<div>As part of the Australia's Resources Framework Project, in the Exploring for the Future Program, Geoscience Australia and CSIRO have undertaken a magnetic source depth study across four areas. These are: 1) the western part of Tasmania that is the southernmost extension of the Darling-Curnamona-Delamerian (DCD) project area; 2) northeastern Queensland; 3) the Officer Basin area of western South Australia and southeastern West Australia; and 4) the 'Eastern Resources Corridor' (ERC) covering eastern South Australia, southwest Queensland, western New South Wales and western Victoria. This study has produced 2005 magnetic estimates of depth to the top of magnetization. The solutions are derived by a consistent methodology (targeted magnetic inversion modelling, or TMIM; also known as ‘sweet-spot’ modelling). </div><div><br></div><div>The magnetic depth estimates produced as part of this study provide depth constraints in data-poor areas. They help to construct a better understanding of the 3D geometry of the Australian continent, and aid cover thickness modelling activities. </div><div><br></div><div>A supplementary interpretation data release is also available through Geoscience Australia's enterprise catalogue (ecat) at https://pid.geoscience.gov.au/dataset/ga/149499.</div><div><br></div><div>Geoscience Australia’s Exploring for the Future program provides precompetitive information to inform decision-making by government, community and industry on the sustainable development of Australia's mineral, energy and groundwater resources. By gathering, analysing and interpreting new and existing precompetitive geoscience data and knowledge, we are building a national picture of Australia’s geology and resource potential. This leads to a strong economy, resilient society and sustainable environment for the benefit of all Australians. This includes supporting Australia’s transition to net zero emissions, strong, sustainable resources and agriculture sectors, and economic opportunities and social benefits for Australia’s regional and remote communities. The Exploring for the Future program, which commenced in 2016, is an eight year, $225m investment by the Australian Government. This work contributes to building a better understanding of the Australian continent, whilst giving the Australian public the tools they need to help them make informed decisions in their areas of interest.</div>

<div>Near-surface magnetizations are ubiquitous across many areas of Australia and complicate reliable estimation of depth to deeper magnetizations. We have selected four test areas in which we use equivalent source dipoles to represent and quantify the near-surface magnetizations. We present a synthetic modelling study that demonstrates that field variations from the near-surface magnetizations substantially degrade estimation of depth to a magnetization 500 metres below the modelled sensor elevation and that these problems persist even for anomalies with significantly higher amplitudes. However, preferential attenuation of the fields from near surface magnetizations by upward continuation proved quite effective in improving estimation of depth to those magnetizations.</div> This Abstract was submitted/presented at the 2023 Australasian Exploration Geoscience Conference (AEGC) 13-18 March (https://2023.aegc.com.au/)

<div>A keynote talk talk given at Uncover Curnamona 2022 by Angela O'Rourke outlining the rationale, work program and new data acquisition for Geoscience Australia's Darling-Curnamona-Delamerian Project within Exploring for the Future</div> This presentation was given to the 2022 Uncover Curnamona 2022 Conference 31 May - 2 June:<br>(https://www.gsa.org.au/common/Uploaded%20files/Events/Uncover%20Curnamona%202021/UC2022_short_program_A4_web%20(003).pdf)

This report contains new whole-rock and isotope geochemical data, associated sample metadata, an assessment of the data’s quality assurance, for 742 samples collected in and around the Curnamona and Delamerian provinces, across numerous drillcore sampling campaigns through 2021-23. The data can be downloaded via the Geoscience Australia EFTF portal (https://portal.ga.gov.au/persona/eftf) or in the files attached with this record (http://pid.geoscience.gov.au/dataset/ga/148651). Geochemical sampling in the Curnamona region straddles both South Australia and New South Wales. The objective of sampling was to obtain representative coverage (both stratigraphically and spatially) to support developing regional geochemical baselines (in conjunction with existing geochemistry). Thus, this sampling included both the Curnamona Province and the overlying basins (Eromanga Basin, Lake Eyre Basin). Whole-rock geochemistry is reported for 562 samples, with a subset of 13 samples analysed for Pb and Sr isotopes, and another subset of 36 samples analysed by thin section petrography (all presented herein). Geochemical sampling in the Delamerian region has focussed on available legacy drill core in South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria. The objective of sampling was to (systematically) constrain the geochemical character of magmatic rocks across the mainland extent of the Delamerian Orogen, as well as younger volcanics within the Delamerian Orogen and/or overlying cover. This geochemical sampling was conducted in conjunction with geochronology, mineral systems sampling and stratigraphic drilling (all components of the DCD project) to reinterpret the timing, character and fertility of the Delamerian Orogen. Whole-rock geochemistry is reported for 180 samples. Version 2.0 (published 28 November 2023) has added whole rock geochemistry for 22 new samples in the Delamerian region. The data products and report have been updated accordingly.

