National projects Australia’s Resources Framework

The AusAEM airborne electromagnetic (AEM) survey is one of the main components of the Exploring for the Future program. The program will acquire 20 km line spaced AEM data across broad regions of the continent to improve the understanding of regional basin architecture and geology. Surveying is prioritised to areas relatively under-explored but with high mineral, energy or groundwater potential, where AEM can greatly assist in investigating the earth below cover rocks. 

Visit the AusAEM  page for more information. 

AusLAMP will acquire magnetotelluric data at sites spaced every 50 km within and adjacent to the Eastern and Western Resources Corridors. The data will be analysed to better understand the electrical properties of major structures in the lithosphere, such as domain boundaries, faults, shear zones and fluid pathways. This will improve geophysical imaging of mineral system components and enhance understanding of related mineral potential. It will also contribute to studies of space weather hazard in Australia that feed into assessments of related risks to critical infrastructure, such as telecommunications networks, power lines and pipelines. 

Visit the AusLAMP page for more information. 

AusArray will acquire passive seismic data to infer physical properties of the Australian lithosphere. Sensors will be distributed across the continent at 200 km spacing to ensure full national coverage. Acquired data will be used in geophysical inversions to build thermomechanical Earth models that extend to depths of hundreds of kilometres. These high-fidelity models will facilitate mapping of alteration in the uppermost mantle as a key constraint on mineral prospectivity assessments. Results will also inform geohazard studies. All data and tools developed during this project activity will be freely available to the public to help support an emerging resource exploration technology. 

Visit the AusArray page for more information. 
 

This project activity will integrate geophysical and geological data using geophysical techniques to link deep Earth processes to resource endowment. It will develop the understanding of the relationship between the near surface and deep Earth architecture by mapping the structure and composition of the lithospheric mantle under the constraints provided from geochemical analysis of mantle xenoliths and xenocrysts. 

This study includes robust gravity and magnetic inversion modelling techniques used in conjunction with innovative, in-house processing to deliver seamless 3D density and magnetic susceptibility models that cover all onshore Australia. These models follow on from previous work done on the North Australian Craton and are designed to assist 3D geological mapping and the identification of large-scale mineral systems, such as those associated with iron oxide copper-gold deposits.

These 3D models will utilise geological constraints from SEEBASE, AusMoho and the Curie depth with the potential to enhance them in the future when other national datasets become available. The models will have a resolution of 800 m horizontally and will extend to 55 km depth to cover the whole crust. 

Geoscience Australia and Mineral Resources Tasmania will gather high resolution airborne magnetic and radiometric data across Tasmania. New data will infill areas where sparse and low-quality magnetic data was acquired during the 1960’s to 1980’s, at 1,500 m flight line spacing, and where no radiometric data currently exists. The flight line spacing will be standardised to 200 m and use modern processing techniques to significantly improve the magnetic data quality and usability. The acquisition of new data will make a major contribution to understanding the regional geology that controls Tasmanian mineral systems and provide insight into prospective geology under cover. 
 

This project activity will improve the outcomes from airborne electromagnetic (AEM) data acquisition by introducing probabilistic sub-surface assessment. Using High Performance computing (HPC) will lead to improved visualization and decision-making under uncertainty with geophysical data. Theory and code developed in this project will also be used to carry out real time QC of AEM acquired for the Exploring for the Future program and other projects. This capability has already been used for the 4,500 km line Great Artesian Basin 2021 survey. There are links to the AEM acquisition and sub-surface conductivity imaging for the Officer–Musgrave project, as well as for the mineral and groundwater resource mapping components of the Darling–Curnamona–Delamerian project. Probabilistic sub-surface conductivity estimates will also feed into the Cover Mapping component of the National Geological Mapping study. Finally, a 1D AEM + (audio) MT joint inversion capability will add value to AusLAMP, which in turn aids National Mineral Potential Mapping. 

The National Geochemical Framework study will deliver a series of pre-competitive surficial geochemistry datasets to contribute to mineral prospectivity assessments. Four activities outlined below will assist in characterising the surface composition in terms of lithology and age of bedrock, as well as in identifying processes at various spatial and temporal scales, such as weathering and dispersion.  

Geochemical Grids of Australia

This activity will create seamless, national-scale predictive geochemical maps of Australia applying with machine learning algorithms in an automated workflow. Results will be available via the Exploring for the Future Data Discovery Portal. It involves collation of consistent geochemical data, which will be achieved through the development of levelled Geochemical Baselines. Archived samples will be retrieved and re-analysed as a means to create levelled geochemical baselines. These baselines will be established by employing techniques to remove analytical variation and will allow multiple geochemical surveys to be used together as one dataset. The combined datasets will be used to assist in refining geochemical grids of Australia, set environmental baselines, and assist explorers to determine areas of interest. 

