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  • This McArthur Basin dataset contains descriptive attribute information for the areas bounded by the relevant spatial groundwater feature in the associated Hydrogeology Index map. Descriptive topics are grouped into the following themes: Location and administration; Demographics; Physical geography; Surface water; Geology; Hydrogeology; Groundwater; Groundwater management and use; Environment; Land use and industry types; and Scientific stimulus. The McArthur Basin, located in the north-east of the Northern Territory, is a Paleoproterozoic to Mesoproterozoic geological formation containing relatively undisturbed siliclastic and carbonate rocks, as well as minor volcanic and intrusive rocks. These sediments were primarily deposited in shallow marine environments, with some lacustrine and fluvial influences. The basin's thickness is estimated to be around 10,000 m to 12,000 m, potentially reaching 15,000 m in certain areas. It is known for hosting elements of at least two Proterozoic petroleum systems, making it a target for petroleum exploration, especially in the Beetaloo Sub-basin. Researchers have divided the McArthur Basin into five depositional packages based on similarities in age, lithofacies composition, stratigraphic position, and basin-fill geometry. These packages, listed from oldest to youngest, are the Wilton, Favenc, Glyde, Goyder, and Redback packages. The McArthur Basin is part of the broader Proterozoic basin system on the North Australian Craton, bounded by various inliers and extending under sedimentary cover in areas like the Arafura, Georgina, and Carpentaria basins. It is divided into northern and southern sections by the Urapunga Fault Zone, with significant structural features being the Walker Fault Zone in the north and the Batten Fault Zone in the south. The basin's southeastern extension connects with the Isa Superbasin in Queensland, forming the world's largest lead-zinc province. Overall, the McArthur Basin is an essential geological formation with potential petroleum resources, and its division into distinct packages helps in understanding its complex stratigraphy and geological history. Additionally, its connection with other basins contributes to a broader understanding of the region's geological evolution and resource potential.

  • This Maryborough-Nambour Basin dataset contains descriptive attribute information for the areas bounded by the relevant spatial groundwater feature in the associated Hydrogeology Index map. Descriptive topics are grouped into the following themes: Location and administration; Demographics; Physical geography; Surface water; Geology; Hydrogeology; Groundwater; Groundwater management and use; Environment; Land use and industry types; and Scientific stimulus. The Maryborough Basin is a half-graben intracratonic sag basin mainly filled with Early Cretaceous rocks, overlain by up to 100 m of Cenozoic sediments. It adjoins the older Nambour Basin to the south, comprising Triassic to Jurassic rocks. The boundary between the basins has shifted due to changes in sedimentary unit classifications, with the Cretaceous units now restricted to the Maryborough Basin and Jurassic and older units assigned to the Nambour Basin. Both basins are bounded to the west and unconformably overlies older Permian and Triassic rocks in the Gympie Province and Wandilla Province of the New England Orogen. In the south of the Nambour Basin, it partly overlaps with the Triassic Ipswich Basin. The Nambour Basin in the south is primarily composed of the Nambour Formation, with interbedded conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone, shale, and minor coal. Overlying this is the Landsborough Sandstone, a unit with continental, fluviatile sediments and a thickness of up to 450 m. In the north, the Duckinwilla Group contains the Myrtle Creek Sandstone and the Tiaro Coal Measures, which were formerly considered part of the Maryborough Basin but are now associated with the northern Nambour Basin. In contrast, the Maryborough Basin consists of three main Cretaceous units and an upper Cenozoic unit. The Grahams Creek Formation is the deepest, featuring terrestrial volcanic rocks, volcaniclastic sedimentary rocks, and minor pyroclastic rocks. The overlying Maryborough Formation was deposited in a continental environment with subsequent marine incursion and includes mudstone, siltstone, minor sandstone, limestone, conglomerate, and tuff. The upper Cretaceous unit is the Burrum Coal Measures, comprising interbedded sedimentary rocks deposited in fluvial to deltaic environments. The uppermost unit, the Eocene to Miocene Elliott Formation, includes sandstone, siltstone, conglomerate, and shale deposited in fluvial to deltaic environments. Cenozoic sediments overlying the Elliott Formation consist of Quaternary alluvium, coastal deposits, and sand islands like Fraser Island, influenced by eustatic sea level variations. Volcanic deposits and freshwater sediments also occur in some areas. Adjacent basins, such as the Clarence-Moreton Basin and Capricorn Basin, have stratigraphic correlations with the Maryborough Basin. The Oxley Basin lies to the south, overlying the Ipswich Basin. In summary, the Maryborough Basin and the older Nambour Basin exhibit distinct geological characteristics, with varying rock formations, ages, and sedimentary features, contributing to the diverse landscape of the region.

