This South Nicholson 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. This South Nicholson 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 South Nicholson Basin is a Mesoproterozoic sedimentary basin spanning Queensland and the Northern Territory and is bordered by neighbouring provinces and basins. The basin unconformably overlies the Lawn Hill Platform of the Mount Isa Province to the east, is bound by the Warramunga and Davenport provinces to the south-west, the Murphy Province to the north and the McArthur Basin to the north-west. It extends southwards under younger cover sequences. Rock units in the basin are correlated with the Roper Group in the McArthur Basin, forming the 'Roper Superbasin.' The underlying Mount Isa Province contains potential shale gas resources. The basin mainly consists of sandstone- and siltstone-bearing units, including the South Nicholson Group, with a prevailing east to east-northeast structural grain. Mild deformation includes shallowly plunging fold axes and numerous faults along a north-west to south-east shortening direction. Major geological events affecting the South Nicholson Basin region include the formation of the Murphy Province's metamorphic and igneous rocks around 1850 million years ago (Ma). The Mount Isa Province experienced deposition in the Leichhardt Superbasin (1800 to 1750 Ma) and Calvert Superbasin (1725 to 1690 Ma). The Isa Superbasin, with extensional growth faulting in the Carrara Sub-basin (~1640 Ma), deposited sediments from approximately 1670 to 1590 Ma. Subsequently, the South Nicholson Group was deposited around 1500 to 1430 Ma, followed by the Georgina Basin's sedimentation. The basin shows potential for sandstone-type uranium, base metals, iron ore, and petroleum resources, while unconventional shale and tight gas resources remain largely unexplored. The Constance Sandstone holds promise as a petroleum reservoir, and the Mullera Formation and Crow Formation serve as potential seals.

This McArthur 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 McArthur Basin, located in the north-east of the Northern Territory, is a Paleoproterozoic to Mesoproterozoic geological formation containing relatively undisturbed siliclastic and carbonate rocks, as well as minor volcanic and intrusive rocks. These sediments were primarily deposited in shallow marine environments, with some lacustrine and fluvial influences. The basin's thickness is estimated to be around 10,000 m to 12,000 m, potentially reaching 15,000 m in certain areas. It is known for hosting elements of at least two Proterozoic petroleum systems, making it a target for petroleum exploration, especially in the Beetaloo Sub-basin. Researchers have divided the McArthur Basin into five depositional packages based on similarities in age, lithofacies composition, stratigraphic position, and basin-fill geometry. These packages, listed from oldest to youngest, are the Wilton, Favenc, Glyde, Goyder, and Redback packages. The McArthur Basin is part of the broader Proterozoic basin system on the North Australian Craton, bounded by various inliers and extending under sedimentary cover in areas like the Arafura, Georgina, and Carpentaria basins. It is divided into northern and southern sections by the Urapunga Fault Zone, with significant structural features being the Walker Fault Zone in the north and the Batten Fault Zone in the south. The basin's southeastern extension connects with the Isa Superbasin in Queensland, forming the world's largest lead-zinc province. Overall, the McArthur Basin is an essential geological formation with potential petroleum resources, and its division into distinct packages helps in understanding its complex stratigraphy and geological history. Additionally, its connection with other basins contributes to a broader understanding of the region's geological evolution and resource potential.

This Ngalia 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 Ngalia Basin is an elongate, east-trending basin over 500 km long and 90 km wide. It occurs mostly in the Northern Territory, with limited occurrence in Western Australia. The Ngalia Basin is an intra-cratonic sedimentary basin in a structural downwarp formed by a faulted asymmetrical syncline. The basin began to form about 850 Ma, and contains a Neoproterozoic to Carboniferous sedimentary succession. Sedimentation ceased in response to the 450 to 300 Ma Alice Springs Orogeny. The maximum stratigraphic thickness of the Ngalia Basin is about 5000 m. The basin contains mainly arenaceous sedimentary rocks, with lesser fine-grained rock types and some carbonates. Fining upwards sedimentary cycles are commonly preserved and capped by calcite-cemented fine-grained sandstone and siltstone. Tectonic events disrupted deposition during basin evolution and led to at least ten unconformities. There are many disconformable contacts, with angular unconformities common in areas with abundant faulting. The upper-most arkosic sandstone formations in the Ngalia Basin are the Mount Eclipse Sandstone and the Kerridy Sandstone. These units have an aggregate thickness of several hundreds of metres and are the main aquifers within the Ngalia Basin sequence. There is some interstitial porosity, especially in the Mount Eclipse Sandstone, although joints and fissures associated with faulting provide significant secondary permeability. These aquifers provide good supplies of potable to brackish groundwater, and supply the community borefield at Yuendumu. The Ngalia Basin is almost entirely concealed by Cenozoic cover, including Palaeogene-Neogene palaeovalley, lake and alluvial fan sediment systems and Quaternary aeolian sands. Shallow aquifers with brackish to potable water occur in many palaeovalleys sediments overlying the basin.

