This animation shows how groundwater sampling is conducted. It is part of a series of Field Activity Technique Engagement Animations. The target audience are the communities that are impacted by GA's data acquisition activities. There is no sound or voice over. The 2D animation includes a simplified view of what groundwater sampling equipment looks like, what the equipment measures and how scientists use the data.

This animation shows how Surface Magnetic Resonance (SMR) Surveys are conducted. It is part of a series of Field Activity Technique Engagement Animations. The target audience are the communities that are impacted by GA's data acquisition activities. There is no sound or voice over. The 2D animation includes a simplified view of what SMR equipment looks like, what the equipment measures and how scientists use the data.

This compilation data release is a selection of remotely sensed imagery used in the Exploring for the Future (EFTF) East Kimberley Groundwater Project. Datasets include: • Mosaic 5 m digital elevation model (DEM) with shaded relief • Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) percentiles • Tasselled Cap exceedance summaries • Normalised Difference Moisture Index (NDMI) • Normalised Difference Wetness Index (NDWI) The 5m spatial resolution digital elevation model with associated shaded relief image were derived from the East Kimberley 2017 LiDAR survey (Geoscience Australia, 2019b). The Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) percentiles include 20th, 50th, and 80th for dry seasons (April to October) 1987 to 2018 and were derived from the Landsat 5,7 and 8 data stored in Digital Earth Australia (see Geoscience Australia, 2019a). Tasselled Cap Exceedance Summary include brightness, greenness and wetness as a composite image and were also derived from the Landsat data. These surface reflectance products can be used to highlight vegetation characteristics such as wetness and greenness, and land cover. The Normalised Difference Moisture Index (NDMI) and Normalised Difference Water Index (NDWI) were derived from the Sentinel-2 satellite imagery. These datasets have been classified and visually enhanced to detect vegetation moisture stress or water-logging and show distribution of moisture. For example, positive NDWI values indicate waterlogged areas while waterbodies typically correspond with values greater than 0.2. Waterlogged areas also correspond to NDMI values of 0.2 to 0.4. Geoscience Australia, 2019a. Earth Observation Archive. Geoscience Australia, Canberra. http://dx.doi.org/10.4225/25/57D9DCA3910CD Geoscience Australia, 2019b. Kimberley East - LiDAR data. Geoscience Australia, Canberra. C7FDA017-80B2-4F98-8147-4D3E4DF595A2 https://pid.geoscience.gov.au/dataset/ga/129985

Geoscience Australia commissioned reprocessing of selected legacy 2D seismic data in the East Kimberley, onshore Bonaparte Basin as part of the Exploring for the Future (EFTF) program. Reprocessing of these data occurred between September 2017 and May 2018. Exploring for the Future (<a href="https://www.ga.gov.au/eftf/">https://www.ga.gov.au/eftf</a>) was a $100.5 million four-year (2016-20), Australian Government-funded program to provide a holistic picture of the potential mineral, energy and groundwater resources in northern Australia. The program has delivered new geoscience data, knowledge and decision support tools to support increased industry investment and sustainable economic development across the north. Groundwater is a critical resource that accounts for most water used across northern Australia. The groundwater component of the EFTF program focused on addressing groundwater resource knowledge gaps, to support future opportunities for economic development via irrigated agriculture, extractive industries and increased security of community water supplies. Through collaboration with State and Territory partners, the program undertook targeted regional investigations of groundwater systems and assessments of groundwater potential more broadly across the region. The program's activities, implemented by Geoscience Australia, involved application of innovative geoscience tools to collect, integrate and analyse a range of data. It includes geological and hydrogeological data, airborne and ground-based geophysical and hydrogeochemical surveys, remote sensing data as well as stratigraphic drilling. The new data and better understanding of groundwater systems also helps inform decision making about groundwater use to protect environmental and cultural assets. These outcomes strengthen investor confidence in resources and agricultural projects by de-risking groundwater in northern Australia. The package contains reprocessed data from ten surveys acquired between 1980 and 1997. In total 53 lines were reprocessed covering a fold area of approximately 618.9 line kilometres, with the objective to produce a modern industry standard 2D land seismic reflection dataset where possible from a selection of multiple legacy 2D data. The purpose of the reprocessing was twofold: 1) To image the near surface structural and stratigraphic configuration for linking to AEM data that is available in the Bonaparte Basin; and 2) To image the structure and stratigraphic architecture of the Paleozoic Bonaparte Basin. The dataset exhibits significant improvements in stack response in most of the reprocessed lines when final and legacy stacks were compared, especially in the shallow section. Optimum results were obtained from the noise attenuation workflows. A minimum processing flow was applied to BWA80, BWA81, and line BNT87-404 lines to avoid any signal leakage throughout the processing. Final data were delivered as minimum phase (care should be taken not to interpret zero crossings as geological boundaries), and final velocities produced a good match with the well checkshot velocities. The processing report from Down Under Geophysics is available for download with this release. Raw and processed data are available on request from <a href="mailto:clientservices@ga.gov.au&body=Ref: eCat 135578">clientservices@ga.gov.au</a> - Quote eCat# 135578. Processed stack SEG-Y files and ancillary data are available for download from this web page.