  • This Southern Australian Fractured Rock Province dataset contains descriptive attribute information for the areas bounded by the relevant spatial groundwater feature in the associated Hydrogeology Index map. Descriptive topics are grouped into the following themes: Location and administration; Demographics; Physical geography; Surface water; Geology; Hydrogeology; Groundwater; Groundwater management and use; Environment; Land use and industry types; and Scientific stimulus. Crustal elements are crustal-scale geological regions primarily based on composite geophysical domains, each of which shows a distinctive pattern of magnetic and gravity anomalies. These elements generally relate to the basement, rather than the sedimentary basins. The South Australian Element comprises the Archean-Mesoproterozoic Gawler Craton and Paleo-Mesoproterozoic Curnamona Province, formed over billions of years through sedimentation, volcanism, magmatism, and metamorphism. The region experienced multiple continental-continent collisions, leading to the formation and breakup of supercontinents like Nuna and Rodinia, along with periods of extensional tectonism. Around 1,400 Ma, both the Gawler Craton and Curnamona Province were cratonised, and during the building of the Rodinia supercontinent (1,300-700 Ma), the present configuration of the region emerged. The area between the Gawler and Curnamona provinces contains Neoproterozoic to Holocene cover, including the Adelaide Superbasin, with the Barossa Complex as its basement, believed to be part of the Kimban Orogen. The breakup of Rodinia in the Neoproterozoic (830-600 Ma) resulted in mafic volcanism and extensional episodes, leading to the formation of the Adelaide Superbasin, characterized by marine rift and sag basins flanking the Gawler Craton and Curnamona Province. During the Mesozoic and Cenozoic, some tectonic structures were rejuvenated, while sedimentary cover obscured much of the now flatter terrain. Metamorphic facies in the region vary, with the Gawler and Curnamona provinces reaching granulite facies, while the Adelaide Superbasin achieved the amphibolite facies. The Gawler Craton contains rocks dating back to approximately 3,150 Ma, while the Curnamona Province contains rocks from 1,720 to 1,550 Ma. These ancient regions have undergone various deformation and metamorphic events but have remained relatively stable since around 1,450 Ma. The Adelaide Superbasin is a large sedimentary system formed during the Neoproterozoic to Cambrian, with distinct provinces. It started as an intracontinental rift system resulting from the breakup of Rodinia and transitioned into a passive margin basin in the southeast and a failed rift in the north. Later uplift and re-instigated rifting led to the deposition of thick Cambrian sediments overlying the Neoproterozoic rocks. Overlying basins include late Palaeozoic to Cenozoic formations, such as the Eromanga Basin and Lake Eyre Basin, which are not part of the assessment region but are adjacent to it.

  • This Wiso Basin dataset contains descriptive attribute information for the areas bounded by the relevant spatial groundwater feature in the associated Hydrogeology Index map. Descriptive topics are grouped into the following themes: Location and administration; Demographics; Physical geography; Surface water; Geology; Hydrogeology; Groundwater; Groundwater management and use; Environment; Land use and industry types; and Scientific stimulus. The Wiso Basin, a large intra-cratonic basin in the central Northern Territory, covers about 140,000 square kilometres and is part of the Centralian Superbasin. It is bounded by the Tennant and Tanami regions to the east and west, while a thrust fault separates it from the Arunta Region to the south. The basin adjoins the Georgina Basin in the southeast and joins the Daly and Georgina basins beneath the Cretaceous strata of the Carpentaria Basin in the north. The basin contains a relatively flat, undeformed succession of strata that gently dip towards the main depo-centre, the Lander Trough. About 80% of the basin consists of shallow middle Cambrian strata, while the remaining portion is within the Lander Trough, containing a diverse succession of Cambrian, Ordovician, and Devonian units. The depositional history and stratigraphy reveal that early Cambrian saw widespread basaltic volcanism, with the Antrim Plateau Volcanics forming the base layer and aquitard of the Wiso Basin. The middle Cambrian deposits include the Montejinni Limestone, the oldest sedimentary unit, followed by the Hooker Creek Formation and the Lothari Hills Sandstone. The uppermost Cambrian unit is the Point Wakefield beds. The Ordovician deposits consist of the Hansen River beds, primarily composed of fossiliferous sandstone and siltstone deposited in shallow marine environments. The Devonian unit capping the basin is the Lake Surprise Sandstone, found in the Lander Trough area, formed in shallow marine, shoreline, and fluvial environments during the Alice Springs Orogeny. Three main hypotheses have been proposed for the formation of the Lander Trough: a large crustal downwarp before thrusting of Paleoproterozoic rocks, the formation of a half-graben by faulting along the southern boundary, or the formation of two en-echelon synclines by vertical block movement. While the majority of the Wiso Basin consists of shallow middle Cambrian rocks, the Lander Trough presents a more varied stratigraphic sequence, holding potential for Neoproterozoic and early Cambrian rocks. However, further drilling is needed to verify this. The presence of similar units in neighbouring basins provides valuable insight into the basin's geological history and development.