This Lake Eyre 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 Lake Eyre Basin (LEB) is a vast endorheic basin covering approximately 15% of the Australian continent, spanning about 1.14 million square kilometres. Its development began during the Late Palaeocene due to tectonic subsidence in north-eastern South Australia, resulting in a wide and shallow intra-cratonic basin divided into Tirari and Callabonna Sub-basins by the Birdsville Track Ridge. The depocenter of the LEB has shifted southwards over time. During the Cenozoic era, sediment accumulation was highest near the Queensland-Northern Territory border. The depo-center was in the southern Simpson Desert by the late Neogene, and is currently in Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre, leading to the deposition of various sedimentary formations, which provide a record of climatic and environmental changes from a wetter environment in the Palaeogene to the arid conditions of the present. The LEB is characterized by Cenozoic sediments, including sand dunes and plains in the Simpson, Strezelecki, Tirari, and Strezelecki deserts, mud-rich floodplains of rivers like Cooper, Diamantina, and Georgina, and extensive alluvial deposits in the Bulloo River catchment. The basin's geology comprises rocks from different geological provinces, ranging from Archean Gawler Craton to the Cenozoic Lake Eyre Basin. The Callabonna Sub-basin, confined by the Flinders Ranges to the west, contains formations such as the Eyre and Namba formations, representing fluvial and lacustrine environments. The Cooper Creek Palaeovalley hosts formations like the Glendower, Whitula, Doonbara, and Caldega, and features significant Quaternary sedimentary fill. The Tirari Sub-basin, located on the border regions of three states, contains formations like the Eyre, Etadunna, Mirackina, Mount Sarah Sandstone, Yardinna Claystone, Alberga Limestone, and Simpson Sand. The northwest of Queensland includes smaller Cenozoic basins, likely infilled ancient valleys or remnants of larger basins. The Marion-Noranside Basin has the Marion Formation (fluvial) and Noranside Limestone (lacustrine), while the Austral Downs Basin comprises the Austral Downs Limestone (spring and lacustrine). The Springvale and Old Cork Basins tentatively have Eocene and Miocene ages. Cenozoic palaeovalleys in the Northern Territory are filled with fluvial sands, gravels, lignites, and carbonaceous deposits and are confined by surrounding basins. Overall, the sedimentary sequences in the Lake Eyre Basin provide valuable insights into its geological history, climate shifts, and topographic changes, contributing to our understanding of the region's development over time.

