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.

Geoscience Australia (GA) was invited by Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) in 2010 to participate in an evaluation of the Intermap IFSAR (Interferometric Synthetic Aperture RADAR) data that was acquired as part of the Murray-Darling Basin Information Infrastructure Project Stage 1 (MDBIIP1) in 2009. This evaluation will feed into the business case for Stage 2 of the project. As part of the evaluation GA undertook the following: 1. A comparison of the IFSAR Digital Surface Model (DSM) and Digital Terrain Model (DTM) with a recent LiDAR acquisition, covering approximately 9000Km2 of the Lower Darling Region. It focused on assessment of the data over various land cover and terrain types and identified opportunities and issues with integrating IFSAR with LiDAR. 2. A comparison of the IFSAR Vegetation Canopy Surface (DSM minus DTM) with the Lower Darling LiDAR Canopy Elevation Model (CEM). 3. A comparison between currently mapped man-made and natural water bodies over the Murray-Darling Basin with the IFSAR derived products (water mask). 4. Application of the National Catchment Boundaries (NCBs) methodology to the IFSAR data and comparison with the delineated watersheds from PBS&J (Intermap's sub-contractor). This report outlines the findings of this evaluation based on the 4 items above MDBA requested.

A collaborative field trial of the Quester-Tangent View Series 5 single beam acoustic benthic mapping system was recently conducted in Wallis Lake by Geoscience Australia and Quester Tangent Corporation. The survey involved acquisition of the acoustic backscatter data from the northern channels and basins of Wallis Lake. Quester-Tangent software (IMPACT v3) was used to classify acoustic echograms that returned from the lake bottom into statistically different acoustic classes, using principal components analysis. Six acoustically different substrate types were identified in the Wallis Lake survey area. Ground-truthing was undertaken to identify the sedimentological and biological features of the lake floor that influenced the shape of the return echograms. For each sample, measurements were made of grain size, wet bulk density, total organic carbon, CaCO3 content, and mass of coarse fraction (mainly shell) material. Statistical cluster analysis and multi-dimensional scaling were utilised to identify any physical similarities between groups of ground-truthing sites. The analysis revealed four distinct and mappable substrate types in the study area. The degree of association between acoustic classes and measured sediment parameters was also quantified. Cluster and MDS analysis revealed that, based on the parameters measured, the six acoustic classes were not uniquely linked to the sediment groups, suggesting that factors other than the sediment parameters alone are influencing the acoustic signal. The spatial interpretation of the Wallis Lake Quester-Tangent data represents the first quantification of non-seagrass habitats in the deeper areas of the lake, and provides a useful indicatior of benthic habitat diversity and abundance. For future studies, a more quantitative measure of faunal burrow size and density, and also other sedimentary bedforms, is recommended.

An area of about 12,000 square miles was mapped in the field seasons 1950-51. It contains four Pre-Cambrian rock groups ranging from Archaeozoic to Uppermost Proterozoic. The main groups in the area, the Mt. Isa and Lawn Hill Groups, are shallow-water geosynclinal sediments involved in a Proterozoic orogeny which resulted in fairly intensive folding along dominantly north-south axes, together with much faulting. The geological features discussed in this report include physiography, topography, stratigraphy, igneous activity, structure, mineral deposits and water supply.

With Australia's postwar immigration programme and the increased demand for food supplies, an expansion of Australia's rural industries is of primary importance, both to increase domestic food supplies and to obtain foreign exchange by export of primary produce. For such a development, the rainfall, surface and underground water resources are the factors of prime importance. In West Australia the difficulties met in finding water for farming purposes prevents rational development of many rural areas. Also, in some places town water supplies are insufficient or the water is saline. Water resources may be classified as follow: rain water from tanks or dams, water from bores or wells, water from old mine shafts (in mining districts), water from springs, [and] water from rivers. The present investigations are not concerned with the last two types of water supply. The following aims were set. 1. To test several types of instruments, to discover their limitations and ranges and the optimum conditions for their operations. 2. To estimate the accuracy of depth determination to discontinuities which might be related to the geology. 3. To investigate the possibility of distinguishing the nature of the discontinuities, for instance, decomposed granite, fresh granite, ground water level, etc., and the possibility of estimating whether ground water is fresh, brackish or saline. The tests areas were selected in the belief that sufficient bore information would be available to serve as controls. However, except at Austin Downs, near Cue, and at Big Bell, the bore information was generally insufficient, vague and unreliable. With the exceptions mentioned above, adequate records had not been kept. The purpose of the geophysical survey was not primarily to search for areas with favourable ground water occurrences but to test the resistivity method in areas where information on the occurrence of ground water was available from existing wells and bores. The order in which the tests are described in the report is: Wubin, Cue, Big Bell, Lake Grace and Kulkin.

For nearly nine months of the year the river proper is confined to a narrow channel two to three hundred feet wide. During the remainder of the year, however, the river is subject to periodical floodings resulting from heavy tropical rain on its water-shed and for periods of a week of more at a time the low level bridge is covered by flood water. The dislocation of rail traffic which results from these periodical floodings has been a matter of serious concern to the Queensland authorities for many years and a decision was made to construct a high level rail and road bridge to replace the existing structure. Construction was commenced, but before it proceeded far, it was considered desirable that the depth of the bedrock, previously examined, should be established without doubt. In view of the uncertainty of the depth to be drilled and the very considerable difficulty in drilling through alternating layers of drift sand and boulder wash, a request was made by the Co-ordinator General of Public works for Queensland for a geophysical investigation of the site. A survey was carried out by the geophysical section of the Commonwealth Bureau of Mineral Resources during August and September, 1947. The investigation of the results is far from complete but the seismic method gave such concise results that this preliminary statement is justified. Geology, geophysical methods, results, interpretation, and testing are discussed in this report.

As a result of abnormal rains in 1950, a considerable body of water has been impounded in Lake George, situated in New South Wales, but only 20 miles north of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. Local reports claim a depth of water of 30 feet in the Lake and these reports have prompted the Advisory Council of the Australian Capital Territory to investigate the possibility of developing the lake as a recreational resort. As a first step in this investigation the Council has asked the Bureau of Mineral Resources, Geology and Geophysics for an opinion as to how long a considerable body of water may be retained in the lake.

Existing sources of water supply are described. Proposals for improving the supply of town water are considered. Further investigations are recommended with respect to tapping the southern lobe of the local basin, surface conservation, underground water resources, and the selection of a possible dam site.

On May 3rd, and again on June 1st, the author visited the Cotter dam to investigate a reported loss of water from the fault on the northern side of the wall. This report gives an account of these visits, together with the author's observations and conclusions in relation to the reported water loss.

No abstract available