  • This Central Australian Cenozoic Basins dataset contains descriptive attribute information for the areas bounded by the relevant spatial groundwater feature in the associated Hydrogeology Index map. Descriptive topics are grouped into the following themes: Location and administration; Demographics; Physical geography; Surface water; Geology; Hydrogeology; Groundwater; Groundwater management and use; Environment; Land use and industry types; and Scientific stimulus. Cenozoic basins are an important source of readily accessible groundwater within the arid deserts of central Australia. This province represents a collection of six notable Cenozoic basins within the region, including the Ti Tree, Waite, Hale, Mount Wedge, Lake Lewis and Alice Farm basins. Many local communities in this region (such as Papunya, Ti Tree and Ali Curung) rely upon groundwater stored within Cenozoic basin aquifers for their water security. The basins typically contain up to several hundred metres of saturated sediments that can include relatively thick intervals of hydraulically conductive sands, silts and minor gravels. It is noted that the potential groundwater storage volumes in the Cenozoic basins are much greater than the annual amount of runoff and recharge that occurs in central Australia, making them prospective targets for groundwater development. Groundwater quality and yields are variable, although relatively good quality groundwater can be obtained at suitable yields in many areas for community water supplies, stock and domestic use and irrigated horticulture operations, for example, in the Ti Tree Basin. However, not all of the Cenozoic basins have the potential to supply good quality groundwater resources for community and horticultural supplies. With the exception of several small sub-regions, most of the Waite Basin has very little potential to supply good quality groundwater for agricultural use. This is mainly due to limited aquifer development, low yielding bores and elevated groundwater salinity (commonly >2000 mg/L Total Dissolved Solids). However, bores have been successfully installed for smaller-scale pastoral stock and domestic supplies and small communities or outstations in the Waite Basin.

  • This Perth Basin dataset contains descriptive attribute information for the areas bounded by the relevant spatial groundwater feature in the associated Hydrogeology Index map. Descriptive topics are grouped into the following themes: Location and administration; Demographics; Physical geography; Surface water; Geology; Hydrogeology; Groundwater; Groundwater management and use; Environment; Land use and industry types; and Scientific stimulus. The Perth Basin is a complex geological region extending along Australia's southwest margin for about 1,300 km. It comprises sub-basins, troughs, terraces, and shelves, hosting sedimentary rocks with coal, oil, gas, and significant groundwater resources. Off the coast of Western Australia, it reaches depths of up to 4,500 m, while its onshore part extends up to 90 km inland. The basin is bounded by the Yilgarn Craton to the east, and the Carnarvon and Bremer basins to the north and south. The basin's history involves two main rifting phases in the Permian and Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous, creating 15 sub-basins with varying sedimentary thickness due to compartmentalization and fault reactivation. The sedimentary succession mainly comprises fluviatile Permian to Early Cretaceous rocks over Archean and Proterozoic basement blocks. Differences exist between northern and southern sequences, with the south being continental and the north featuring marine deposits. During the Permian, faulting and clastic sedimentation dominated, with marine transgressions in the north and continental rocks in the south. The Triassic saw a similar pattern, with the southern succession being continental and the northern succession showing marine deposits. The Kockatea Shale became a primary hydrocarbon source. The Jurassic period witnessed marine incursions in the central basin, while the Late Jurassic experienced sea level regression and deposition of the Yarragadee Formation. The Cretaceous saw the formation of the Early Cretaceous Parmelia Group due to heavy tectonic activity. The southern basin had a marine transgression leading to the Warnbro Group's deposition with valuable groundwater resources. Post-Cretaceous, Cenozoic deposits covered the basin with varying thicknesses. Overall, the Perth Basin's geological history reveals a diverse sedimentary record with economic and resource significance.

