This data release is part of the Federal Government’s Exploring for the Future program undertake by Geoscience Australia in collaboration with the Northern Territory Geological Survey and the Geological Survey of Queensland. It is the second staged release of data from the North Australian Geochemical Survey which sampled catchment outlet sediments at 780 sites (including duplicates) for geochemical analysis.
The survey area was chosen to encompass the preeminent mineral provinces of Tennant Creek and Mt Isa, with the region between these two provinces providing a vast prospective exploration frontier, covered by a thin veneer of sediments and basalts, which has been overlooked for mineral exploration in the past.
The data are not only useful for mineral exploration but also for agriculture and environmental management. For agriculture, this dataset can be used to assess soil fertility to maintain sustainable crop production and inform cattle grazing management over such areas as the Barkly Tablelands. The survey establishes a robust geochemical baseline dataset relevant to many environmental issues which can be utilised in development decision making into the future.
This data release includes (1) results of the total chemical analyses of the coarse (<2 mm) fraction of sampled sediments (XRF, ICP-MS), (2) results of the aqua regia analyses of the coarse and fine fractions (<2 mm and <75 µm, respectively), and (3) results of the fire assay analysis of the coarse and fine fractions. Included is a set of georeferenced digital images of geochemical maps based on this dataset.