Eastern Australia 3D Geological and Hydrogeological Surfaces Update

18 region-wide hydrogeological unit surfaces updated as part of Geoscience Australia's $225 million Exploring for the Future program. The second iteration of this 3D model unifies geology across borders and incorporates new borehole, seismic, and airborne electromagnetic data from the Great Artesian Basin to the offshore Bight, Otway, and Gippsland basins. This work provides a consistent hydrogeological framework for integrated resource assessments across eastern Australia.

Use Cases

• Model groundwater flow and resource potential based on the updated 3D hydrogeological surfaces.
• Reconcile legacy and contemporary regional geological studies under the common stratigraphic framework described.
• Support the long-term management of Great Artesian Basin water resources based on the updated unit extents and thicknesses.
• Provide regional geological context for integrated mineral, energy, and groundwater resource assessments.

Strengths

• Builds on a first iteration model, incorporating new data to fill knowledge gaps.
• Covers a vast study area extending from the Gulf of Carpentaria to offshore southern basins.
• Integrates multiple data sources including legacy borehole data, 2D seismic, and airborne electromagnetic (AEM) data.

Limitations

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

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia's Exploring for the Future Program, National Groundwater Systems Project.

Collection Method

Constructed using compiled borehole, 2D seismic, and airborne electromagnetic (AEM) data.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-23 00:33:58.315252; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Eastern Australian basins, from the offshore Gulf of Carpentaria to the offshore Bight, Otway, and Gippsland basins.