Identification of groundwater-dependent (terrestrial) vegetation, and assessment of the relative importance of different water sources to vegetation dynamics commonly involves detailed ecophysiological studies over a number of seasons or years. However, even when groundwater dependence can be quantified, results are often difficult to upscale beyond the plot scale. Consequently, quicker, more regional mapping approaches have been developed. These new approaches utilise advances in computation geoscience, and remote sensing and airborne geophysical technologies. The Darling River Floodplain, western New South Wales, Australia, was selected as the case study area. This semi-arid landscape is subject to long periods of drought followed by extensive flooding. Despite the episodic availability of surface water resources, two native Eucalyptus species, E. camaldulensis (River Red Gum) and E. largiflorens (Black Box) continue to survive in these conditions. Both species have recognised adaptations, include the ability to utilise groundwater resources at depth. A remote sensing methodology was developed to identify those communities potentially dependent on groundwater resources during the recent millennium drought in Australia.

The record is a presentation given by Adrian Fisher to staff of the Aditya-Birla Nifty copper mine and to staff at the Geological Survey of Western Australia, August 2007. It describes the planning behind the Paterson AEM survey, to be acquired in 2007-2008.

The Australian Government, through Geoscience Australia, funded an airborne electromagnetic (AEM) survey to be flown over the Paterson region of Western Australia. The survey was flown using the TEMPEST AEM system during 2007 and 2008. The data acquisition and data processing and reductions were carried out by Fugro Airborne Surveys (FAS) under contract to Geoscience Australia. The 2010 data release includes the entire Paterson Survey area. This data set includes the eight blocks of infill flying that were completed with funding provided by private companies. The Paterson Survey area is shown on the locality map below (Figure 1). The digital dataset has been arranged into two separate directories or folders according to the two main survey areas Paterson North and Paterson South. Four sub-directories are arranged according to the four main data types which are: (i) Survey operations and processing report, (ii) Point located electromagnetic response and derived EM Flow CDI line data, (iii) Gridded electromagnetic response and CDI data, and (iv) Graphic profile based multiplots showing electromagnetic, CDI and ancillary data.

At present calcrete-hosted uranium deposits constitute only 1% of Australia's uranium resources. Most known deposits (nine out of eleven) are associated with Cenozoic drainage systems in the Yilgarn Craton, and similar drainage systems in the Gascoyne Province and Ngalia Basin. In the Paterson region calcrete-hosted uranium mineralisation has been reported only in the Lake Waukarlycarly area but no major deposit of this type has yet been found.

During 2007 and 2008 and under the Australian Government's Onshore Energy Security Initiative, Geoscience Australia acquired airborne electromagnetic (AEM) data over the Paterson Province of Western Australia. The main purpose of the survey was to provide additional geophysical/geological context for unconformity and palaeochannel style uranium mineral systems and thereby promote related exploration. The survey data will also provide information on depth to basement, which is of general interest to explorers, and will be used as an input into a ground water evaluation of the region.

Funded by the Australian Government's Onshore Energy Security Program the Pine Creek airborne electromagnetic (AEM) survey was flown over the Pine Creek Orogen and parts of the McArthur, Victoria River and Daly Basins in the Northern Territory between August 2008 and 24th May 2009. The survey comprises three survey areas: Kombolgie, east of Kakadu National Park; Woolner Granite, near Darwin; and, Rum Jungle, west of Kakadu National Park. The Pine Creek survey was the second regional AEM survey flown in Australia. The survey cost of $3 745 000 included a 29 900 line km flown at various line spacings (555m, 1666m and 5000m) and covered approximately 74 000 km2. The Woolner Granite and Rum Jungle survey areas were flown by Fugro Airborne Surveys Pty. Ltd. (FAS), for Geoscience Australia (GA), using the TEMPESTTM time-domain AEM system. The Kombolgie survey area was flown by Geotech Airborne Pty. Ltd VTEMTM time-domain AEM system. The Pine Creek AEM survey was designed to deliver reliable, pre-competitive AEM data to promote exploration for uranium, copper-gold, base metals, tin and nickel in both brownfields and greenfields areas. The survey area hosts several uranium deposits, including the Ranger Uranium Mine, Rum Jungle and Nabarlek.

The continuing world demand for potash (potassium salts) is driving a new exploration boom in the Australian minerals industry for this valuable resource, listed by Geoscience Australia (GA) as a strategic commodity (Mernagh 2013). The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) predicts a rising demand for fertilizers, with potash demand increasing at 3.7% per annum (FAO 2012), and Rabobank predicts that demand will exceed supply by up to 100% by 2020 (Rabobank 2012). This demand is driving the application of airborne electromagnetics (AEM) to map salinity as a proxy for potential potash resources in salt lakes. This short paper describes a few of the applications and is written in response to an industry request to GA for information on how AEM might be used to explore for potash.

A guide to the use of AEM geophysics for mapping SWI in coastal landscapes and karstic aquifer systems in Australia. The project was funded by the National Water Commission (NWC), with significant in-kind resources and funding provided by Geoscience Australia (GA) and the Northern Territory Department of Resources, Environment, Tourism, Arts and Sports (NRETAS).

Airborne electromagnetic data (AEM) are used in many and diverse applications such as mineral and energy exploration, groundwater investigations, natural hazard assessment, agriculture, city planning and defence. Unfortunately, many users do not have access to a simple workflow for assessing the quality of the data that they are using. This poster outlines the main quality assurance and quality control (QA-QC) procedures used by Geoscience Australia for our 2008-11 AEM surveys. Minor processing errors can dramatically reduce the quality of the data to the point that interpreters will be unable to use the data, or worse still, will be misled by features or characteristics produced during acquisition and processing. These scenarios not only impact the application at the time of interpretation, but can seriously impact the reputation and perceptions of the AEM industry. Every effort should be made to ensure that maximum fidelity is preserved in the data during acquisition and processing so that the best possible data are available for interpretation. Geoscience Australia is embarking on a project to upgrade the National Airborne Geophysical Database to better manage the data from major AEM surveys. This will better preserve the data and associated documentation to allow users to access and take advantage of the data well into the future. The quality of historical data included in this endeavour will unfortunately be variable and dependent on the QA-QC standards of the time. Geoscience Australia currently holds over 150 000 line kilometres of AEM data funded by the Commonwealth Government, State Governments and industry. Much of this data is available online for download, but is not available via the Geophysical Archive Data Delivery System (GADDS). Geoscience Australia is planning the expansion of GADDS to accommodate AEM data into the future. It is hoped the procedures outlined on the poster will be widely accepted by users, in particular new users, as a set of minimum requirements to help ensure that AEM data will be of a consistent quality and to a higher standard acknowledging it as the valuable resource it is. Key words: Airborne electromagnetic data; National Airborne Geophysical Database; AEM; QA-QC.

Displays the coverage of publicly available digital airborne electomagnetic survey data. The map legend is coloured according to the line spacing of the survey.