geological maps has revealed a broad trend in groundwater–surface water dynamics. In the upper reaches of the floodplain systems appear to be disconnected, while in the lower reaches losing stream conditions prevail. In the losing stream setting, resistive AEM signatures, at depths of up to 60 m below ground level and extending laterally for several hundred metres from the river, indicate a hydraulic gradient away from the river. Low salinity groundwater measured in shallow bores suggest the potential for a significant quality groundwater resource. Further investigations will improve confidence in the geometry of fresh water zones, recharge rates, connectivity with underlying saline aquifers and relationships with groundwater-dependent ecosystems.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div>This Abstract was submitted/presented to the 2022 Australasian Groundwater Conference 21-23 November (https://www.aig.org.au/events/australasian-groundwater-conference-2022/)