This technical report details the methods and results the drilling programs of the Upper Burdekin Groundwater Project conducted as part of Exploring for the Future (EFTF)—an eight year, $225 million Australian Government funded geoscience data and information acquisition program focused on better understanding the potential mineral, energy and groundwater resources across Australia. This report was written by Queensland Government collaborators in the Department of Environment and Science, and is published here as supplied to Geoscience Australia at the conclusion of the project. The drilling program itself was conducted by the Department of Environment and Science as part of the Upper Burdekin Groundwater Project. A total of 17 holes were drilled in 2017-18 at 13 sites with a total combined depth of 943.2 metres. These comprise selected locations across both the Nulla Basalt Province and McBride Basalt Province. A network of 15 monitoring bores were constructed with two test holes backfilled and decommissioned.

This report presents key results from the Ti Tree Basin project completed as part of Exploring for the Future (EFTF)—an eight year, $225 million Australian Government funded geoscience data and information acquisition program focused on better understanding the potential mineral, energy and groundwater resources across Australia. The Ti Tree Basin is one of four Northern Territory water management areas in the Southern Stuart Corridor (SSC) area, part of Geoscience Australia’s Exploring for the Future project. The Ti Tree Basin is approximately 150–200 kilometres north of Alice Springs. The intracratonic basin is infilled Cenozoic alluvial and lacustrine sediments. Since the 1960s the basin has been the focus of many government investigations and policies into its groundwater potential. Most have concentrated on the relatively shallow Cenozoic aquifers less than 100 metres below surface. Wischusen et al. (2012) identified the potential of the deeper aquifers (at depths of greater than 100 m) to expand the potential water resources of the Ti Tree Basin. This report uses three sets of AEM data, two acquired by Geoscience Australia and one from historic mineral exploration, to map the depth to basement in the Ti Tree Basin. We confirm the prediction of Wischusen et al. (2012) that there is significant potential for a much thicker Cenozoic succession in the Basin and show that up to 500 m of sediments are present in fault bounded structures. We demonstrate that these sediments occur in two successions, one of probably Eocene age within narrow, fault-bounded troughs and the other of probable Miocene to Pliocene age occurring across a wider area. The two successions are separated by a low angle unconformity. We interpret the lower succession as forming during strike-slip opening of the basin, and the upper succession as being deposited by passive basin infill. The faults forming the deep basin show are mostly congruent with basement structures previously interpreted from aeromagnetic data. Most of the lower succession has not been fully penetrated by earlier drilling. The interpreted AEM data shows that the deep Ti Tree Basin may contain extensive sandy aquifer units whose potential are completely unexplored. We recommend further investigations, including further stratigraphic drilling, mapping of the uniformity surface, and installation of monitoring bores, to more fully explore the potential of the deep Ti Tree Basin.

The presence of Neogene fault systems can have a significant impact on hydraulic connectivity of aquifers, juxtaposing otherwise disconnected aquifers, enhancing recharge and/or discharge or acting as barriers to flow and consequently compartmentalising groundwater resources. Previously, regional airborne electromagnetics (AEM) transects allied with groundwater investigations have pointed to the potential for localised compartmentalisation of the Daly River Basin groundwater systems. However, existing data is sparse, and equivocal. In this context, the main aim of the Daly River Basin Project is to determine if compartmentalisation of the aquifers is a significant factor and thus should be explicitly considered in groundwater modelling and water allocation planning. The objectives of the project main goals of the project are to: (1) map Neogene faults through the use of airborne electromagnetic (AEM) and morphotectonic mapping, and (2) assess the permeability and transmissivity of mapped fault zones and their role in potential groundwater system compartmentalisation. Data acquisition includes 3325 line-kilometres of new AEM and airborne magnetics, ground (ground magnetic resonance (GMR)), and borehole geophysics, drilling, groundwater sampling and hydrochemical analysis, geomorphic and morphotectonics mapping. Hydrogeophysical, geomorphic and hydrogeological data will also be used to better understand groundwater-surface water connectivity and the potential for managed aquifer recharge schemes to replenish extracted groundwater resources. The outcomes of this project will inform decisions on water allocations and underpin effective and efficient groundwater use. This paper specifically reports on the ability of AEM and morphotectonics mapping to identify Neogene fault systems in the Daly River Basin.

