The Layered Geology of Australia web map service is a seamless national coverage of Australia’s surface and subsurface geology. Geology concealed under younger cover units are mapped by effectively removing the overlying stratigraphy (Liu et al., 2015). This dataset is a layered product and comprises five chronostratigraphic time slices: Cenozoic, Mesozoic, Paleozoic, Neoproterozoic, and Pre-Neoproterozoic. As an example, the Mesozoic time slice (or layer) shows Mesozoic age geology that would be present if all Cenozoic units were removed. The Pre-Neoproterozoic time slice shows what would be visible if all Neoproterozoic, Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic units were removed. The Cenozoic time slice layer for the national dataset was extracted from Raymond et al., 2012. Surface Geology of Australia, 1:1 000 000 scale, 2012 edition. Geoscience Australia, Canberra.

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This study of drillcore materials was carried out to assess the ability of hyperspectral methods to rapidly map the distribution of key minerals pertinent to managed aquifer recharge studies in the Darling floodplain. The study used two hyperspectral instruments: the Hylogger core scanner (using an instrument at DMITRE Minerals in Adelaide); and the Portable Infrared Mineral Analyser (PIMA). Further validation of the methods was carried out using XRD analysis of selected samples. Cores were obtained using the sonic drilling method. The Hylogger tool qualitatively mapped the distribution of clays and oxides in both the confining aquitard and key aquifers. The unconfined Coonambidgal Formation aquifer is dominated by montmorillonite, and the Blanchetown Clay aquitard by kaolinite with lesser montmorillonite. Clay mineralogy in the Calivil Formation aquifer is related to sedimentary facies, with kaolinite and lesser nontronite in muddy units, and kaolinite-dominant or smectite-dominant clays in sandy units. The two clay mineral associations were found to correlate with different hydraulic conductivity trends in the NMR data from the aquifer. These trends have been defined by the Kernel Function of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)-derived hydraulic conductivity data. Kernel Functions (C values) of 6,200 corresponding with predominantly smectites in the screened aquifer interval, and C values of 46,000 corresponding with kaolinite in the screened aquifer intervals of two holes. This made it possible to predict the dominant clay in the screened aquifer intervals in the remaining NMR-logged holes. These predictions were tested using PIMA analysis of the clay mineralogy of addition from NMR-logged holes. Of 97 PIMA scans, 67 contained the predicted mineralogy and 27 did not, giving a success rate of 69%, providing reasonable confidence that the Kernal Function in the NRM logging can be explained by the clay mineralogy. Overall, this study demonstrates that hyperspectral logging can provide relatively rapid, semi-quantitative data on the abundance and distribution of clay and oxide mineralogy in drillcore. These data assisted with geochemical modelling and risk assessments at the Jimargil aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) site.

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) tools have been used for decades by the oil industry to study lithological properties in consolidated sedimentary materials. Recently, slimline NMR borehole logging systems have been developed specifically for the study of near-surface (<100m) groundwater systems. In this study of unconsolidated fluvial sediments in the Darling River floodplain, data were acquired downhole every 0.5 m using a Javelin NMR tool. A total of 26 sonic cored bores were logged to a depth of ~70 m. Hydraulic conductivity (KNMR) can be estimated from the NMR measurements using the Schlumberger-Doll Research Equation: KNMR = C x -2 x T2ML2, where is the NMR porosity, T2ML is the logarithmic mean of the T2 distributions, and C is a formation factor related to tortuosity. To this end, the NMR data were classified into five hydraulic classes ranging from clay to gravely-coarse sand using the core, geophysical, mineralogical, and hyperspectral logs. Borehole slug tests were conducted to provide constraints on the K and T of the aquifers. Least-squares inversion was used to solve for the optimum C values versus the slug test derived T for the aquifer material (medium to gravely sand). Laboratory permeameter measurements helped constrain the C values of fine textured sediment. Comparisons between the geophysics derived KNMR and slug test KSlug indicated correspondence within two orders of magnitude. Investigations were also carried out to compare measurements of water content between laboratory determinations (oven drying of wet sediment at 105 oC) and that derived from NMR bore log data. A systematic decrease in ratio between the NMR total water and gravimetric water with fining of texture is observed. This is in part due to the inter-echo spacing of the NMR instrument (2.5 ms), which may be too large to detect hydroscopic moisture. Differences observed between NMR free water and gravimetric water within the sands requires further investigation, including the potential influence of iron phase coating of grains on fast relaxation responses. Overall, the borehole NMR method provides logging of near-continuous variations in K through a saturated sedimentary sequence, providing useful K estimates at increments not achievable using traditional aquifer testing, as well as K estimates for aquitard material.

The Murray River is known to display great complexity in surface-groundwater interactions along its course, with 'gaining' sections of the river identified as sites of regional saline groundwater system discharge to the river and the adjacent floodplain. 'Losing' reaches of the river occur where river water infiltrates through the base of the river and recharges underlying aquifers and/or where adjacent aquifers are recharged through lateral bank infiltration. Recent studies have shown that recharge is not-steady state, with surface-groundwater processes promoted after river bank scouring during major flood events. 'Losing' reaches of rivers are hard to identify hydrochemically, while only airborne electromagnetic (AEM) methods provide 3D spatial mapping of salinity and hydrostratigraphy at depth beneath the river and across the floodplain. In 2007 a regional airborne electromagnetic (AEM) survey (24,000 line km @ 150m line-spacing in a 20 km-wide swath) was acquired along a 450 km reach of the Murray River in Victoria from Gunbower Island in the east to near the South Australian border. The AEM survey was calibrated and validated by drilling and complementary field mapping, and lithological and hydrogeochemical investigations. Holistic inversions of the AEM data were used to map key elements of the hydrogeological system and salinity extent in the shallow sub-surface (top 20-50 m). The survey successfully mapped key elements of the hydrogeological system including previously unmapped salinity discharge zones and significant losing 'flush' zones. Significant 'flush' zones to depths of 25m and up to 1.5 km in width have been identified at Turrumbarry Weir, with other significant zones identified in parts of Gunbower Forest, and between Liparoo and Robinvale. Elsewhere, flush zones are smaller, and occur at depths of 5-10m in narrower zones associated with locks, weirs and irrigation districts. Salt mobilisation associated with the flush zones at weir pools may be an issue in terms of salt load delivery to the River Murray and floodplain. Reaches of the river where the flush zones are absent and /or significantly constricted, and similar zones in tributary creeks in the adjacent floodplain, are at higher risk of saline groundwater inflows.

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