This Karumba 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 Karumba Basin is a shallow geological basin in Queensland, Australia, composed of sedimentary rocks and unconsolidated sediments that cover the Mesozoic Carpentaria Basin. Deposition started during the Late Cretaceous to Early Paleocene and has continued into the Holocene. The basin extends from western Cape York Peninsula into the Gulf of Carpentaria, where it connects with Cenozoic sediment deposits in Papua New Guinea. Although the sediments in both areas share lithostratigraphic and biostratigraphic similarities, their tectonic histories differ. The basin's structural geology is relatively uniform, with a significant downwarp known as the Gilbert-Mitchell Trough in Cape York Peninsula and another depocenter offshore in the Gulf of Carpentaria. The depositional history and stratigraphy of the Karumba Basin can be divided into three cycles of deposition, erosion, weathering, and the formation of stratigraphic units. The earliest cycle (the Bulimba Cycle) began in the Late Cretaceous to Early Paleocene, with episodes of significant uplift along the eastern margins of the basin. This resulted in the deposition of the Bulimba Formation and the Weipa Beds, primarily consisting of claystone, sandstone, conglomerate, and siltstone with minor coal layers. This cycle was followed by a period of planation and deep weathering, creating the Aurukun Surface. The second cycle (the Wyaaba Cycle) was initiated by large-scale earth movements along the Great Dividing Ranges, forming much of the eastern boundary of the Karumba Basin, and leading to the formation of the Wyaaba beds and other equivalent units. These beds consist mainly of fluvial to paralic clay-rich sandstone, conglomerate, siltstone, and claystone. In the south-west, Oligocene to Pliocene limestone deposits also formed in lacustrine settings, and were sourced from and deposited upon the underlying Georgina Basin. The cycle ended with ensuing periods of erosion and weathering and the development of the Pliocene Kendall Surface, as well as widespread basaltic volcanism. The final cycle (the Claraville Cycle) started in the Pliocene and continues to the present. It has experienced several episodes of uplift and deposition controlled by sea level change, climate variability and volcanism in the south. The Claraville beds are unconsolidated sediments, chiefly comprised of clayey quartzose sand and mud with minor gravels, reaching approximately 148 m thickness offshore, and approximately 70 m onshore. As this cycle is still ongoing, no terminal surface has been formed, and most units consist of unconsolidated surficial sediments.

This Eucla 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 Eucla Basin, located along Australia's southern margin, covers an extensive area of approximately 1,150,000 square kilometres, housing the world's largest grouping of onshore Cenozoic marine sediments. It stretches over 2000 km from east to west and has four main subdivisions: Scaddan Embayment, Esperance Shelf, Nullarbor Shelf, and Yalata Sub-basin offshore. The basin extends about 350 km inland from the modern southern Australian coastline and terminates around 200 km offshore where it meets sediments of the Australian-Antarctic Basin. The sedimentary succession is largely consistent throughout the entire basin. In the west, it overlaps with the Yilgarn Craton and Albany-Fraser Orogen, while in the east, the Gawler Craton and Officer Basin separate it from the Musgrave Province. The basin contains mainly Cenozoic sediments, with thicker sequences in the east due to sediment movement and regional elevation differences. The onshore Eucla Basin hosts an unfaulted sheet of sediment deposited over a south-sloping shelf during several marine transgressions. The basal units rest on a prominent unconformity above the Bight Basin, indicating a break in deposition during the separation of Australia and Antarctica. The sedimentary sequence comprises various units such as the Hampton Sandstone, Pidinga Formation, and Werillup Formation, followed by the Wilson Bluff Limestone, Abrakurrie Limestone, Nullarbor Limestone, and Roe Calcarenite. The basin's geological history is marked by significant events such as marine transgressions during the Eocene, leading to the deposition of extensive limestone formations. The Miocene saw slight tilting of the basin, exposing the Nullarbor Plain to the atmosphere and limiting further sediment deposition. During the late Miocene to Pliocene, barrier and lagoonal transgressions contributed to the formation of the Roe Calcarenite. The Pliocene period witnessed intense karstification and the development of ferricrete and silcrete, resulting in the unique modern-day topography of the region.

This was the fourth of five presentations held on 31 July 2023 as part of the National Groundwater Systems Workshop - Detailed Groundwater Science Inventory Geology, hydrogeology and groundwater systems in the Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre Basin.

This Perth 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 Perth Basin is a complex geological region extending along Australia's southwest margin for about 1,300 km. It comprises sub-basins, troughs, terraces, and shelves, hosting sedimentary rocks with coal, oil, gas, and significant groundwater resources. Off the coast of Western Australia, it reaches depths of up to 4,500 m, while its onshore part extends up to 90 km inland. The basin is bounded by the Yilgarn Craton to the east, and the Carnarvon and Bremer basins to the north and south. The basin's history involves two main rifting phases in the Permian and Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous, creating 15 sub-basins with varying sedimentary thickness due to compartmentalization and fault reactivation. The sedimentary succession mainly comprises fluviatile Permian to Early Cretaceous rocks over Archean and Proterozoic basement blocks. Differences exist between northern and southern sequences, with the south being continental and the north featuring marine deposits. During the Permian, faulting and clastic sedimentation dominated, with marine transgressions in the north and continental rocks in the south. The Triassic saw a similar pattern, with the southern succession being continental and the northern succession showing marine deposits. The Kockatea Shale became a primary hydrocarbon source. The Jurassic period witnessed marine incursions in the central basin, while the Late Jurassic experienced sea level regression and deposition of the Yarragadee Formation. The Cretaceous saw the formation of the Early Cretaceous Parmelia Group due to heavy tectonic activity. The southern basin had a marine transgression leading to the Warnbro Group's deposition with valuable groundwater resources. Post-Cretaceous, Cenozoic deposits covered the basin with varying thicknesses. Overall, the Perth Basin's geological history reveals a diverse sedimentary record with economic and resource significance.