<div>Geoscience Australia’s Exploring for the Future program provides precompetitive information to inform decision-making by government, community and industry on the sustainable development of Australia's mineral, energy and groundwater resources. By gathering, analysing and interpreting new and existing precompetitive geoscience data and knowledge, we are building a national picture of Australia’s geology and resource potential. This leads to a strong economy, resilient society and sustainable environment for the benefit of all Australians. This includes supporting Australia’s transition to net zero emissions, strong, sustainable resources and agriculture sectors, and economic opportunities and social benefits for Australia’s regional and remote communities. The Exploring for the Future program, which commenced in 2016, is an eight year, $225m investment by the Australian Government.</div><div><br></div><div>During February and March in 2023, Geoscience Australia undertook the Curnamona Cube Extension Magnetotelluric (MT) Survey in western New South Wales and eastern South Australia. The survey complements the University of Adelaide/AuScope Curnamona Cube MT survey by extending the coverage from the Curnamona Province into the Delamerian Orogen. Geoscience Australia contracted Quantec Geoscience Ltd. and its subcontractor Australian Geophysical Services to conduct the data acquisition and processing.&nbsp;Audio and broadband MT data was acquired at 99 sites on an approximately 12.5-25&nbsp;km grid with denser sites across known geological structures and along seismic lines acquired by Geoscience Australia in 2022 (L213 Darling-Curnamona-Delamerian (DCD) 2D Seismic Survey, eCAT # 147423). Instruments were set up to record five channels (three magnetic and two electric fields) for a minimum of 24 hours with a target bandwidth of 0.0001 – 1000 s. Processed data show good quality at a majority of the survey sites, except a few sites affected by environmental and cultural noise. The acquired data will be used to derive resistivity models, and to enhance the understanding of the geodynamics and mineral potential in the Curnamona Province and Delamerian Orogen.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>This data release contains a field logistic report; processed data in EDI format containing spectra and site locations in shape file and .txt format. Time series data in ASCII format is available on request from clientservices@ga.gov.au - Quote eCAT#147904.</div><div><br></div><div>Geoscience Australia acknowledges the traditional landowners, private landholders and national park authorities within the survey region, without whose cooperation these data could not have been collected.</div><div><br></div>

<div>Lithospheric and crustal architecture — the framework of major tectonic blocks, terranes and their boundaries — represents a fundamental first-order control on major geological systems, including the location of world-class mineral camps. Traditionally, lithospheric and crustal architecture are constrained using predominantly geophysical methods. However, Champion and Cassidy (2007) pioneered the use of regional Sm–Nd isotopic data from felsic igneous rocks to produce isotopic contour maps of the Yilgarn Craton, demonstrating the effectiveness of ‘isotopic mapping’, and the potential to map ‘time-constrained’ crustal architecture. Mole et al. (2013) demonstrated the association between lithospheric architecture and mineral systems, highlighting the potential of isotopic mapping as a greenfield area selection tool. Additional work, using Lu-Hf isotopes (Mole et al., 2014), demonstrated that the technique could constrain a range of temporal events via ‘time-slice mapping’, explaining how Ni-Cu-PGE mineralized komatiite systems migrated with the evolving lithospheric boundary of the Yilgarn Craton from 2.9 to 2.7 Ga. Similar studies have since been conducted in West Africa (Parra-Avila et al., 2018), Tibet (Hou et al., 2015), and Canada (Bjorkman, 2017; Mole et al., 2021; 2022). This work continues in Geoscience Australia’s $225 million Exploring for the Future program (2016-present). Isotopic mapping, which forms an integral part of a combined geology-geophysics-geochemistry approach, is currently being applied across southeast Australia, covering the eastern Gawler Craton, Delamerian Orogen, and western Lachlan Orogen, encompassing more than 3 Gyrs of Earth history with demonstrable potential for large mineral systems.</div><div> <b>Reference(s):</b></div><div> Bjorkman, K.E., 2017. 4D crust-mantle evolution of the Western Superior Craton: Implications for Archean granite-greenstone petrogenesis and geodynamics. University of Western Australia, PhD Thesis, 134 pp.</div><div> Champion, D.C. and Cassidy, K.F., 2007. An overview of the Yilgarn Craton and its crustal evolution. In: F.P. Bierlein and C.M. Knox-Robinson (Editors), Proceedings of Geoconferences (WA) Inc. Kalgoorlie '07 Conference. Geoscience Australia Record 2007/14, Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, pp. 8-13.</div><div> Hou, Z., Duan, L., Lu, Y., Zheng, Y., Zhu, D., Yang, Z., Yang, Z., Wang, B., Pei, Y., Zhao, Z. and McCuaig, T.C., 2015. Lithospheric architecture of the Lhasa terrane and its control on ore deposits in the Himalayan-Tibetan orogen. Economic Geology, 110(6): 1541-1575.</div><div> Mole, D.R., Fiorentini, M.L., Cassidy, K.F., Kirkland, C.L., Thebaud, N., McCuaig, T.C., Doublier, M.P., Duuring, P., Romano, S.S., Maas, R., Belousova, E.A., Barnes, S.J. and Miller, J., 2013. Crustal evolution, intra-cratonic architecture and the metallogeny of an Archaean craton. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 393: pp. 23-80.</div><div> Mole, D.R., Fiorentini, M.L., Thebaud, N., Cassidy, K.F., McCuaig, T.C., Kirkland, C.L., Romano, S.S., Doublier, M.P., Belousova, E.A., Barnes, S.J. and Miller, J., 2014. Archean komatiite volcanism controlled by the evolution of early continents. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(28): 10083-10088.</div><div> Mole, D.R., Thurston, P.C., Marsh, J.H., Stern, R.A., Ayer, J.A., Martin, L.A.J. and Lu, Y., 2021. The formation of Neoarchean continental crust in the south-east Superior Craton by two distinct geodynamic processes. Precambrian Research, 356: 106104.</div><div> Mole, D.R., Frieman, B.M., Thurston, P.C., Marsh, J.H., Jørgensen, T.R.C., Stern, R.A., Martin, L.A.J., Lu, Y.J. and Gibson, H.L., 2022. Crustal architecture of the south-east Superior Craton and controls on mineral systems. Ore Geology Reviews, 148: 105017.</div><div> Parra-Avila, L.A., Belousova, E., Fiorentini, M.L., Eglinger, A., Block, S. and Miller, J., 2018. Zircon Hf and O-isotope constraints on the evolution of the Paleoproterozoic Baoulé-Mossi domain of the southern West African Craton. Precambrian Research, 306: 174-188.</div><div> This Abstract was submitted/presented to the Target 2023 Conference 28 July (https://6ias.org/target2023/)

