Animation for Kaggle showing a plume moving across an array of methane laser measurement paths

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

There has been considerable progress in the development of methods for detecting and quantifying CO2 and methane seeps and emissions but broader application is limited by sensor technology. This paper outlines future sensor requirements.

Infographic for the Kaggle Methane leakage competition.

ESRIN, The European Space Agency's centre for Earth observation, and Australia's Federal Geoscience Agency, Geoscience Australia (GA), are undertaking parallel development of methodologies to enable management of Earth observation data collection, configuration and management. ESA has developed a common approach through a systematic collect, consolidate, configure and report workflow. GA are developing their solution with a view to manage rapid, frequent, iterative collection production. Both approaches, though quite differently implemented, show a great deal of convergence on aspects of managing large EO archives. This paper investigates the two projects, the drivers that led to their initiation and the scope of each project. We review the reasons that each organisation has embarked on their project and consider how these requirements have shaped the implemented systems and examine the benefits that the chosen solution provides. The underlying IT infrastructure have facilitated these ambitious projects, we consider the technologies used and how their rapid evolution will impact on these activities. The paper concludes by reviewing similarities and overlap that these two projects may have and considers if each project may benefit from adopting some aspect of the other project.

Sediments on the continental shelf of eastern Australia increase in carbonate content away from the present shoreline. However, the high values of the outer shelf sands show little latitudinal variation, both tropical and temperate continental shelves being mantled with sediments which are relatively pure carbonates. Thus a high calcimass productivity is not restricted to tropical regions. However, the types of carbonate-secreting organisms do show marked latitudinal variations. North of latitude 24°S the outer continental shelf is dominated by the Great Barrier Reef, and inter-reef and outer shelf sediments contain the remains of hermatypic corals and calcareous green algae, mainly Halimeda, together with varying amounts of foraminifera, Mollusca, Bryozoa, and calcareous red algae. Corals and Halimeda are not present in the sediments south of 24°S, which consists of foraminifera, mollusca, bryozoa and calcareous red algae. The bryozoan content of the sediments increases to the south, and between 38° and 44°S bryozoans become the dominant component of the outer shelf sands. Present-day sea-surface temperature and salinity data have been analysed to predict the distribution of carbonate particle associations. The observed distribution agrees with the predicted one, but the presence of relict carbonate sediments must be taken into account.

Geological and soils mapping and an assessment of groundwater conditions has been carried out to assist development planning in the new town of Tuggeranong, in the Australian Capital Territory. The rocks of the area are mainly volcanic rhyodacites and the depth of weathering is generally less than 15 m. Residual soils are mainly podzolic clays; transported soils range from partly cemented gravelly, sandy silts (slope- wash) to complex layered clays (alluvium). Foundation conditions are generally expected to be satisfactory in most areas for single-storey structures, and large buildings are expected to be founded within 5-10 m of the surface in the town centre area. Excavation conditions will be variable because of the irregular weathering profiles characteristic for the volcanic rocks. Groundwater occurs in fractured rock, colluvial, and alluvial aquifers, and could be used for irrigation in places. Groundwater seepage problems are associated with the pediplain basins, and some remedial drainage works are necessary. Sand deposits in the bed of the Murrumbidgee River constitute a major resource but supplies of rock aggregate will have to come from outside the area. The location of sanitary landfill sites will require detailed study to evaluate the risk of surface water and groundwater pollution.

The 5th BMR Symposium was held in Canberra on the 28th and 29th April 1976, and was opened by the Minister for National Resources, the Rt. Hon. J. D. Anthony. These annual symposia stress work relevance to industry. The program included results of completed projects, of work in progress, and some more general topics. Abstracts of the talks presented are given below.