Product catalogue
Groundwater salinity estimation using borehole and AEM data: a framework for uncertainty analysis
Salinity of groundwater directly affects its suitability for different uses, including human consumption, stock water, agricultural use, and mineral or energy extraction. Traditionally, direct measurements of groundwater salinity at monitoring bores that intersect an aquifer have been used to map the spatial distribution of groundwater salinity. However, drilling is a logistically and economically challenging task, and we are usually left with a sparse set of measurements from which to infer groundwater salinity over large spatial extents. Airborne electromagnetic (AEM) sounding provides a solution to this problem. This is because AEM can be flown rapidly and cost-effectively over large swathes of land, and high subsurface bulk conductivities inferred from the AEM are well correlated with groundwater salinity in porous aquifers. We present here a methodology and case study from the Keep River Plains in the Northern Territory that provides information for land and watershed managers about the confidence with which salinity can be mapped over large areas using AEM. Extensive pore fluid sampling of the saturated zone, which lies beneath the watertable, enables this workflow to be used effectively. The results provided by our method can feed into decision making while accounting for uncertainty, enabling remote communities to manage their land and water resources effectively.
<b>Citation:</b> Symington, N.,Ray, A., Harris-Pascal, C., Tan, K.P., Ley-Cooper, A.Y., and Brodie, R.C., 2020. Groundwater salinity estimation using borehole and AEM data: a framework for uncertainty analysis. In: Czarnota, K., Roach, I., Abbott, S., Haynes, M., Kositcin, N., Ray, A. and Slatter, E. (eds.) Exploring for the Future: Extended Abstracts, Geoscience Australia, Canberra, 1–4.
Simple
Identification info
- Date (Creation)
- 2020-03-30T12:00:00
- Date (Publication)
- 2020-06-23T04:41:07
- Citation identifier
- Geoscience Australia Persistent Identifier/https://pid.geoscience.gov.au/dataset/ga/135242
- Citation identifier
- Digital Object Identifier/http://dx.doi.org/10.11636/135242
- Cited responsible party
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Role Organisation / Individual Name Details Author Symington, N.
Author Ray, A.
Author HarrisPascal, C.
Author Tan, K.P.
Author Ley-Cooper, A.Y.
Author Brodie, R.C.
- Purpose
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EftF Extended Abstracts
- Status
- Completed
- Point of contact
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Role Organisation / Individual Name Details Point of contact Commonwealth of Australia (Geoscience Australia)
Voice Point of contact Ray, A.
Resource provider Minerals, Energy and Groundwater Division
- Spatial representation type
- Topic category
-
- Geoscientific information
Extent
Extent
))
- Maintenance and update frequency
- As needed
Resource format
- Title
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Product data repository: Various Formats
- Website
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Data Store directory containing the digital product files
Data Store directory containing one or more files, possibly in a variety of formats, accessible to Geoscience Australia staff only for internal purposes
- theme.ANZRC Fields of Research.rdf
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EARTH SCIENCES
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- Keywords
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Groundwater Systems
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- Keywords
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Exploring for the Future
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- Keywords
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EFTF
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- Keywords
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Airborne Electromagnetics
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- Keywords
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salinity mapping
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- Keywords
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geostatistics
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- Keywords
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probabilistic inversion
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- Keywords
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Published_External
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Resource constraints
- Title
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Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence
- Alternate title
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CC-BY
- Edition
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4.0
- Access constraints
- License
- Use constraints
- License
Resource constraints
- Title
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Australian Government Security ClassificationSystem
- Edition date
- 2018-11-01T00:00:00
- Classification
- Unclassified
- Language
- English
- Character encoding
- UTF8
Distribution Information
- Distributor contact
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Role Organisation / Individual Name Details Distributor Commonwealth of Australia (Geoscience Australia)
Voice
- OnLine resource
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Extended Abstract for download (pdf) [4.5 MB]
Extended Abstract for download (pdf) [4.5 MB]
- Distribution format
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pdf
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Resource lineage
- Statement
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This study was completed under the Exploring for the Future initiative, as part of the East Kimberley groundwater project. Airborne electromagnetics data were acquired using the SkyTEM312-fast system and inverted using probabilistic inversions from the GA-AEM software suite. Boreholes were drilled using sonic drilling, pore fluids were extracted from the recovered material and their electrical conductivity were measured. The standing water level of groundwater within the bore were measured after the boreholes were completed during the dry season.
Metadata constraints
- Title
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Australian Government Security Classification System
- Edition date
- 2018-11-01T00:00:00
- Classification
- Unclassified
Metadata
- Metadata identifier
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urn:uuid/fcaf1afd-ada7-4809-844f-d7e7deef7123
- Title
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GeoNetwork UUID
- Language
- English
- Character encoding
- UTF8
- Contact
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Role Organisation / Individual Name Details Point of contact Commonwealth of Australia (Geoscience Australia)
Voice Point of contact Ray, A.
Type of resource
- Resource scope
- Document
- Name
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GA publication: Extended Abstract
Alternative metadata reference
- Title
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Geoscience Australia - short identifier for metadata record with
uuid
- Citation identifier
- eCatId/135242
- Date info (Creation)
- 2019-04-08T01:55:29
- Date info (Revision)
- 2019-04-08T01:55:29
Metadata standard
- Title
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AU/NZS ISO 19115-1:2014
Metadata standard
- Title
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ISO 19115-1:2014
Metadata standard
- Title
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ISO 19115-3
- Title
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Geoscience Australia Community Metadata Profile of ISO 19115-1:2014
- Edition
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Version 2.0, September 2018
- Citation identifier
- https://pid.geoscience.gov.au/dataset/ga/122551