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  • This preliminary report will provide a geochemical and ionic characterisation of groundwater, to determine baseline conditions and, if possible, to distinguish between different aquifers in the Laura basin. The groundwater quality data will be compared against the water quality guidelines for aquatic ecosystem protection, drinking water use, primary industries, use by industry, recreation and aesthetics, and cultural and spiritual values to assess the environmental values of groundwater and the treatment that may be required prior to reuse or discharge.

  • In this study, airborne electromagnetics (AEM), high resolution LiDAR, and drilling (100 bores) were acquired to map and assess groundwater resources and managed aquifer recharge options in the River Darling Floodplain. Neotectonic faulting and uplift has previously been described along the north-western margin of the Murray Basin along the adjacent Darling Lineament, however no evidence of neotectonics had previously been identified in the study area. Initial inversions of the AEM data revealed a multi-layered conductivity structure broadly consistent with the hydrostratigraphy identified in drilling. However, initial laterally and spatially constrained inversions showed only moderate correlations with ground data in the near-surface (~20m). As additional information from drilling and ground and borehole geophysical surveys became available, various horizontal and vertical constraints were trialled using a new Wave Number Domain Approximate Inversion procedure with a 1D multi-layer model and constraints in 3D. The resultant 3D conductivity model revealed that an important Pleistocene aquitard (Blanchetown Clay) confining the main aquifer of interest (Calivil Formation), has an undulating surface, which is locally sharply offset. An interpreted top surface suggests that it has been affected by significant warping and faulting, as well as regional tilting due to basin subsidence or margin uplift. Overall, the top surface of the Blanchetown Clay varies in elevation by 60m. Many of the sharp offsets in the conductivity layers are coincident with lineaments observed in the LiDAR data, and with underlying basement faults mapped from airborne magnetic data. The identification of neotectonics in this area was made possible through the acquisition of high resolution AEM data, and the selection of appropriate horizontal and vertical constraints in inversion procedures. Recognition of faulting in the unconsolidated sedimentary sequence helps explain the rapid recharge of underlying Pliocene aquifers, with neotectonics recognised as a key component of the hydrogeological conceptual model.

  • This use of this data should be carried out with the knowledge of the contained metadata and with reference to the associated report provided by Geoscience Australia with this data (Reforming Planning Processes Trial: Rockhampton 2050). A copy of this report is available from the the Geoscience Australia website (http://www.ga.gov.au/sales) or the Geoscience Australia sales office (sales@ga.gov.au, 1800 800 173). This file identifes the storm tide inundation extent for a specific Average Recurrence Interval (ARI) event. Naming convention: SLR = Sea Level Rise s1a4 = s1 = Stage 1(extra-tropical storm tide), s2 = Stage 2 (tropical cyclone storm tide) (relating to Haigh et al. 2012 storm tide study), a4 = area 4 and a5 = area 5 2p93 = Inundation height, in this case 2.93 m Dice = this data was processed with the ESRI Dice tool.

  • We report four lessons from experience gained in applying the multiple-mode spatially-averaged coherency method (MMSPAC) at 25 sites in Newcastle (NSW) for the purpose of establishing shear-wave velocity profiles as part of an earthquake hazard study. The MMSPAC technique is logistically viable for use in urban and suburban areas, both on grass sports fields and parks, and on footpaths and roads. A set of seven earthquake-type recording systems and team of three personnel is sufficient to survey three sites per day. The uncertainties of local noise sources from adjacent road traffic or from service pipes contribute to loss of low-frequency SPAC data in a way which is difficult to predict in survey design. Coherencies between individual pairs of sensors should be studied as a quality-control measure with a view to excluding noise-affected sensors prior to interpretation; useful data can still be obtained at a site where one sensor is excluded. The combined use of both SPAC data and HVSR data in inversion and interpretation is a requirement in order to make effective use of low frequency data (typically 0.5 to 2 Hz at these sites) and thus resolve shear-wave velocities in basement rock below 20 to 50 m of soft transported sediments.

  • Promotional flyer detailing laboratory capabilities at GA.

  • Geoscience Australia carried out a marine survey on Carnarvon shelf (WA) in 2008 (SOL4769) to map seabed bathymetry and characterise benthic environments through colocated sampling of surface sediments and infauna, observation of benthic habitats using underwater towed video and stills photography, and measurement of ocean tides and wavegenerated currents. Data and samples were acquired using the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) Research Vessel Solander. Bathymetric mapping, sampling and video transects were completed in three survey areas that extended seaward from Ningaloo Reef to the shelf edge, including: Mandu Creek (80 sq km); Point Cloates (281 sq km), and; Gnaraloo (321 sq km). Additional bathymetric mapping (but no sampling or video) was completed between Mandu creek and Point Cloates, covering 277 sq km and north of Mandu Creek, covering 79 sq km. Two oceanographic moorings were deployed in the Point Cloates survey area. The survey also mapped and sampled an area to the northeast of the Muiron Islands covering 52 sq km.. gnaraloo_3m is an ArcGIS layer of the backscatter grid of the Gnaraloo survey area produced from the processed EM3002 backscatter data of the survey area using the CMST-GA MB Process

