Support projects Geoscience Knowledge Sharing
The Geoscience Knowledge Sharing project supports the Exploring for the Future program in establishing relationships and enhancing our engagement with the diverse stakeholders and communities, where the program operates, including remote and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, farmers and rural towns.
Through building trust, sharing knowledge and creating mutual understanding of how the program can benefit local communities, the project is key to the program’s delivery of benefits for all Australians.
A major aspect is the communication of the program’s activities and benefits, with a particular focus on ensuring communities have the knowledge to provide informed consent about program activities in their region. This includes working closely with schools and teachers on science education and launching an innovative mobile laboratory to support field data acquisition and outreach.
The Geoscience Knowledge Sharing project is founded on the principles of genuine engagement, two-way communication and knowledge sharing. This includes an exciting initiative to discover what remote and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities can teach Geoscience Australia about the rocks and landscapes being studied as part of the program. The project will also facilitate the program to follow CARE1 principles for Indigenous Data Governance.
1 CARE: Collective benefit, Authorised control, Responsibility and Ethics.
What we are doing
The project incorporates a number of activities, including:
- developing informative and educational materials, including animations explaining aerial and ground-based geophysical techniques
- conducting STEM outreach activities and programs in selected regions
- developing a mobile laboratory that includes educational science displays for outreach activities
- producing data for communities tailored to their needs.
Important community information
All data produced by Geoscience Australia, including the data from this project, will be made publicly available. We will work with communities to return the data in a useful format, through the Geoscience Knowledge Sharing project.
Acquisition activities are not being undertaken on behalf of any exploration companies. All Geoscience Australia staff and contractors will comply with Geoscience Australia’s COVID-19 protocols, available upon request.
Outputs
Case studies
Our case studies showcase our work, community stories, and emerging benefits and impacts of the Exploring for the Future program.
Current program
The current Exploring for the Future program (2020–24) focuses on 8 interrelated projects, united in growing our understanding of Australia's geology.
Deep-dive
Three deep-dive projects in potentially resource-rich corridors identified in the east and west of Australia: Darling–Curnamona–Delamerian, Officer–Musgrave and Barkly–Isa–Georgetown projects.
National
Three national projects with a focus on southern Australia: Australia’s Resources Framework, National Groundwater Systems and Australia’s Future Energy Resources projects.
Program support
Two program support projects: Enhanced Data Delivery and Geoscience Knowledge Sharing projects.
Fieldwork techniques explained using animations
Field activity engagement animations (playlist)
A series of 1-2 minute 2D animations provide easy to understand explanations of airborne and ground survey techniques, designed for non-technical audiences, such as landholders, land managers and general community that are impacted by our data acquisition activities. They show what the equipment looks like, how it works and what it is measuring, what the data looks like, and how it is used. There is no sound or voice over, allowing users to discuss them with audiences. (Playlist)
Stratigraphic drilling
This 2D animation shows how stratigraphic drilling is conducted. It provides a simplified view of what stratigraphic drilling looks like, what the equipment measures, and how scientists use the data. (2:23 min)
Groundwater sampling
This 2D animation shows how groundwater sampling is conducted. It provides a simplified view of what groundwater sampling equipment looks like, what the equipment measures, and how scientists use the data. (2:25 min)