Multi-scale Geochemical Maps

Building on the Geochemical Grids of Australia, this activity bridges the gap between field sampling and remote sensing predictive mapping. Prepare datasets then develop, test and field-validate algorithms (in the Darling–Curnamona–Delamerian project area) to support a range of machine learning applications for national geochemical modelling and soil property prediction.  

Database of National Archive Samples

This activity will retrieve and re-analyse archived samples to gain new insights into the distribution of heavy minerals and isotopes across Australia and identify new regions of interest. Data analysis and interpretation will start in a regional Exploring for the Future program area (e.g. Darling–Curnamona–Delamerian) and will contribute to mineral prospectivity assessments.  

Geochemical databases

This activity will maintain existing and develop a range of additional organic and inorganic geochemical databases to capture and deliver primary and secondary geochemical data via the Exploring for the Future Data Discovery Portal. 

This project activity will collect age and isotopic data and maps, working towards comprehensive nationwide coverage. It includes expansion of the hard-rock geochronology dataset covering south-east Australia, and enhancing existing isotopic holdings in Lu-Hf, Sm-Nd and U-Pb/Pb-Pb. It also includes collecting new analyses to develop a Pb-Pb isotopes in basement rocks coverage. This basement data will add context to the existing Pb-Pb in ores dataset and work towards developing the Pb-Pb system as an exploration tool in greenfields areas. We are also building new Sr-isotope holdings in collaboration with other Exploring for the Future program activities. 

Geochemical data inventory of combined organic and inorganic geochemical data, leading to targeted sampling of key sedimentary basins important for present exploration across Australia (e.g. Stuart shelf, Officer Basin, greater McArthur Basin, Georgina basin). This will allow the reinterpretation of datasets with the aim to test for the presence of key mineral and energy system components. This activity will be undertaken in collaboration with the Australia’s Future Energy Resources and Officer-Musgrave projects. 

This project activity will create a MinDepAge database and portal, including new data on the age of key mineral deposits, particularly those containing critical minerals and those that are important to the regional Exploring for the Future projects and national mineral potential mapping. It will provide a series of maps and reports documenting and understanding the relationships between ore deposits and geological, tectonic and geophysical features and tectonometallogenic events. 
 

This project activity aims to support the sustainable and economic recovery of critical minerals from secondary sources through a national-scale assessment of mine waste to identify new opportunities for critical minerals supply. The assessment aims to provide accurate geospatial and economic information about Australian mine waste, with mineral systems modelling used to predict site-specific critical (and other) mineral secondary prospectivity, along with integrated economic modelling to support both extraction and modern management of the reprocessed mine waste. It includes a sampling campaign, with initial focus on the regional priority areas, to validate predictions and incorporate in economic modelling and integrated waste management studies as the next step to realising identified opportunities. 

This study will review the Mineral Occurrences and OzMin databases and all available mineral occurrence maps to provide up-to-date information to help plan other Exploring for the Future projects, starting with the regional projects  ( Darling–Curnamona–Delamerian, Officer–Musgrave, Barkly–Isa–Georgetown), and validate mineral potential models. The maps and literature review will be released as a combined Mineral Prospectus, which will include the Critical Mineral Mapping Initiative Mineral Deposit Classification system. 
 

(Alkaline Rocks, Cover Mapping, Metamorphic Map, Major Crustal Boundaries and LOOP 3D)

This project activity will provide the foundations for a national scale view of Australia’s sub-surface geology to improve knowledge of mineral, energy and groundwater systems. It will generate new knowledge and data infrastructure at a national scale, which will be broadly applicable to academia, industry and government. 
 

This project activity will develop testable conceptual mineral system models that are underpinned by an understanding of the geological, geophysical, and geochemical processes that must occur for the mineral system to form. It will result in national mineral potential assessments and a national mineral potential mapper tool to support predictive mapping of selected mineral systems and associated critical minerals (e.g. iron-oxide copper gold, sediment hosted base metals, alkaline rocks).  

This project activity will develop the national Economic Fairways Mapper tool to underpin rapid, high-level economic appraisal of the opportunities and challenges for iron oxide copper-gold, mafic-ultramafic orthomagmatic, basin-hosted, alkaline intrusion-related and heavy mineral sand mineral systems, including associated critical commodities, such as platinum-group elements, rare earth elements, and lithium. Hydrocarbon and desalinated groundwater systems will also be included. 