  • The Broken Hill Managed Aquifer Recharge (BHMAR) project is part of a larger strategic effort aimed at securing Broken Hill's water supply and identifying significant water-saving measures for the Darling River system. In this study, airborne electromagnetics (AEM) mapping validated by drilling, field and laboratory measurements has identified significant volumes of fresh to acceptable quality groundwater stored beneath the Darling Floodplain. These potential resources were identified in 14 discrete targets within Pliocene aquifers (Calivil Formation and Loxton-Parilla Sands) at depths of 25-120m. The Calivil Formation occurs predominantly within structurally-controlled palaeovalleys. Aquifer quality is best where thick (30-50m), high-yielding zones (test flows > 25 L/s) occur in palaeochannels at the confluence of palaeo-river systems. Here, the hydraulic properties make the Calivil Formation aquifer best suited for groundwater extraction (and/or MAR injection), with excellent recovery efficiencies predicted where ambient salinities are low. The aquifer is sandwiched between variably thick clay aquitards, and is confined to semi-confined. Indicative groundwater volumes have been calculated using groundwater salinity and texture mapping derived for the AEM depth slices, combined with porosity statistics derived from laboratory measurements and borehole nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) logging. In most of the targets, further investigation is required to quantify natural recharge and discharge processes, identify the negative impacts associated with groundwater pumping (particularly the potential for saline groundwater ingress), delineate the more transmissive parts of the formation, and assess the economics and logistics of borefield and water supply design. Calibrated, transient numerical groundwater flow and solute transport models are also needed to determine appropriate groundwater extraction rates. The multi-disciplinary systems-based methodology used in this project has enabled rapid identification and assessment of largely unknown potential groundwater resources and aquifer storage. These have the potential to provide drought security for regional communities and industries, and to assist with regional development.

  • This dataset contains the current and predicted petroleum permits for the Australian region. The tenement information is derived from ENCOM Technologies in Melbourne and is exported from a proprietry software application called GPINFO. These tenements are updated 3 monthly. NOTE : there are no attributes for this dataset other than tenement name, if you want more information on tenements see GEOMET rec 3559 for the AGSO petroleum titles dataset. NOTE : This dataset is only generated as an Arcview shapefile, There is no corresponding Arcinfo dataset.

  • Experience over the past 15 years has demonstrated that the use of airborne electromagnetics (AEM) for near-surface hydrogeological investigations in the Australian landscape context often requires high resolution data to map key functional elements of the hydrogeological system. Optimisation of AEM data therefore requires careful consideration of AEM system suitability, calibration, validation and inversion methods. The choice of an appropriate AEM system for a given task should be based on a comparative analysis of candidate systems, consisting of both theoretical considerations and field studies including test lines over representative hydrostratigraphic targets. In the Broken Hill Managed Aquifer Recharge (BHMAR) project, the SkyTEM AEM system was chosen, after a rigorous selection process, to map a multi-layered stratigraphy in unconsolidated sediments in the top 100 m of the River Darling Floodplain. The AEM acquisition strategy was governed by the need to rapidly identify and assess potential managed aquifer recharge (MAR) and groundwater resource targets over a large area (>7,500 km2), with a high degree of confidence. A flight line spacing of 200-300 m successfully mapped the key elements of the hydrostratigraphy, important neotectonics features, and 14 potential MAR and groundwater targets. Subsequent to successful completion of the project, the AEM data were re-inverted to assess optimal line spacings for the different mapping objectives. Data for the central project area were re-inverted, corresponding to a line spacing of 200 m, 600 m, 1 km, 2 km and 5 km. Analysis of these data show that a number of key features of the hydrogeological system required for MAR target mapping and evaluation are only mapped with high resolution (200m) line spacings. In contrast, the larger groundwater resource targets can be identified at coarser line spacings (even at km spacings). For many groundwater mapping objectives, recconaisance surveys at wide line spacings can be used to identify broad-scale features, with higher resolution data acquired subsequently to address specific questions. This strategy is not always possible in project timelines, and, in the BHMAR project, it was fortunate that a large number of targets were mapped at high resolution simultaneously due to a high failure rate in MAR evaluations.

  • This is a polygon file, one of five within the Rockhampton Regional Council coastline, which buffers the coastline by 4 km inland. This extent was use to clip the storm tide inundation extents and to visualise each of the five distinct inundation zones. This use of this data should be carried out with the knowledge of the contained metadata and with reference to the associated report provided by Geoscience Australia with this data (Reforming Planning Processes Trial: Rockhampton 2050). A copy of this report is available from the the Geoscience Australia website (http://www.ga.gov.au/sales) or the Geoscience Australia sales office (sales@ga.gov.au, 1800 800 173).