CO2CRC Symposium 2013: Oral presentation as part of a tag-team Ginninderra presentation As part of the controlled release experiments at the Ginninderra test site, a total of 14 soil flux surveys were conducted; 12 during the first experiment (March 2012 - June 2012), and 2 during the second experiment (October - December 2012). The aim was to determine what proportion of the known CO2 that was released could be measured using the soil flux method as a quantification tool. The results of this study enabled us to use the soil flux measurements as a proxy for other CO2 quantification methods and to gain an understanding of how the CO2 migrated within the sub-surface. For experiment one; baseline surveys were conducted pre-release, followed by surveys several times a week during the first stages of the release. The CO2 'breakthrough' was detected only 1 day after the release began. Surveys were then conducted weekly to monitor the flux rate over time. The soil CO2 flux gradually increased in magnitude until almost reaching the expected release rate (128 kg/day measured while the release rate was 144 kg/day) after approximately 4 weeks, and then receded quickly once the controlled release was stopped. Soil gas wells confirm that there is significant lateral migration of the CO2 in the sub-surface, suggesting that there was a degree of accumulation of CO2 in the sub-surface during the experiment.

The Collaborative Australian Protected Areas Database (CAPAD) 2012 provides both spatial and text information about government, Indigenous and privately protected areas for continental and marine Australia. State and Territory conservation agencies supplied data, current to 31 December 2012, to Australian Government Department of the Environment.

Geoscience Australia produces optimized statistical predictions of seabed sediment distribution for the Australian continental Exclusive Economic Zone. These products are broadly relevant to the work of government policy and research organizations and the offshore oil and gas industry. To better promote the features and relevance of these products, we need to produce 1-3 posters. These will provide graphic examples of the spatial predictions, comparisons between previous and recent versions of this dataset to demonstrate the increase in accuracy and resolution achieved, and provide information about how to access the data. These posters will be used to promote this work at relevant external workshops and conferences. We also need to produce some simple A4 size pamphlets/flyers based on the posters, which can be easily carried and distributed to various audiences. This would increase the awareness of GA's products in marine environmental geosciences, boost the usage of the products by both internal and external clients and promote GA's profile in generating quality geoscience information.

Abstract for a Poster for the CO2CRC Symposium 2013: Atmospheric tomography is a CO2 quantification and localisation technique that uses an array of sampling points and a Bayesian inversion method to solve for the location and magnitude of a CO2 leak. Knowledge of a normalized three-dimensional dispersion plume is required in order to accurately model a leak using many meteorological parameters. A previous small scale (~20 m) study using a high precision Fourier Transform Infrared found that the emission rate was determined to within 3% of the actual release rate and the localisation within 1 m of the correct position. The technique was applied during the CO2CRC Otway Stage 2B residual saturation and dissolution test in August-October 2011. A network of eight independent CO2 sensors (Vaisala GMP343 CO2 probes) were positioned at distances ranging from 154 to 473 m from the well. A 3D sonic anemometer within the measurement area collected wind turbulence data. The results of the study indicate that, through careful data processing, measurements from the reasonably inexpensive (but lower accuracy and lower precision) CO2 sensor array can provide useful data for the application of atmospheric tomography. Results have found that the low precision of the sensors over time becomes a problem due to sensor drift. A reference measurement of CO2 helps to resolve this problem and improves the perturbation signal during data processing. Preliminary inversion modeling results will be shown to show the best estimation of locating a CO2 leakage source for the Otway Stage 2B residual saturation and dissolution test. CO2CRC Symposium 2013, Hobart

Imagine you are an incident controller viewing a computer screen which depicts the likely spread of a bushfire that's just started. The display shows houses and other structures in the fire's path, and even the demographics of the people living in the area, such as the number of people, their age spread, whether households have independent transport, and whether English is their second language. In addition, imagine that you can quantify and display the uncertainty in both the fire weather and also the type and state of the vegetation, visualising the sensitivity of the expected fire spread and impact to these uncertainties. It will be possible to consider 'what if' scenarios as the event unfolds, and reject those scenarios that are no longer plausible. The advantages of such a simulation system in making speedy, well-informed decisions has been considered by a group of Bushfire CRC researchers who have collaborated to produce a 'proof of concept' for such a system, demonstrated initially on three case studies. The 'proof of concept' system has the working name FireDST (Fire Impact and Risk Evaluation Decision Support Tool). FireDST links various databases and models, including the Phoenix RapidFire fire prediction model and building vulnerability assessment models, as well as infrastructure and demographic databases. The information is assembled into an integrated simulation framework through a geographical information system (GIS) interface. Pre-processed information, such as factors that determine the local and regional wind, and also the typical response of buildings to fire, are linked through a database, along with census-derived social and economic information. This presentation provides an overview of the FireDST simulation 'proof of concept' tool and walks through a sample probabilistic simulation constructed using the tool. Handbook MODSIM2013 Conference

This presentation will provide an overview of geological storage projects and research in Australia.

Geoscience Australia defines a borehole as the generalized term for any narrow shaft drilled in the ground, either vertically or horizontally, and would include Mineral Drillholes, Petroleum Wells and Water Bores along with a variety of others types, but does not include Costean, Trench or Pit. For the purposes of a Water Well as defined by Groundwater ML v1.0, the dataset has been restricted to onshore Australian boreholes only, and bores that have the potential to support assessment of groundwater resources, within a Bioregional Assessment.

