Arafura Basin Hydrogeological Inventory with 11 Thematic Groups

Over 90% of the Arafura Basin lies offshore in the shallow Arafura Sea, with its sedimentary record spanning more than 250 million years. This dataset from the Australian Ocean Data Network provides a hydrogeological inventory for the basin, grouping descriptive attributes into 11 themes including geology, groundwater, and land use. The data was last updated in April 2026.

Use Cases

• Assess groundwater management and use based on the administrative and use themes.
• Model regional hydrogeology based on the described aquifer characteristics and geology.
• Study basin-scale environmental interactions based on the surface water, land use, and environment themes.
• Correlate stratigraphic units like the Wessel Group based on the described geological succession.

Strengths

• Data is structured around 11 distinct thematic groups for systematic analysis.
• Describes a basin with a sedimentary record spanning more than 250 million years.
• Includes information from past hydrogeological investigations by the Northern Territory Government.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network via data_gov_au

Collection Method

Likely compiled from geological surveys and historical government investigations.

Time Range

Covers geological periods from the late Neoproterozoic to the early Permian.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04 10 19:35:24.247686; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Arafura Basin, northern Australia, extending onshore in Arnhem Land and offshore into the Arafura Sea.