  • This Bonaparte Basin dataset contains descriptive attribute information for the areas bounded by the relevant spatial groundwater feature in the associated Hydrogeology Index map. Descriptive topics are grouped into the following themes: Location and administration; Demographics; Physical geography; Surface water; Geology; Hydrogeology; Groundwater; Groundwater management and use; Environment; Land use and industry types; and Scientific stimulus. The Bonaparte Basin is a large sedimentary basin off the north-west coast of Australia, encompassing both offshore and onshore areas. It has undergone multiple phases of extension, deposition, and tectonic inversion from the Paleozoic to Cenozoic periods. The Petrel Sub-basin, situated on the eastern margin, exhibits a north-west trending graben/syncline and exposes lower Paleozoic rocks onshore while transitioning to upper Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic sediments offshore. Onshore, the basin's geological structures reflect two dominant regimes: north to north-north-east trending Proterozoic basement structures associated with the Halls Creek Mobile Zone, and north-north-west trending basin structures linked to the rifting and later compressional reactivation of the Petrel Sub-basin. The Petrel Sub-basin has experienced growth and tectonic inversion since the Paleozoic, marked by volcanic activity, deposition of clastics and carbonates, and extension events. During the Devonian, extension occurred along faults in the Ningbing Range, leading to the deposition of clastics and carbonates. The Carboniferous to Permian period witnessed offshore extension associated with the Westralian Superbasin initiation, while onshore deposition continued in shallow marine and transitional environments. Thermal subsidence diminished in the Early Permian, and subsequent compression in the mid-Triassic to Early Jurassic reactivated faults, resulting in inversion anticlines and monoclines. After the Early Jurassic, the sub-basin experienced slow sag with predominantly offshore deposition. Post-Cretaceous deformation caused subsidence, and an Early Cretaceous transgression led to shallow marine conditions and the deposition of chert, claystone, and mudstones. Mid-Miocene to Recent compression, related to continental collision, reactivated faults and caused localized flexure. The stratigraphy of the onshore Bonaparte Basin is divided into Cambro-Ordovician and Middle Devonian to Early Permian sections. Studies have provided insights into the basin's stratigraphy, with an update to the Permo-Carboniferous succession based on seismic interpretation, borehole data integration, field validation, and paleontological information. However, biostratigraphic subdivision of the Carboniferous section remains challenging due to poorly constrained species definitions, leading to discrepancies in the application of biozonations.

  • This Carnarvon Basin dataset contains descriptive attribute information for the areas bounded by the relevant spatial groundwater feature in the associated Hydrogeology Index map. Descriptive topics are grouped into the following themes: Location and administration; Demographics; Physical geography; Surface water; Geology; Hydrogeology; Groundwater; Groundwater management and use; Environment; Land use and industry types; and Scientific stimulus. The Carnarvon Basin is a large sedimentary basin covering the western and north-western coast of Western Australia, stretching over 1,000 km from Geraldton to Karratha. It is predominantly offshore, with over 80% of the basin located in water depths of up to 4,500 m. The basin is elongated north to south and connects to the Perth Basin in the south and the offshore Canning Basin in the north-east. It is underlain by Precambrian crystalline basement rocks. The Carnarvon Basin consists of two distinct parts. The southern portion comprises onshore sub-basins with mainly Paleozoic sedimentary rocks extending up to 300 km inland, while the northern section consists of offshore sub-basins containing Mesozoic, Cenozoic, and Paleozoic sequences. The geological evolution of the Southern Carnarvon Basin was shaped by multiple extensional episodes related to the breakup of Gondwana and reactivation of Archean and Proterozoic structures. The collision between Australia and Eurasia in the Mid-Miocene caused significant fault reactivation and inversion. The onshore region experienced arid conditions, leading to the formation of calcrete, followed by alluvial and eolian deposition and continued calcareous deposition offshore. The Northern Carnarvon Basin contains up to 15,000 m of sedimentary infill, primarily composed of siliciclastic deltaic to marine sediments from the Triassic to Early Cretaceous and shelf carbonates from the Mid-Cretaceous to Cenozoic. The basin is a significant hydrocarbon province, with most of the resources found within Upper Triassic, Jurassic, and Lower Cretaceous sandstone reservoirs. The basin's development occurred during four successive periods of extension and thermal subsidence, resulting in the formation of various sub-basins and structural highs. Overall, the Carnarvon Basin is a geologically complex region with a rich sedimentary history and significant hydrocarbon resources. Exploration drilling has been ongoing since 1953, with numerous wells drilled to unlock its hydrocarbon potential.

