Great Artesian Basin 3D Vshale Model for 18 Hydrogeological Units

2,310 wells were used to calculate volume of shale (Vshale) values for the 3D geological and hydrogeological model of the Great Artesian and Lake Eyre Basins. This data package, produced by Geoscience Australia's National Groundwater Systems Project, provides a refined architecture of aquifer and aquitard geometry. It was completed as part of the Exploring for the Future program, an eight-year, $225 million Australian Government initiative.

Use Cases

• Refining aquifer and aquitard geometry based on 3D Vshale modelling
• Mapping sand body development and hydraulic characteristics within aquifers
• Identifying potential preferential groundwater flow paths across the 18 hydrogeological units
• Assessing the impact of water use and climate change on basin-wide groundwater resources

Strengths

• Model is based on data from 2,310 wells, providing a substantial observational foundation
• Covers 18 distinct hydrogeological units within the Great Artesian and Lake Eyre Basins
• Builds on a previous iteration and infills data gaps with additional borehole and geophysical data

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• The description notes limitations including data gaps and the need to integrate petrophysics and structural data like faults

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data

Collection Method

Vshale values calculated from well data, integrated with 3D geological and hydrogeological surfaces

Time Range

null

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-20 01:49:14.871325; freshness should be verified

Geography

Great Artesian Basin and Lake Eyre Basin in Eastern Australia