This Port Phillip-Westernport 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 Port Phillip and Westernport basins are small, shallow sedimentary basins located in south-central Victoria, formed during the Late Cretaceous rifting of Australia and Antarctica. They share similar stratigraphy with nearby basins. The Port Phillip Basin is bounded by the Selwyn and Rowsley Faults to the east and west, while the Heath Hill Fault marks the eastern boundary of the Westernport Basin. Both basins have pre-Cenozoic basement rocks comprising folded and faulted Paleozoic metasedimentary rocks and granites from the Lachlan Fold Belt. The Port Phillip Basin's stratigraphy includes Maastrichtian to Cenozoic sedimentary units with intercalated volcanic rocks. The main depocentres are the Sorrento Graben, Ballan Graben/Lal Lal Trough, and Parwan Trough. Notable formations are the Yaloak and Werribee formations, with coal-bearing strata and marine sediments. The Westernport Basin has coastal sediments and volcanic deposits from Paleocene to Holocene. It experienced marine transgressions and regressions due to sea-level fluctuations. Fault movements in the late Pliocene and early Pleistocene formed a fault-bounded depression centered on the Koo Wee Rup Plain. The main units are the Childers Formation, Older Volcanics, Yallock Formation, Sherwood Marl, and Baxter Sandstone. Both basins have Quaternary sediments, including Pleistocene eolian sand sequences, Holocene alluvial and paludal clays, and fluvial sediments in valleys and palaeovalleys. The Port Phillip Basin contains distinct phases of terrestrial and marine deposition, while the Westernport Basin has Eocene volcanism and marine sediments. These basins are important geological features in the region, with various formations representing millions of years of geological history.

This Gippsland 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 Gippsland Basin is an asymmetrical east-trending rift structure that originated during rifting in the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous, as Australia and Antarctica began to separate. Over time, it developed into a continental passive margin basin, with sedimentation continuing to the present day. The basin is characterized by four main phases of tectonic evolution, interspersed with eustatic sea-level variations: initial rifting and extension, mid-Cretaceous contraction, renewed extension, and cessation of rifting in the middle Eocene. The basin's geological structures consist of mainly east to north-east trending features, with the west dominated by north-east structures due to the influence of basement trends. Major fault systems are prominent, compartmentalizing the basin into platforms and depressions separated by bedrock highs. The basin's complex stratigraphic succession reveals fluvial, deltaic, marginal marine, and open marine depositional environments. The sedimentary sequence includes terrigenous siliciclastic sediments from the Upper Cretaceous to Eocene, followed by post-rift sands, clays, coals, and limestones/marls of Oligocene to Holocene age. The Gippsland Basin's sediments are subdivided into four main stratigraphic groups: the Strzelecki, Latrobe, Seaspray, and Sale groups. The Strzelecki Group, dating from the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous, consists of non-marine sedimentary rocks deposited in fluvial and lacustrine environments. The Latrobe Group, from Late Cretaceous to early Oligocene, contains siliciclastic sediments deposited in various non-marine to marginal marine settings, showing significant lateral lithofacies variations. The Seaspray Group, dating from Oligocene to Pliocene, formed during a post-rift phase, characterized by marine limestone and marl units and continental clastic sediments. Lastly, the Sale Group consists of Miocene-to-Recent continental clastic sediments forming a thin veneer over the onshore portion of the basin. The Gippsland Basin also contains several basaltic lava fields, with two notable volcanic units—the Thorpdale Volcanics and Carrajung Volcanics—part of the Older Volcanics in Victoria. Overall, the Gippsland Basin's geological history and diverse sedimentary deposits make it a significant area for various geological and geophysical studies, including its hydrocarbon resources concentrated in offshore Latrobe Group reservoirs.

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.