Geology of the Murray Basin, Southeastern Australia: Structure and Aquifer Systems

The Murray Basin in southeastern Australia covers over 300,000 km² and contains thin Cainozoic sediments up to 600 meters thick. This document from the Australian Ocean Data Network summarizes the basin's structural and stratigraphic framework developed over the past 60 million years. It details the geology to explain aquifer systems and processes contributing to regional salinity problems.

Use Cases

• Model groundwater flow and salinity based on described aquifer systems and confining layers.
• Analyze the impact of agricultural practices on aquifer recharge based on the described hydrogeological context.
• Study the relationship between subsurface geology and land salinization based on the stratigraphic framework.
• Map regional aquifer characteristics based on the described depositional sequences and sediment thickness.

Strengths

• Describes a specific, large geographic area of over 300,000 km².
• Provides detailed geological context spanning a 60-million-year timeframe.
• Links subsurface geology to a contemporary environmental issue (salinity).

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data is presented as HTML/PDF documents, likely requiring extraction for quantitative analysis.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Likely compiled from geophysical surveys, borehole evidence, and existing geological research.

Time Range

Covers geological development over approximately 60 million years.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06 23 05:43:25.067088; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Murray Basin, southeastern Australia.