• 2022. P5020 East Tasmania Magnetic and Radiometric Survey, 2022. Geoscience Australia, Canberra   
• 2021. P5003 Tasmanian Tiers Airborne Magnetic, Radiometric and Elevation Dataset: point-located data, grids and report (Tasmania, 2021). Geoscience Australia, Canberra
• Ball, P. W., Czarnota, K., White, N. J., Klöcking, M., Davies, D. R. Thermal Structure of Eastern Australia's Upper Mantle and its Relationship to Cenozoic Volcanic Activity and Dynamic Topography. AGU Journal. 2021. Volume 22, Issue 8
• Champion, D.C., Highet, L., Buddee, M. 2022. Mesozoic Alkaline and related igneous rocks of Australia. Record: 2022/038. Geoscience Australia, Canberra
• Champion, D., Highet, L., Buddee, M. 2022. Mesozoic Alkaline and related igneous rocks of Australia GIS. Geoscience Australia, Canberra
• Champion, D.C., Highet, L., Thorne, J.P. 2022. Archean alkaline and related igneous rocks of Australia. Record 2022/036. Geoscience Australia, Canberra 
• 2022. Archean alkaline and related igneous rocks of Australia GIS. Geoscience Australia, Canberra
• Cloutier, J., Ford, A., Huston, D., Doublier, M., Schofield, A., Waltenberg, K., de Caritat, P., Fraser, G., Beyer, E., Bastrakov, E., Czarnota, K. 2023.  National mineral potential for sediment-hosted zinc-lead mineral systems in Australia Version 1.0. Geoscience Australia, Canberra
• Cloutier, J., Ford, A., Huston, D., Doublier, M., Schofield, A., Waltenberg, K., de Caritat, P., Fraser, G., Beyer, E., Bastrakov, E., Czarnota, K. 2023.  Sediment-hosted base metal mineral potential maps. Geoscience Australia, Canberra
• Connors, K.A., Wong, S., Vilhena, J.F.M., Rees, S., Feitz, A. 2022. Canning Basin AusAEM interpretation: hydrogen storage potential and multilayered mapping. Geoscience Australia, Canberra 
• de Caritat, P., Dosseto, A., Dux, F. 2022. A strontium isoscape of inland southeastern Australia. Geoscience Australia, Canberra
• Guan, Q., Mei, Y., Etschmann, B., Louvel, M., Testemale, D., Bastrakov, E., Brugger, J. Yttrium speciation in sulfate-rich hydrothermal ore-forming fluids. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta. Volume 325. 2022. Pp 278-295
• Holzschuh, J., Gorbatov, A., Glowacki, J., Cooper, A., Cooper, C. 2022. AusArray temporary passive seismic station deployment, servicing and retrieval: Geoscience Australia standard operating procedures. Geoscience Australia, Canberra
• Holzschuh, J., Gorbatov, A., Glowacki, J., Cooper, A., Cooper, C. 2022. AusArray temporary passive seismic station deployment, servicing and retrieval: Geoscience Australia standard operating procedures. GA record: 2022/026. Geoscience Australia, Canberra
• Huston, D.L., Champion, D.C., Czarnota, K., Duan, J., Hutchens, M., Paradis, S., Hoggard, M., Ware, B., Gibson, G.M., Doublier, M.P., Kelley, K., McCafferty, A., Hayward, N., Richards, F., Tessalina, S., Carr, G. Zinc on the edge—isotopic and geophysical evidence that cratonic edges control world-class shale-hosted zinc-lead deposits. 2022. Mineralium Deposita, 58, 707-729
• Huston, D., Doublier, M., Eglington, B., Pehrsson, S., Mercier-Langevin, P., Piercey, S. 2022. Convergent margin metallogenic cycling in the Eastern Goldfields Superterrane and Tasman Element. Geoscience Australia, Canberra
• Huston, D., Eglington, B., Pehrsson, S., Piercey, S. 2022. Global database of zinc-lead-bearing mineral deposits. Record 2022/010. Geoscience Australia, Canberra
• Huston, D., Norman, M.D., Maas, R., Miggins, D., Thiede, D.S., Vasconcelos, P., Creaser, R.A., Cross, A.J., Bennett, V., Bottrill, R.S., Lisitsin, V., Duncan, R., Forster, D., Brauhart, C., Dhnaram, C., Champion, D.C., Czarnota, K., Whitaker, A. 2022. Geochronological studies of selected Australian mineral deposits, 2003 – 2020. Record 2022/011. Geoscience Australia, Canberra
• Huston, D., Doublier, M., Downes, P.M. 2021. Geological setting, age and endowment of major Australian mineral deposits - a compilation. Geoscience Australia, Canberra
