Great Artesian Basin 3D Vshale Model for 18 Hydrogeological Units

Geoscience Australia's National Groundwater Systems Project produced this 3D geological and hydrogeological model of the Great Artesian and Lake Eyre Basins. The model is populated with volume of shale values calculated from 2,310 wells across four basins. This second iteration, updated in 2023, provides a refined architecture of aquifer and aquitard geometry to support groundwater management.

Use Cases

• Modeling aquifer and aquitard geometry based on 3D geological surfaces.
• Analyzing sand-shale ratio variability across 18 hydrogeological units.
• Identifying potential preferential groundwater flow paths based on sand body development.
• Mapping regional groundwater knowledge and critical areas for long-term monitoring.

Strengths

• Model is based on data from 2,310 wells, providing a substantial observational foundation.
• Covers four major basins (Surat, Eromanga, Carpentaria, Lake Eyre) for broad spatial coverage.
• Represents the second iteration of the model, building on previous work to infill data gaps.

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, part of the National Groundwater Systems Project.

Collection Method

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

Time Range

Model version 2.0 completed in 2023.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-25 15:44:19.083646; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Eastern Australia, covering the Great Artesian Basin and Lake Eyre Basin.