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Review: The evolving understanding of the Great Artesian Basin (Australia), from discovery to current hydrogeological interpretations
- Source :
- Hydrogeology Journal. 28:13-36
- Publication Year :
- 2019
- Publisher :
- Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2019.
-
Abstract
- The Great Artesian Basin (GAB) in Australia underlies semi-arid and arid regions across 1.7 million km2 or one-fifth of Australia. The basin’s groundwater resources were discovered around 1880 and their development allowed pastoral activities, homestead and town water supplies, and petroleum and mining ventures to exist. The GAB is a multi-layered confined aquifer system, with aquifers in Jurassic and Cretaceous continental sandstones and intervening confining beds of siltstone and mudstone of the constituent Eromanga, Surat and Carpentaria sedimentary basins. The basin is up to 3,000 m thick and forms a large synclinal structure, uplifted and exposed along its eastern margin and tilted southwest. Recharge to the exposed aquifers occurs in the eastern margin, an area of relative high rainfall. The western margin in Australia’s arid centre receives minor recharge. Regional groundwater flow is towards the southern, south-western, western and northern margins. Flowing artesian springs discharge in the southwest margin and have produced carbonate mounds. Although lateral groundwater movement dominates, vertical upwards leakage is considered important. Potentiometric surfaces of the Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous aquifers are still above ground level throughout most of the basin, though pressure drawdowns of up to 100 m have been recorded in recent decades in highly developed areas, and consequently some artesian water boreholes and springs have ceased flowing. Government borehole rehabilitation programs have led to groundwater pressure recovery in some areas. This paper outlines the history of GAB exploration, scientific investigations (hydrogeology, hydrochemistry, isotope hydrology, groundwater modelling) and management, summarising the recent knowledge on the GAB.
- Subjects :
- geography
geography.geographical_feature_category
010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences
Groundwater flow
Artesian aquifer
0208 environmental biotechnology
Geochemistry
Aquifer
02 engineering and technology
Groundwater recharge
Sedimentary basin
Structural basin
01 natural sciences
020801 environmental engineering
Isotope hydrology
Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous)
Groundwater
Geology
0105 earth and related environmental sciences
Water Science and Technology
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 14350157 and 14312174
- Volume :
- 28
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Hydrogeology Journal
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi...........ca27ca77812d40e4cd26337955478e9a