Project activity AusLAMP
The Australian Lithospheric Architecture Magnetotelluric Project (AusLAMP) is a collaborative, national survey that acquires long-period magnetotelluric (MT) data across the Australian continent.
It aims to provide significant additional information about Australia’s geodynamic framework as well as valuable pre-competitive data for resource exploration. Significant progress (Figure below) has been made under Geoscience Australia's Exploring for the Future program.
- Watch an animation on How MT surveys work(2:17 min)
A map showing the locations of the magnetotelluric stations across Australia
Key outcomes
The key outcomes for this project activity include:
- image the electrical resistivity (or conductivity) structure of the continental lithosphere
- identify and characterise resistivity of the major structures (e.g. domain boundaries, faults, shear zones, fluid pathways) in the crust and upper mantle
- add to the knowledge base for improving scientific understanding of geological processes on national and regional scales
- integrate results with known geology, available geophysical data and other datasets to help define potential mineral and energy resources
- provide baseline data for future in-fill surveys to unlock new prospective areas
- help analyse risks of geoelectric hazard and geological hazard.
AusLAMP was launched in November 2013. To date, data acquisition across the states of Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia has been completed and work in New South Wales is nearing completion. To date data from 370 sites have been acquired in northern Australia as part of Geoscience Australia's Exploring for the Future program.
Public release of data/interpretation and models is through the Geoscience Australia website and the Exploring for the Future Data Delivery Portal.
A map showing the locations of the magnetotelluric stations across northern Australia
Magnetotelluric data collection equipment being deployed on site in the Northern Territory
Collaboration
AusLAMP is led by Geoscience Australia in collaboration with the state and Northern Territory geological surveys, universities, AuScope and other research organisations.
AusLAMP Exploring for the Future activities are funded by Geoscience Australia with in-kind contributions from the Northern Territory Geological Survey and the Geological Survey of Queensland.
Related information
Sediment-hosted base metal mineral potential maps
Cloutier, J., Ford, A., Huston, D., Doublier, M., Schofield, A., Waltenberg, K., de Caritat, P., Fraser, G., Beyer, E., Bastrakov, E., Czarnota, K. (2023)
Multi-Stage Evolution of the South Australian Craton: Petrological Constraints on the Architecture, Lithology, and Geochemistry of the Lithospheric Mantle
Sudholz, Z.J., Yaxley, G.M., Jaques, A.L., Cooper, S.A., Czarnota, K., Taylor, W.R., Chen, J., Knowles, B.M. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems (2022)
Examination of the accuracy of SHRIMP U–Pb geochronology based on samples dated by both SHRIMP and CA-TIMS
Magee, C.W. Jr., Bodorkos, S., Lewis, C.J., Crowley, J.L., Wall, C.J., Friedman, R.M. Geochronology (2023)
