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AusGeo News  September 2008  Issue No. 91

Welcome to AusGeo News 91

This issue of AusGeo News features a wide variety of articles covering Geoscience Australia's contribution to natural resource management and conservation, protection of Australia's borders, and the upgrading of ground infrastructure to improve the accuracy and precision of key geodetic techniques. There is also information on a range of new products to assist mineral and energy resource explorers.

There is a report on research into the physical and chemical conditions and the ecological character of the Coorong to identify groundwater discharge and its possible impact on water quality. The Coorong and Lower Lakes are major interconnected coastal water bodies between the Murray River and the Southern Ocean. Changes in the flow regime and water quality have led to degradation of habitats and the ecological character of the region.

Geoscience Australia recently released the OzCoasts website, the largest central source of coastal information and data in Australia. The website will support natural resource management and the conservation of Australia's coastal zone, estuaries and near-shore environments.

Australia has one of the largest Economic Exclusion Zones (EEZ) in the world. In addition to our contributions to the search for indications of active petroleum systems and documenting of marine diversity and habitats, Geoscience Australia recently collaborated in a trial to evaluate the viability of monitoring the EEZ by satellite.

I am pleased to report that final data for the offshore Tasmania magnetic and radiometric surveys covering Bass Strait and the northwest and southwest offshore areas has been released. Seismic reflection surveys in the Gawler and Curnamona provinces and Arrowie Basin in South Australia were completed in July and an airborne electromagnetic survey in the Pine Creek region (Northern Territory) commenced in August. These surveys are part of Geoscience Australia's Onshore Energy Security program to stimulate and support industry's search for new resources. Details were included in AusGeo News 90.

This issue also includes reports on a number of newly released products to encourage mineral and energy resource exploration in Australia. They include:

A significant part of this work was undertaken with the state and territory geoscience agencies under the National Geoscience Agreement.

We always appreciate your feedback and encourage you to use the online rating mechanism with each article.

neil williams signature graphic

Dr Neil Williams

CEO Geoscience Australia

Unless otherwise noted, all Geoscience Australia material on this website is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia Licence.