the initial iteration of a 3D geological model across Australia, developed under the Resourcing Australia’s Prosperity initiative (RAPi). The model integrates depth data of time-equivalent geological units, correlating with major chronostratigraphic boundaries, to generate 3D surfaces for: Top Basement-Base Paleoproterozoic, Top Mesoproterozoic-Base Neoproterozoic, Top Neoproterozoic-Base Paleozoic, Top Cambrian-Base Ordovician, Top Silurian-Base Devonian, Top Permian-Base Mesozoic, Top Triassic-Base Jurassic, and Top Cretaceous-Base Cenozoic. It provides a foundation for refining geological understanding with future studies, aiding multi-commodity assessments, resource potential mapping, groundwater analysis, and 3D visualisation. This effort supports Australia’s global energy transition, climate resilience, and water security.
Geoscience Australia's RAPi represents a $3.4 billion, 35-year investment (2024–2059) by the Australian Government to accelerate the discovery of critical minerals and other resources essential for the net-zero transition and economic prosperity, enabling responsible management of all resources. The initiative prioritises nationally consistent precompetitive geoscience data to enhance decision-making for government, industry, and communities. More details are available at: https://www.ga.gov.au/scientific-topics/resourcing-australias-prosperity/about-the-program.
This model builds on the work undertaken in regional projects across energy, minerals and groundwater aspects in a collection of data and interpretation completed from the first and second phases of Geoscience Australia’s Exploring for the Future (EFTF) program and the first phase of RAPi. The EFTF program, completed over 8 years (2016–2024) with a $225 million investment, provided data to support decisions on sustainable development of Australia’s mineral, energy, and groundwater resources. It enhanced economic development, societal resilience, environmental sustainability, and supported Australia's net-zero transition, benefiting regional and remote communities. More information is available at: http://www.ga.gov.au/eftf and https://www.eftf.ga.gov.au/national-groundwater-systems. The geological and geophysical knowledge gathered for energy and minerals projects is used to refine understanding of groundwater systems across Australia.
This study integrates new regional-scale data, including ~1,900 km of deep seismic reflection profiles and 60,000 line-km of airborne electromagnetic survey (AusAEM1), supplemented with stratigraphic data from new drill holes in the National Drilling Initiative and legacy borehole reviews (Figure 1). A consistent chronostratigraphic framework (Figure 2) allows correlation of stratigraphy across jurisdictions (Figure 3), compiling the information into a 3D model (Figure 4) that visualises stacked Paleo- to Mesoproterozoic, Neoproterozoic, Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic basins and their potential connectivity. The 3D model (Figure 4) informs basin architecture, constrains aquifer distribution, and identifies groundwater flow divides. This interpretation provides a continental geological framework, as input to national coverage databases and informs decision-making for exploration, groundwater resource management and resource impact assessments. The model is continuously being updated to incorporate recent local studies as they become available for future releases.
This dataset includes:
· Nine surfaces: 1-Digital elevation Model, 2-Top Mesozoic (Top Cretaceous-Base Cenozoic), 3-Top Triassic (Base Jurassic), 4-Top Paleozoic (Top Permian-Base Mesozoic), 5-Top Silurian (Base Devonian), 6-Top Cambrian (Base Ordovician), 7-Top Neoproterozoic (Base Paleozoic), 8-Top Mesoproterozoic (Base Neoproterozoic-Top Pre Neoproterozoic) and 9-Top Basement (Base Proterozoic)
· Twelve isochores: 1-Cenozoic, 2-Mesozoic, 3-Paleozoic, 4-Cretaceous-Jurassic, 5-Triassic, 6-Permian-Devonian, 7-Ordovician-Silurian, 8-Cambrian, 9-Neoproterozoic,10-Pre Neoproterozoic, 11-Proterozoic and 12-Total Thickness
· Eight confidence maps on the following stratigraphic surfaces: 1-Top Mesozoic (Base Cenozoic), 2-Top Triassic (Base Jurassic), 3-Top Paleozoic (Base Mesozoic), 4-Top Silurian (Base Devonian), 5-Top Cambrian (Base Ordovician), 6-Top Neoproterozoic (Base Paleozoic), 7-Top Mesoproterozoic (Base Neoproterozoic-Top Pre Neoproterozoic), 8- Top Basement (Base Proterozoic)