  • This Laura Basin dataset contains descriptive attribute information for the areas bounded by the relevant spatial groundwater feature in the associated Hydrogeology Index map. Descriptive topics are grouped into the following themes: Location and administration; Demographics; Physical geography; Surface water; Geology; Hydrogeology; Groundwater; Groundwater management and use; Environment; Land use and industry types; and Scientific stimulus. The Laura Basin contains sedimentary rocks deposited between 168 and 102 million years ago during the Middle Jurassic to Early Cretaceous. The basin extends offshore beneath the Great Barrier Reef, and forms a bowl-shaped geologic feature. The strata have a maximum thickness of about 1,000 m in the north-central part of the onshore basin. Three main stratigraphic units comprise the stratigraphic succession of the Laura Basin, these being the Rolling Downs Group (Late Aptian to Albian, Cretaceous), the Gilbert River Formation (Lower Cretaceous to Jurassic) and the Dalrymple Sandstone (Upper to Middle Jurassic). The Rolling Downs Group was deposited in a shallow marine environment and has a basal shale unit (the Wallumbilla Formation) with minor siltstone and conglomerate bands overlain by marine silty and sandy claystone. The Gilbert River Formation was deposited in lagoonal to marginal marine environments and is dominated by clay-rich sandstone that is locally glauconitic and interbedded with minor calcareous siltstone, claystone and conglomerate. The Dalrymple Sandstone was deposited in lagoonal and fluvial environments and is dominated by sandstone with lesser claystone, siltstone, conglomerate, tuff and coal. The Laura Basin overlies older rocks of the Permian to Triassic Lakefield Basin, which extends northwards into surrounding marine waters, the Paleozoic metasedimentary rocks of the Hodgkinson region, associated with the Mossman Orogen, and Proterozoic basement rocks.

  • This Northern Australian Fractured Rock Province dataset contains descriptive attribute information for the areas bounded by the relevant spatial groundwater feature in the associated Hydrogeology Index map. Descriptive topics are grouped into the following themes: Location and administration; Demographics; Physical geography; Surface water; Geology; Hydrogeology; Groundwater; Groundwater management and use; Environment; Land use and industry types; and Scientific stimulus. The Northern Australian Fractured Rock Province is a hydrogeological entity defined for this study, building upon earlier national-scale hydrogeological research. Australia's geological development was predominantly from west to east, with Archean rocks in the west, Proterozoic rocks in central Australia, and Phanerozoic rocks in the east. The North Australian Craton (NAC) is a significant tectonic element underlying 80% of the Northern Territory and extending to parts of Western Australia and northern Queensland, making up the core of the Northern Australian Fractured Rock Province. The NAC primarily consists of Paleoproterozoic rocks overlying Neoarchean basement. It is surrounded by Proterozoic terranes, including the Musgrave, Warumpi, and Paterson orogens to the south and south-west, the Terra Australis Orogen in the east, and the Western Australian Craton in the west. The Northern Australian Fractured Rock Province includes approximately twelve geological regions of mostly Proterozoic age, such as the Kimberley Basin, Speewah Basin, and Tanami Orogen, among others. Additionally, the province is partially overlain by the Kalkarindji Province, characterized by volcanic rocks. This widespread basaltic province serves as the basement for several significant sedimentary basins in northern Australia, including the Wiso, Ord, Bonaparte, Daly, and Georgina basins. In summary, the Northern Australian Fractured Rock Province is a hydrogeological region defined by combining various Proterozoic geological regions, mainly situated within the North Australian Craton. It is bounded by other Proterozoic terranes and covered in part by the Kalkarindji Province, which consists of volcanic rocks and forms the basement for several key sedimentary basins in northern Australia. Understanding this province is crucial for evaluating the hydrogeological characteristics and geological history of the region.