Great Artesian Basin 3D Vshale Model for Aquifer Analysis

Geoscience Australia's National Groundwater Systems Project produced this 3D geological and hydrogeological model of the Great Artesian Basin and Lake Eyre Basin. The model is populated with volume of shale (Vshale) values calculated from 2,310 wells across four basins. It provides a refined architecture of aquifer and aquitard geometry to improve groundwater conceptualisation across jurisdictions.

Use Cases

• Modeling aquifer and aquitard geometry based on the 3D geological surfaces.
• Estimating facies variability based on the distribution of sand-shale ratios across 18 hydrogeological units.
• Identifying potential preferential groundwater flow paths based on sand body development.
• Mapping groundwater knowledge at basin-wide scale based on the integrated 3D framework.
• Assessing the impact of water use and climate change on groundwater systems based on the common model framework.

Strengths

• Model is based on data from 2,310 wells across four basins.
• Provides a refined 3D architecture for 18 distinct hydrogeological units.
• Builds on a previous iteration and infills data gaps with additional borehole, airborne electromagnetic, and seismic interpretation.

Limitations

• Data gaps exist and require further study, as noted in the description.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Incorporation of major faults and structures is noted as a needed enhancement.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia's National Groundwater Systems Project, part of the Exploring for the Future program.

Collection Method

Vshale values calculated from well data integrated into 3D geological surfaces.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-05 04:18:12.650271; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Great Artesian Basin, Lake Eyre Basin, Surat Basin, Eromanga Basin, Carpentaria Basin.