Summary
CSIRO is actively engaged in addressing gaps in our understanding of aquifer systems and groundwater quality in the Australian context. For a country with a broad range of geological, climatic, and geographical variables, our problems are as diverse as the use of groundwater itself. In this paper, we take you to several different areas of the country to investigate some of the nation’s groundwater issues and how CSIRO is assisting with solutions.
Introduction
Australia’s groundwater resources support significant urban and rural communities across the country, as well as a variety of enterprises such as agricultural, mining, environmental tourism, and other industries. As Australia develops further economic activity in regional areas, either through mining or by extending agricultural opportunities throughout its north, there will be an increased demand for access to water – and in particular groundwater, which is the primary resource in these arid and semi-arid regions. Whilst the importance of our groundwater resources is recognized, our knowledge of groundwater systems varies significantly across the country. Most particularly in the regional areas slated for development, little is actually known about the distribution and extent of this precious commodity. Managing the groundwater resources effectively requires much more knowledge about the recharge and discharge of these systems. Geophysics plays an obvious role in this regard by helping to extend our understanding of aquifer systems and groundwater quality in areas where conventional sources of hydrogeological knowledge are lacking. CSIRO has been working to addressing these gaps, employing both airborne and ground-based hydrogeophysical technologies at a range of scales. Its research is commonly undertaken collaboratively with State and Federal Government agencies, and with industry.
Overview
In this paper, we show some examples of the different hydrogeophysical investigations that CSIRO has been involved in over the past few years. We illustrate how geophysics has been employed to solve particular problems relating to aquifer and groundwater characterization at a range of scales.
