A multidisciplinary geoscientific approach to support water resilience in communities in central Australia

The Exploring for the Future Southern Stuart Corridor Groundwater Project undertook extensive multidisciplinary geoscientific investigations across four study areas and six Indigenous communities in central Australia to better understand and characterise groundwater resources. The project was developed to support improvements in water resilience for communities and future agricultural developments in the region. Geoscience Australia collected 9800 line kilometres of airborne electromagnetic data, drilled and installed 15 new monitoring bores, acquired 78 surface nuclear magnetic resonance soundings, recorded downhole geophysical data and groundwater level measurements from >50 bores, and completed hydrochemical analysis of 75 samples. Integration of these datasets provided insights into recharge areas and rates, and potential for managed aquifer recharge. The project also improved our understanding of the geological systems hosting groundwater and interconnections between systems. Potential new groundwater supplies, enhanced understanding of groundwater processes and improved geological models will assist water agencies to better manage groundwater resources across the region. Citation: Hostetler, S., Slatter, E., McPherson, A.A., Tan, K.P., McInnes, D. J., Wischusen, J.D.H. and Ellis, J.H., 2020. A multidisciplinary geoscientific approach to support water resilience in communities in Central Australia. In: Czarnota, K., Roach, I., Abbott, S., Haynes, M., Kositcin, N., Ray, A. and Slatter, E. (eds.) Exploring for the Future: Extended Abstracts, Geoscience Australia, Canberra, 1–4.