Authors / CoAuthors
Burton, C. | Brodie, R.S. | Clarke, J.D.A. | Parige, R. | Hostetler, S.
Abstract
This report presents key results from the Ti Tree Basin project completed as part of Exploring for the Future (EFTF)—an eight year, $225 million Australian Government funded geoscience data and information acquisition program focused on better understanding the potential mineral, energy and groundwater resources across Australia. Hydrogeological data acquisition and interpretation in the Ti Tree Basin, Northern Territory, was undertaken by Geoscience Australia as part of the EFTF Program. Located ~150 km north of Alice Springs, the Cenozoic basin hosts regionally significant groundwater resources, relied upon by communities, irrigators and pastoralists. Although the basin has been extensively studied over several decades, critical information gaps still remain, particularly for the deep groundwater system (>80 m depth). Work combining new geophysical and hydrochemical data with pre-existing datasets has revealed a more complex basin hydrogeology. Mapping based on airborne electromagnetics (AEM) has identified complex structural controls on the distribution of the deep basin sequence, with consequences for aquifer compartmentalisation, regional groundwater flow and aquifer connectivity. The mapping also shows where the basin sediments are much thicker than previously drilled. The hydrochemical assessment highlighted the complexity in groundwater recharge mechanisms, showing that the rainfall threshold for effective recharge and the role of evaporation are not consistent across the floodout zones in the basin. The EFTF products provide guidance for future hydrogeological investigations. In particular, there is evidence from historic drilling for potentially useful groundwater resources in the underexplored deep basin sequence. The EFTF program has expanded the knowledge base and datasets for the Ti Tree Basin. Collectively, these are valuable assets not just for basin groundwater management but also for the broader understanding of groundwater resources and processes in central Australia.
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document
eCat Id
134010
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Cnr Jerrabomberra Ave and Hindmarsh Dr GPO Box 378
Canberra
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2601
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- theme.ANZRC Fields of Research.rdf
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- EARTH SCIENCES
- ( Project )
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- EFTF
- ( Project )
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- Exploring For The Future
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- Ti Tree Basin
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- AEM
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- hydrochemistry
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- groundwater
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- Published_External
Publication Date
2021-10-12T22:04:12
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completed
Purpose
This is the third of three reports presenting key results of the Ti Tree Basin study completed as part of Exploring for the Future (EFTF). The purpose of this report is to present a summary of the key findings on the hydrogeology of the Ti Tree Basin including the an integration of basin architecture and hydrochemistry assessment presented in reports 1 and 2.
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asNeeded
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geoscientificInformation
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Record RECORD 2021/013
Lineage
This report summarises the use of three airborne electromagnetic (AEM) datasets, two acquired by Geoscience Australia and one from historic mineral exploration, to map the depth to basement in the Ti Tree Basin, NT. The AEM data were integrated with available groundwater analysis data from the Northern Territory Department of Environment and Natural Resources database, supplemented by publicly available analyses from other sampling campaigns, including the EFTF, totalling 1913 groundwater samples across the district.
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[-23.50, -21.50, 132.51, 134.50]
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