• Jones, S. L., Waltenberg, K., Ramesh, R., Cumming, G., Everard, J.L., Vicary, M.J., Bodorkos, S., Bottrill, R.S., Knight, K., McNeill, A.W., Meffre, S. 2022. Isotopic Atlas of Australia: Geochronology compilation for Tasmania. Version 1.0.  Record 2022/44. Geoscience Australia, Canberra
• Kennett, B.L.N., Gorbatov, A., Yuan, H., Agrawal, S., Murdie, R., Doublier, M.P., Eakin, C.M., Miller, M.S., Zhao, L., Czarnota, K., O’Donnell, J.P., Dentith, M., Gessner, K. Refining the Moho across the Australian continent. Geophysical Journal International. Volume 233, Issue 3, June 2023, Pages 1863–1877
• Kirkby, A., Czarnota, K., Huston, D.L., Champion, D.C., Doublier, M.P., Bedrosian, P.A., Duan, J., Heinson, G. Lithospheric conductors reveal source regions of convergent margin mineral systems. 2022. Scientific Reports 12, 8190
• Kirkby, A., Doublier, M. Synthetic magnetotelluric modelling of a regional fault network – implications for survey design and interpretation. 2022. Exploration Geophysics
• Kucka, C., Senior, A., Britt, A. 2022. Mineral Occurrences: Forgotten discoveries providing new leads for mineral supply. Geoscience Australia, Canberra
• Lawley, C.J.M., McCafferty, A.E., Graham, G.E., Huston, D.L., Kelley, K.D., Czarnota, K., Paradis, S., Peter, J.M., Hayward, N., Barlow, M., Emsbo, P., Coyan, J., Carma, J.C., San Juan, C.A., Gadd, M.G. Data–driven prospectivity modelling of sediment–hosted Zn–Pb mineral systems and their critical raw materials. Ore Geology Reviews. 2022. Volume 141 
• Ley Cooper, Y. 2021. Exploring for the Future AusAEM Eastern Resources Corridor: 2021 Airborne Electromagnetic Survey TEMPEST® airborne electromagnetic data and GALEI inversion conductivity estimates. Geoscience Australia, Canberra
• Main, P.T., Champion, D.C.  Levelling of multi-generational and spatially isolated geochemical surveys. Science Direct Journal. 2022. Volume 240
• Magee, C.W. Jr., Bodorkos, S., Lewis, C.J., Crowley, J.L., Wall, C.J., Friedman, R.M. 
• Examination of the accuracy of SHRIMP U–Pb geochronology based on samples dated by both SHRIMP and CA-TIMS.  Geochronology. Volume 5, Issue, 1, January 2023 
• Ray, A. Bayesian inversion using nested trans-dimensional Gaussian processes. Geophysical Journal International. 2021. Volume 226, Issue 1
• Sudholz, Z.J., Yaxley, G.M., Jaques, A.L., Cooper, S.A., Czarnota, K., Taylor, W.R., Chen, J., Knowles, B.M. Multi-Stage Evolution of the South Australian Craton: Petrological Constraints on the Architecture, Lithology, and Geochemistry of the Lithospheric Mantle. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems. November 2022. Volume 23, Issue 11
• Wilford, J., LeyCooper, Y., Basak, S., Czarnota, K. 2022. High resolution conductivity mapping using regional AEM survey and machine learning. Geoscience Australia, Canberra
• Wilford, J. 2022. High resolution conductivity mapping using regional AEM survey and machine learning. Dataset. Geoscience Australia, Canberra 
• Wilford, J., Roberts, D. 2021. Sentinel-2 Barest Earth mosaic. Geoscience Australia, Canberra
• Wilford, J., Roberts, D. 2021. Sentinel-2 Barest Earth imagery for soil and lithological mapping. Geoscience Australia, Canberra. Exploring for the Future extended abstract
• Waltenberg, K., Jones, S.L., Duncan, R.J., Waugh, S., Lane, J. 2021. Isotopic Atlas of Australia: Geochronology compilation for Victoria. Version 1.0. Record 2021/024. Geoscience Australia, Canberra
• Waltenberg, K., Curtis, C., Lem, A., Bodorkos, S. 2021. Isotopic Atlas of Australia: Lu Hf and O isotope data structure and delivery. Version 1.0: North Australian Craton compilation. Record 2021/016. Geoscience Australia, Canberra
• Zametzer, A., Kirkland, C., Hartnady, M., Barham, M., Champion, D., Bodorkos, S., Smithies, H., Johnson, S.  Applications of Pb isotopes in granite K-feldspar and Pb evolution in the Yilgarn Craton. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta. Volume 320. 2022. Pp 279-303.