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Analysis of the distribution patterns of Pb isotope data from mineralised samples using the plumbotectonic model of Carr et al. (1995), which invokes mixing between crustal and mantle reservoirs, indicates systematic spatial patterns that reflect major metallogenic and tectonic boundaries in the Lachlan and Delamerian orogens in New South Wales and Victoria. This distribution pattern accurately maps the boundary between the Central and Eastern Lachlan. The Central Lachlan is characterised by Pb isotope characteristics with a strong crustal signature, whereas the Eastern Lachlan is characterised by variable crustal and mantle signatures. The Macquarie Arc is dominated by Pb with a mantle signature: known porphyry Cu-Au and high sulphidation epithermal Au-Cu deposits in the arc are associated with a zone characterised by the strongest mantle signatures. In contrast, granite-related Sn deposits in the Central Lachlan are characterised by the strongest crustal signatures. The Pb isotope patterns are broadly similar to Nd isotope model age patterns derived from felsic magmatic rocks, although a lower density of Nd isotope analyses makes direct comparison problematic. The two reservoirs identified by Carr et al. (1995) do not appear to be isotopically linked: the crustal source was not formed via extraction from the mantle source. Rather, the two reservoirs must have formed separately. The mantle reservoir may have been sourced from a subducting proto-Pacific plate, whereas the crustal reservoir is most likely to be extended Australian crust. The data allow the possibility that the proto-Pacific mantle source was isotopically linked to the western Tasmanian crustal source. Comparison of Pb isotope data from the Girilambone district (e.g., Tritton and Avoca Tank deposits) with those from the Cobar district in north central New South Wales indicates a less radiogenic signature, and probably older age, for deposits in the Girilambone district. Hence, a syngenetic volcanic-associated massive sulphide origin for these deposits is preferred over a syn-tectonic origin. The data are also consistent with formation of the Girilambone district in a back-arc basin inboard from the earliest phase of the Macquarie Arc.

Storymap showing the top 68 images shortlisted by judges in the 2015 TopGeoShot competition.

Extensive historical (anecdotal) information covering the past 3 decades indicated that the remote and pristine Nadgee lake estuary in southern NSW had a benthic dominated ecology. All descriptions indicated that it had oligotrophic waters with dense cover of benthic macropyhtes and associated avifauna. When we arrived at Nadgee in late 2008 for the first scientific aquatic survey (ever) it looked nothing like this. The lake was dominated by an intense microalgal bloom and no macrophytes were present. Why? Entrance opening and closure are the major disturbances in an intermittent estuary like Nadgee, but there are no records of past entrance behaviour for such a remote site. This paper describes the use of Geoscience Australia's recent compilation and rectification of Landsat images (the Australian Geoscience Data Cube), along with the application of a consistent water detection tool for all pixels in that compilation, to determine opening and closing regimes. The output of the analyses provides an indication of whether a pixel was wet or dry (or not able to be determined) for all images over the entire 27 year's worth of data. Water level records measured by OEH since 2009 were used to ground-truth the remote sensed data. We can now determine when, over the past 27 years, the Lake opened and how long the water level remained low. This information, along with an understanding of the ecology of the primary macrophytes has been used to provide some possible models that explain when and why the fundamental shift from benthic to pelagic may have occurred.

This summary report outlines the key findings of the study. Full details of the methodology and all findings of the study, including limitations and assumptions, are provided in the companion technical report.

Data used to produce the predicted Carbon-13 map for the Cadna-owie - Hooray Aquifer in the Hydrogeological Atlas of the Great Artesian Basin (Ransley et.al., 2015). There are four layers in the Cadna-owie - Hooray Aquifer Carbon-13 map data A. Location of hydrochemistry samples (Point data, Shapefile) B. Predicted Concentration (Filled contours , Shapefile) C. Predicted Concentration Contours (Contours, Shapefile) D. Prediction Standard Error (Filled contours , Shapefile) The predicted values provide a regional based estimate and may be associated with considerable error. It is recommended that the predicted values are read together with the predicted error map, which provides an estimate of the absolute standard error associated with the predicted values at any point within the map. The predicted standard error map provides an absolute standard error associated with the predicted values at any point within the map. Please note this is not a relative error map and the concentration of a parameter needs to be considered when interpreting the map. Predicted standard error values are low where the concentration is low and there is a high density of samples. Predicted standard errors values can be high where the concentration is high and there is moderate variability between nearby samples or where there is a paucity of data. Carbon-13 units are 13C PDB. Coordinate system is Lambert conformal conic GDA 1994, with central meridian 134 degrees longitude, standard parallels at -18 and -36 degrees latitude. The Cadna-owie - Hooray Aquifer Carbon-13 map is one of 14 hydrochemistry maps for the Cadna-owie - Hooray Aquifer and 24 hydrochemistry maps in the Hydrogeological Atlas of the Great Artesian Basin (Ransley et.al, 2014). This dataset and associated metadata can be obtained from www.ga.gov.au, using catalogue number 81704 References: Hitchon, B. and Brulotte, M. (1994): Culling criteria for `standard formation water analyses; Applied Geochemistry, v. 9, p. 637-645 Ransley, T., Radke, B., Feitz, A., Kellett, J., Owens, R., Bell, J. and Stewart, G., 2015. Hydrogeological Atlas of the Great Artesian Basin. Geoscience Australia. Canberra. [available from www.ga.gov.au using catalogue number 79790]