Australia has one of the world’s largest marine estates and has recently established the largest network of marine protected areas in the world. As such, Australia is now uniquely placed to develop standardised national approaches to monitor the marine environment. We have therefore developed a suite of field manuals for the acquisition of marine data from a variety of frequently-used sampling platforms so that data is directly comparable in time and through space. This will then facilitate a national monitoring program in Australian waters, with a particular focus on Australian Marine Parks (AMPs). Due to the large geographic area, diverse flora and fauna, and range of environmental conditions represented by the Australian marine estate, a single method of sampling is neither practical nor desirable. For this reason, we present a standard operating procedure (SOP) for each of six key marine benthic (i.e. seafloor) sampling platforms that were identified based on their frequency of use in previous sampling and monitoring programs: • Multibeam sonar (MBES) provides bathymetry and backscatter data that are used to map the seafloor. • Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) acquire high-resolution continuous imagery of the seafloor and its associated habitats and organisms. • Benthic Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV) systems acquire video of demersal fish attracted to a baited camera system dropped to the seafloor. • Pelagic BRUVs acquire video of pelagic fish and other fauna that are attracted to a baited camera system suspended in the water column. This platform is included as an emergent sampling method for pelagic ecosystems. • Towed cameras acquire video or still imagery of the seafloor and its associated habitats and organisms. • Grabs and box corers collect sediment samples that can be analysed for biological, geochemical, or sedimentological variables. • Sleds and trawls collect benthic or demersal fauna near the seafloor. The main challenge in the development of these manuals was to find a balance between being overly prescriptive (such that everyone follows their existing protocols and ignores the manuals) and overly flexible (such that data is not consistent and therefore not comparable). A collaborative approach was paramount to addressing this concern. Ultimately, over 60 individuals from 28 organisations contributed to the field manual package. By engaging researchers, managers, and technicians from multiple agencies with a variety of experience, sea time, and subject matter expertise, we strove to ensure the field manuals represented the broader marine science community of Australia. This not only improved the content but also increased the potential for adoption across multiple agencies and monitoring programs. Future work is based on the understanding that SOPs should be periodically checked and revised, lest they become superseded or obsolete. Resources are available to develop a Version 2 of this field manual package, due for completion in late 2018. As part of this version, a long-term plan for managing the field manuals will be developed, including maintenance and version control.

In this study, we aim to identify the most accurate methods for spatial prediction of seabed gravel content in the northwest Australian Exclusive Economic Zone. We experimentally examined: 1) whether input secondary variables affect the performance of RFOK and RFIDW, 2) whether the performances of RF, SIMs and their hybrid methods are data-specific, and 3) whether model averaging improves predictive accuracy of these methods in the study region. For RF and the hybrid methods, up to 21 variables were used as predictors. The predictive accuracy was assessed in terms of relative mean absolute error and relative root mean squared error based on the average of 100 iterations of 10-fold cross validation. In this study, the following important findings were achieved: - the predictive errors fluctuate with the input secondary variables; - the existence of correlated variables can alter the results of model selection, leading to different models; - the set of initial input variables affects the model selected; - the most accurate model can be missed out during the model selection; - RF, RFOK and RFIDW prove to be the most accurate methods in this study, with RFOK preferred; and these methods are not data-specific, but their models are, so best model needs to be identified; and - Model averaging is clearly data-specific. In conclusion, model selection is essential for RF and the hybrid methods. RF and the hybrid methods are not data-specific, but their models are. RFOK is the most accurate method. Model averaging is also data-specific. Hence best model needs to be identified for individual studies and application of model averaging should also be examined accordingly. RF and the hybrid methods have displayed substantial potentials for predicting environmental properties and are recommended for further test for spatial predictions in environmental sciences and other relevant disciplines in the future. This study provides suggestions and guidelines for improving the spatial predictions of biophysical variables in both marine and terrestrial environments.

Phase two of the China Australia Geological Storage of CO2 (CAGS2) project aimed to build on the success of the previous CAGS project and promote capacity building, training opportunities and share expertise on the geological storage of CO2. The project was led by Geoscience Australia (GA) and China's Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) through the Administrative Centre for China's Agenda 21 (ACCA21). CAGS2 has successfully completed all planned activities including three workshops, two carbon capture and storage (CCS) training schools, five research projects focusing on different aspects of the geological storage of CO2, and ten researcher exchanges to China and Australia. The project received favourable feedback from project partners and participants in CAGS activities and there is a strong desire from the Chinese government and Chinese researchers to continue the collaboration. The project can be considered a highly successful demonstration of bi-lateral cooperation between the Australian and Chinese governments. Through the technical workshops, training schools, exchange programs, and research projects, CAGS2 has facilitated and supported on-going collaboration between many research institutions and industry in Australia and China. More than 150 experts, young researchers and college students, from over 30 organisations, participated in CAGS2. The opportunity to interact with Australian and international experts at CAGS hosted workshops and schools was appreciated by the participants, many of whom do not get the opportunity to attend international conferences. Feedback from a CAGS impact survey found that the workshops and schools inspired many researchers and students to pursue geological storage research. The scientific exchanges proved effective and often fostered further engagement between Chinese and Australian researchers and their host organisations. The research projects often acted as a catalyst for attracting additional CCS funding (at least A$700,000), including two projects funded under the China Clean Development Mechanism Fund. CAGS sponsored research led to reports, international conference presentations, and Chinese and international journal papers. CAGS has established a network of key CCS/CCUS (carbon capture, utilisation and storage) researchers in China and Australia. This is exemplified by the fact that 4 of the 6 experts that provided input on the 'storage section' of the 12th Five-Year plan for Scientific and Technological Development of Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage, which laid out the technical policy priorities for R&D and demonstration of CCUS technology in China, were CAGS affiliated researchers. The contributions of CAGS to China's capacity building and policy CCUS has been acknowledged by the Chinese Government. CAGS support of young Chinese researchers is particularly noted and well regarded. Letters have been sent to the Secretary of the Department of Industry and Science and to the Deputy CEO of Geoscience Australia, expressing China's gratitude for the Australian Government's support and GA's cooperation in the CAGS project.