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  • Several belts of poorly-exposed igneous rocks occur in the Grampians-Stavely Zone of western Victoria, close to the interpreted Cambrian east Gondwana continental margin. Previous geochemical studies on the outcropping igneous rocks around Mount Stavely, Mount Dryden and in the Black Range have recognised characteristics similar to those found in modern magmatic arcs. These rocks are collectively considered to form part of a single Middle to Late Cambrian arc system, referred to as the Stavely Arc. While outcropping examples of the Stavely Arc magmas are well studied, the character of other (likely) arc-related rocks imaged by magnetic data beneath recent, thin cover has remained enigmatic. New geochemical data from a recent stratigraphic drilling program, together with analysis of rocks from government and industry drill holes has allowed for a more complete understanding of the Stavely Arc package. A range of rock associations have been recognised, including low-Ti boninite-like rocks, back-arc-related tholeiitic rocks, adakitic porphyry intrusives, serpentinites, and highly-depleted mafic to intermediate volcanics and intrusives. The majority of arc-related rocks comprise low- to high-K calc-alkaline basalt, andesite, dacite, and geochemically-related quartz diorite, which display similar N-MORB-normalised trace element patterns, LREE-enriched REE patterns and moderately evolved to weakly juvenile Nd isotopic compositions (Nd 500 Ma = -3.95 to +0.46). High-Al basalts intersected during stratigraphic drilling also show weakly-developed calc-alkaline compositions. However, these are distinguished from the other calc-alkaline rocks by higher Al2O3, N-MORB-like trace element patterns, relatively flat REE patterns and much more juvenile Nd isotopic compositions (Nd 500 Ma = +4.73 to +6.33). High-Al basalts are spatially associated with boninites intersected by mineral exploration drilling. The earliest geochronological evidence for Stavely Arc magmatism is provided by an isotopically juvenile felsic intrusive with an interpreted arc-related origin dated at ~510 Ma. This age is synchronous with tholeiitic dolerite from the western Grampians-Stavely Zone interpreted to have been emplaced in a back-arc extensional setting. Available ages for volcanic rocks of the Stavely Arc are only known from the Mount Stavely Belt, and show that arc magmatism reached maturity around ~505-500 Ma. Overall geochemical systematics suggest that the majority of calc-alkaline rocks of the Stavely Arc have affinities with modern island arcs with (limited) continental crust involvement. It is unlikely that the thickness of any pre-existing Precambrian crust was great, given the Nd isotopic compositions and lack of inherited Mesoproterozoic or older zircons. In comparison, the more juvenile isotopic characteristics, weakly-developed subduction-related features, and spatial association with boninites of the high-Al basalts are more consistent with a more primitive arc setting, and may represent an (early?) phase of Stavely Arc magmatism in which there was insignificant crustal involvement. Similar geochemical characteristics, ages, and inferred tectonic setting are consistent with the Stavely Arc forming part of a larger Middle to Late Cambrian arc system that also includes the Mount Wright Arc in New South Wales and the Jamison Volcanic Group (Selwyn Block) in central Victoria.

  • <b>IMPORTANT NOTICE:</b> This web service has been deprecated. The Hydrochemistry Service OGC service at https://services.ga.gov.au/gis/hydrogeochemistry/ows should now be used for accessing Geoscience Australia hydrochemistry analyses data. This is an Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) web service providing access to hydrochemistry data (groundwater analyses) obtained from water samples collected from Australian water bores.

  • <b>IMPORTANT NOTICE: </b>This web service has been deprecated. The Australian Onshore and Offshore Boreholes OGC service at https://services.ga.gov.au/gis/boreholes/ows should now be used for accessing Geoscience Australia borehole data. This is an Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) web service providing access to a subset of Australian geoscience samples data held by Geoscience Australia. The subset currently relates specifically to Australian Boreholes.

  • A major purpose of the study, as it appears to me at this time, is to ascertain the presence of geochemical anomalies in the area of (copper) mineralization. Such anomalies, if established, may be correlated with the dispersion train phenomena and with the dispersion halo of the ore, in an area known as mineralization. A comparable study may be undertaken then, depending on the advice of the team, in an area of suspected but not known, mineralization. Further investigations, beyond the reconnaissance stage, may be projected, in consultation with the team, on completion of the orientation study. This report contains the author's tentative remarks on a proposed reconnaissance in South Australia. Objectives, background to the work, methods, and proposed operations are discussed.