This dataset is part of the Gippsland Marine Environmental Monitoring (GMEM) project. The GMEM was developed in response to stakeholder concerns from the fisheries industry about a Geoscience Australia seismic survey in the Gippsland Basin (GA352 in April 2015), in addition to a broader need to acquire baseline data to be used to quantify impacts of seismic operations on marine organisms. A component of this study was to acquire images of the seafloor before and after the seismic survey for analysis of potential impacts of seismic operations on scallops. This dataset contains information collected from the AUV-Phoenix on survey GA-353 conducted 19-25 June 2015. The Phoenix is an Iver AUV operated by Australian Marine Ecology Pty Ltd and the University of Sydney (Australian Centre for Field Robotics). It includes a stereo camera system (i.e. two cameras), a USBL, and a sidescan sonar. Stereo image pairs were collected at a rate of 2 Hz with a target altitude of 2 m above the seabed and speed of 1 m s-1 (2 knots) using high sensitivity CCD cameras (Allied Vision Manta G-145C, resolution of 1388 x 1038 pixels). Illumination was by two strobes mounted in the fore and aft-sections of the vehicle and synchronised with the cameras. The camera lens and stereo orientation properties were calibrated in a pool immediately prior to the survey. The Phoenix returned usable still images at 12 sites, but strong currents resulted in truncated transects due to difficulty diving on Stations 14, 37, and 47, and strobe failure on Stations 40 and 47 resulted in reduced image quality. For each station, this dataset contains post-processed geotiffs acquired from a single AUV camera, track files, and a compressed mosaic of combined images. A Word file provides additional data about the folder structure, file types, and post-processing.

In 2008, the Australian Government established the AUD50 M Geothermal Drilling Program (GDP), designed to provide AUD7M matching funding to each of seven proof-of-concept projects to drill two wells and establish closed-loop flow. Ultimately, only two wells were drilled as part of this Program. Examining the reasons for the failure of this Program provide important lessons for any future stimulus of geothermal development

The distribution of volcanic-hosted massive sulphide deposits through time is episodic, involving relatively short time intervals of apparent high productivity and long intervals of low productivity. This distribution is principally related to the geodynamic evolution of the Earth. The vast majority of these deposits is associated with the assembly of supercontinents and form along convergent margins, generally in back-arc basins or rifted arcs. This contrasts with the distribution of black smoker deposits, which presently form along both convergent margins, particularly in the western Pacific, and divergent margins at mid-ocean ridges. However, the latter environment is rarely preserved deep into the geological past. There also appear to be systematic patterns in a number of other features of volcanic-hosted massive deposits through time. Deposits hosted by mafic-dominated successions are dominant in Archean to Proterozoic rocks, whereas deposits hosted by felsic-dominated successions are most common in Phanerozoic rocks. Geochemical characteristics of felsic rocks within the host successions and ore lead and sulphur isotope data of the ores have also changed with time. This suggests changes in the process of subduction and/or changes in the characteristics of the over-riding plate with time, consistent with isotopic and geologic evidence for greater reworking of pre-existing crust during the Phanerozoic. Other secular changes that are reflected in characteristics of volcanic-hosted massive sulphide deposits include the redox state and salinity of coeval oceans. As an example, both the abundance of sulphate minerals and sulphur isotope patterns reflect the development of periods of anoxic conditions over time, with major intervals of anoxia, reflected by a virtual lack or low abundance of sulphate minerals in volcanic-hosted massive sulphide deposits in the Mesoarchean to the Paleoproterozoic, and shorter intervals since.

A sensitivity study is undertaken to assess the utility of different onshore digital elevation models for simulating the extent of tsunami inundation using case studies from two locations in Indonesia. We compare airborne interferometric synthetic aperture radar (IFSAR), ASTER and SRTM against high resolution LiDAR and stereo-camera data in locations with different coastal morphologies. Tsunami inundation extents modelled with airborne IFSAR are comparable with those modelled with the high resolution datasets and are also consistent with historical run-up data, where available. Large vertical errors and poor resolution of the coastline in the ASTER and SRTM elevation models cause modelled inundation to be much less compared with the other datasets and observations. Therefore ASTER and SRTM should not be used to underpin tsunami inundation models. Model mesh resolution of 25 m is sufficient for estimating the inundated area when using elevation data with high vertical accuracy. Differences in modelled inundation between digital terrain models (DTM) and digital surface models (DSM) for LiDAR and IFSAR are greater than differences between the two data types. Models using DTM may overestimate inundation while those using DSM may underestimate inundation when a constant Mannings roughness value is used. We recommend using DTM for modelling tsunami inundation with further work needed to resolve the scale at which surface roughness should be parameterised.