This Central Australian Cenozoic Basins 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. Cenozoic basins are an important source of readily accessible groundwater within the arid deserts of central Australia. This province represents a collection of six notable Cenozoic basins within the region, including the Ti Tree, Waite, Hale, Mount Wedge, Lake Lewis and Alice Farm basins. Many local communities in this region (such as Papunya, Ti Tree and Ali Curung) rely upon groundwater stored within Cenozoic basin aquifers for their water security. The basins typically contain up to several hundred metres of saturated sediments that can include relatively thick intervals of hydraulically conductive sands, silts and minor gravels. It is noted that the potential groundwater storage volumes in the Cenozoic basins are much greater than the annual amount of runoff and recharge that occurs in central Australia, making them prospective targets for groundwater development. Groundwater quality and yields are variable, although relatively good quality groundwater can be obtained at suitable yields in many areas for community water supplies, stock and domestic use and irrigated horticulture operations, for example, in the Ti Tree Basin. However, not all of the Cenozoic basins have the potential to supply good quality groundwater resources for community and horticultural supplies. With the exception of several small sub-regions, most of the Waite Basin has very little potential to supply good quality groundwater for agricultural use. This is mainly due to limited aquifer development, low yielding bores and elevated groundwater salinity (commonly >2000 mg/L Total Dissolved Solids). However, bores have been successfully installed for smaller-scale pastoral stock and domestic supplies and small communities or outstations in the Waite Basin.

This Eromanga 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 Eromanga Basin, part of the Great Artesian Basin (GAB) in Australia, is an extensive Mesozoic sedimentary basin filled with a mix of non-marine and marine rocks. The GAB covers about 22% of the Australian land surface, including areas in Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia, and the Northern Territory. The Eromanga Basin is the largest among the basins that form the GAB. Spanning over 1,250,000 square kilometres in central and eastern Australia, the Eromanga Basin contains rocks ranging from Jurassic to Cretaceous in age. The sedimentary deposits consist of three main basin successions: Early Jurassic to Early Cretaceous fluvial and lacustrine, Early to mid-Cretaceous marine, and Late Cretaceous fluvial-lacustrine successions. The basin's stratigraphic architecture results from a complex interplay between subsidence-controlled accommodation, sediment supply rates, and changing sediment provenance. These controls were influenced by various factors, such as intra-plate stress fields, eustatic sea-level fluctuations, and dynamic mantle-driven topography during the breakup of the Gondwana supercontinent. During the Jurassic and Early Cretaceous, regional uplift of the Australian continent led to an influx of fluvial sand-rich sediments in the western Eromanga Basin. Subsequent rapid subsidence and global high sea levels during the Early Cretaceous allowed marine sediments to spread across much of Australia, including the Eromanga Basin. The basin later returned to non-marine sedimentation during the Late Cretaceous with deposition of the Winton Formation, followed by closure due to an east-directed Late Cretaceous compressional event. This rapid deposition of the Late Cretaceous Winton Formation played a crucial role in generating and expelling hydrocarbons from various source intervals. The movement of the Australian continent significantly impacted the basin, causing most tectonic activity to occur on the southern side of a prominent keel near Innamincka in the southern half of the GAB. Additionally, variations in the mechanical properties of the sub-lithospheric mantle affected stress distribution, leading to changes in surface elevation and the expression of discharge from aquifers, potentially influencing the location and pattern of spring sites within the South Australian part of the GAB.