<div>As part of the Delamerian Margins NSW National Drilling Initiative campaign, seventeen stratigraphic boreholes were drilled between Broken Hill and Wentworth, in Western NSW. These holes were designed to test stratigraphic, structural, and mineral systems questions in the New South Wales portion of the Delamerian Margin. Drilling was conducted between March and June 2023 and was undertaken by Geoscience Australia in collaboration with MinEx CRC. This report outlines basic borehole targeting rationale, borehole metadata, and analyses performed immediately following drilling to accompany data available through the Geoscience Australia portal.</div><div><br></div><div>Geoscience Australia’s Exploring for the Future program provides precompetitive information to inform decision-making by government, community and industry on the sustainable development of Australia's mineral, energy and groundwater resources. By gathering, analysing and interpreting new and existing precompetitive geoscience data and knowledge, we are building a national picture of Australia’s geology and resource potential. This leads to a strong economy, resilient society and sustainable environment for the benefit of all Australians. This includes supporting Australia’s transition to net zero emissions, strong, sustainable resources and agriculture sectors, and economic opportunities and social benefits for Australia’s regional and remote communities. The Exploring for the Future program, which commenced in 2016, is an eight year, $225m investment by the Australian Government.</div>

Geoscience Australia’s Exploring for the Future program provides precompetitive information to inform decision-making by government, community and industry on the sustainable development of Australia's mineral, energy and groundwater resources. By gathering, analysing and interpreting new and existing precompetitive geoscience data and knowledge, we are building a national picture of Australia’s geology and resource potential. This leads to a strong economy, resilient society and sustainable environment for the benefit of all Australians. This includes supporting Australia’s transition to net zero emissions, strong, sustainable resources and agriculture sectors, and economic opportunities and social benefits for Australia’s regional and remote communities. The Exploring for the Future program, which commenced in 2016, is an eight year, $225m investment by the Australian Government. This package contains data generated in the field as part of stratigraphic drilling operations in the Delamerian region of the western New South Wales during 2023 funded through the Exploring for the Future program. A range of geological, geophysical and geochemical data are included, as well as associated borehole information such as core photographs. The data can be viewed and downloaded via the Geoscience Australia Portal - https://portal.ga.gov.au/. The data that is available is from several databases which are associated to this record. <i>These data are published with the permission of the CEO, Geoscience Australia. </i>

As part of the program, the Darling-Curnamona-Delamerian project is investigating the groundwater potential of the upper Darling River floodplain, as well as the mineral and groundwater potential of parts of eastern South Australia, western New South Wales, western Victoria and western Tasmania. Communities, industries and the environment in the upper Darling River region have been impacted by recent droughts. During periods of low flow in the Darling River, groundwater has the potential to be an alternative water source for towns, agriculture and mining. The aim of the Upper Darling River Floodplain Groundwater study is to identify and better understand groundwater supplies beneath the floodplain and its surrounds. When combined with innovative water storage options, these groundwater resources could provide enhanced drought security and promote regional development. The study area covers ~31,000 km2 and includes a 450 km stretch of the Darling River floodplain from Wilcannia upstream to Bourke and Brewarrina.

Australia remains underexplored or unexplored, boasting discovery potential in the mineral, groundwater, and energy resources hidden beneath the surface. These “greenfield” areas are key to Australia’s future prosperity and sustainability. Led by Geoscience Australia, Australia’s national government geoscience organisation, the Exploring for the Future program was a groundbreaking mission to map Australia’s mineral, energy, and groundwater systems in unparalleled scale and detail. The program has advanced our understanding of Australia’s untapped potential. Over the course of 8 years, the Exploring for the Future program provided a significant expansion of public, precompetitive geoscience data and information, equipping decision-makers with the knowledge and tools to tackle urgent challenges related to Australia’s resource prosperity, energy security, and groundwater supply.