  • A benthic sediment sampling survey (GA0356) to the nearshore areas of outer Darwin Harbour was undertaken in the period from 03 July to 14 September 2016. Partners involved in the survey included Geoscience Australia (GA), the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources within the Northern Territory Government (NT DENR) (formerly the Department of Land and Resource Management (DLRM)). This survey forms part of a four year (2014-2018) science program aimed at improving knowledge about the marine environments in the regions around Darwin and Bynoe Harbour’s through the collection and collation of baseline data that will enable the creation of thematic habitat maps to underpin marine resource management decisions. This project is being led by the Northern Territory Government and is supported by the INPEX-led Ichthys LNG Project, in collaboration with - and co-investment from GA and AIMS. The program builds upon an NT Government project (2011-2011) which saw the collection of baseline data (multibeam echosounder data, sediment samples and video transects) from inner Darwin Harbour (Siwabessy et al. 2015). This dataset comprises Total sediment metabolism, %carbonate, organic isotope (C and N) and organic and inorganic element data from seabed sediments. Radke, L., Smit, N., Li, J., Nicholas, T., Picard, K. 2017. Outer Darwin Harbour Shallow Water Sediment Survey 2016: GA0356 – Post-survey report. Record 2017/06. Geoscience Australia, Canberra. http://dx.doi.org/10.11636/Record.2017.006 This research was funded by the INPEX-led Ichthys LNG Project via the Northern Territory (NT) Government Department of Land Resource Management (DLRM) (now the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)), and co-investment from Geoscience Australia (GA) and Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS). We are grateful to the following agencies for providing boats and staff, and to the following personal for help with sample acquisition: NT DENR (Danny Low Choy and Rachel Groome), NT Fisheries (Wayne Baldwin, Quentin Allsop, Shane Penny, Chris Errily, Sean Fitzpatrick and Mark Grubert), NT Parks and Wildlife (Ray Chatto, Stewart Weorle, and Luke McLaren) and the Larrakia Rangers (Nelson Tinoco, Kyle Lewfat, Alan Mummery and Steven Dawson). Special thanks to the skippers Danny Low Choy, Wayne Baldwin, Stewart Weorle and Luke McLaren whose seamanship strongly guided the execution of this survey. AIMS generously allowed use of the aquarium and laboratory at the Arafura Timor Sea Research Facility, and Simon Harries and Kirsty McAllister helped with the setup. We would also like to acknowledge and thank GA colleagues including: Matt Carey, Ian Atkinson and Craig Wintle (Engineering and Applied Scientific Services) for the organisation of field supplies and the design of the new core incubation set-up. This dataset is published with the permission of the CEO, Geoscience Australia

  • The National Geochemical Survey of Australia (NGSA) was carried out to bridge a vast knowledge gap about the concentration and distribution of chemical elements at the Earth's surface and consequent poor understanding of processes controlling their distribution. The aim of the project was to contribute to derisking exploration for energy and mineral resources through the pre-competitive (government-funded) delivery of a new spatial layer of compositional data and information. Surface (0-10 cm depth) and shallow (~60-80 cm) samples of catchment outlet sediments were collected from 1315 sites located near the outlet of 1186 catchments (~10 % of which were sampled in duplicate) from across Australia. The total area covered by the survey was 6.174 million km2, or ~81% of Australia, at an average sampling density of 1 site per ~5200 km2. A number of field parameters (e.g., soil colour, pH), bulk parameters (e.g., electrical conductivity, particle size distribution) and geochemical parameters (i.e., multi-element composition of dry sieved <2 mm and <75 -m grain-size fractions) were determined. The grain-size fractions were analysed to determine (1) Total, (2) Aqua Regia soluble, and (3) Mobile Metal Ion (MMI®) extractable element contents. This data was collated into a spreadsheet and graphically represented as a series of 529 geochemical maps (www.ga.gov.au/ngsa). These constitute the first continental-scale series of geochemical maps based on internally consistent, state-of-the-art data pertaining to the same sampling medium collected, prepared and analysed in a uniform and thoroughly documented manner and over a short time period for Australia. They are being used to better understand the accumulation, mobility and significance of chemical elements in the near-surface environment. They provide a new, additional pre-competitive dataset for the energy and mineral resource exploration industry, which can help prioritise areas for further exploration investment and thus reduce risk. Further, some of this new information is already finding use in natural resource management and environmental monitoring. Applications to date and ongoing and future directions are discussed.

  • This web service delivers datasets produced by the Critical Minerals Mapping Initiative (CMMI), a collaboration between Geoscience Australia (GA), the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) and the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Data in this service includes geochemical analyses of over 7000 samples collected from or near mineral deposits from 60 countries, and mineral prospectivity models for clastic-dominated (Zn, Pb) and Mississippi Valley-type (Zn-Pb) deposits across Canada, the United States, and Australia.

  • <b>Legacy service retired 29/11/2022</b> This is an Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) web service providing access to Australian onshore and offshore borehole data conforming to the GeoSciML version 4.0 specification. The borehole data includes Mineral Drillholes, Petroleum Wells and Water Bores along with a variety of others types. The dataset has been restricted to onshore and offshore Australian boreholes, and bores that have the potential to support geological investigations and assessment of a variety of resources.

  • <b>Legacy service Retired 29/11/2022 IMPORTANT NOTICE: </b>This web service has been deprecated. The Australian Onshore and Offshore Boreholes OGC service at https://services.ga.gov.au/gis/boreholes/ows should now be used for accessing Geoscience Australia borehole data. This is an Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) web service providing access to Australian onshore and offshore borehole data. This web service is intended to complement the borehole GeoSciML-Portrayal v4.0 web service, providing access to the data in a simple, non-standardised structure. The borehole data includes Mineral Drillholes, Petroleum Wells and Water Bores along with a variety of others types. The dataset has been restricted to onshore and offshore Australian boreholes, and bores that have the potential to support geological investigations and assessment of a variety of resources.

  • <b>Legacy service retired 29/11/2022 IMPORTANT NOTICE:</b> This web service has been deprecated. The Australian Onshore and Offshore Boreholes OGC service at https://services.ga.gov.au/gis/boreholes/ows should now be used for accessing Geoscience Australia borehole data. This is an Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) web service providing access to Australian onshore and offshore borehole data. This web service is intended to complement the borehole GeoSciML-Portrayal v4.0 web service, providing access to the data in a simple, non-standardised structure. The borehole data includes Mineral Drillholes, Petroleum Wells and Water Bores along with a variety of others types. The dataset has been restricted to onshore and offshore Australian boreholes, and bores that have the potential to support geological investigations and assessment of a variety of resources.