AusGeo News  September 2009  Issue No. 95

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New maps cover the Red Centre

Image: Map covers for Map 1 and Map 2.

The vast and spectacular MacDonnell Ranges, located west of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory, are an outstanding example of an ancient landscape sculptured by nature. The West MacDonnell Ranges National Park, which offers visitors many opportunities to explore and appreciate the scenic beauty and history of the area, is the subject of two new 1:100 000 scale topographic maps titled West MacDonnell National Park (maps 1 and 2) recently released by Geoscience Australia.

The maps will be invaluable for emergency managers responding to emergencies, such as search and rescue operations, making the Red Centre a safer place for tourists. The topographic maps are also useful for tourists engaged in bushwalking, four wheel driving and sight seeing. The reverse side of each map depicts the same area using a satellite image with an overlay of major roads as well as insets featuring aerial photographs of points of interest.

The maps are part of a pilot project made possible by increased Australian Government investment in the tourism industry through the National Landscapes initiative. The program identifies and promotes distinctive and inspirational destinations to domestic and international visitors. It is the result of collaboration between the Department of Resources Energy and Tourism (Geoscience Australia's parent department) and the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts.

During compilation of the map there was extensive consultation with Northern Territory Government agencies including the Departments of Planning and Infrastructure and Natural Resources, Environment and The Arts. The maps are available for $11.95 from the Geoscience Australia Sales Centre and map retailers.

For more information or to order a copy visit www.ga.gov.au/products
Map1: GeoCat 68385
Map 2: GeoCat 68386

 


Geophysical datasets

Radiometric Map of Australia updated

Image: New Radiometric Map of Australia.

The Radiometric Map of Australia is part of a range of digital radiometric products that directly assist exploration for uranium and thorium as well as the assessment of geothermal resources. It also benefits environmental studies and soil and geological mapping.

The digital gridded radiometric datasets that are part of the Radiometric Map contain data recently acquired by the state geological surveys and Geoscience Australia. This updated release also contains a new radiometric ratio grid - U2/Th - which will directly assist exploration for uranium.

The updated grids can be downloaded free-of-charge from the Australian governments' Geophysical Archive Data Delivery System (GADDS).

New edition of Index of Gravity Surveys

The second edition of the Index of Gravity Surveys complied by P Wynne and M Bacchin (Geoscience Australia Record 2009/07) was recently released. It is the latest compilation of metadata for over 1700 gravity surveys held in the Australian National Gravity Database. These surveys have been conducted by or for the Australian, state and territory governments, private industry, educational institutions and other research organisations.

The Index includes metadata for each survey, presented in a tabular format with details of one survey on each page, as well as two lookup tables to help clients identify surveys. These tables list:

There are also two maps showing the gravity coverage over Australia and the gravity station locality.

The open file data can be downloaded free-of-charge in ER Mapper format from the Australian governments’ Geophysical Archive Data Delivery System (GADDS). A full copy of the Index in PDF format is available for download through Geoscience Australia’s website.

For more information on the Radiometric Map of Australia phone Murray Richardson on +61 2 6249 9229 (email murray.richardson@ga.gov.au); Index of Gravity Surveys phone Phill Wynne on +61 2 6249 9463 (email phill.wynne@ga.gov.au)

Related websites

Geophysical Archive Data Delivery System (GADDS)

Index of Gravity Surveys (Geoscience Australia Record 2009/07)

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