Australian continental-scale multilayered chronostratigraphic interpretation of airborne electromagnetics

A key issue for explorers in Australia is the abundant sedimentary and regolith cover obscuring access to underlying potentially prospective rocks. Multilayered chronostratigraphic interpretation of regional broad line- spaced (~20 km) airborne electromagnetic (AEM) conductivity sections have led to breakthroughs in Australia's near-surface geoscience. A dedicated/systematic workflow has been developed to characterise the thickness of cover and the depth to basement rocks, by delineating contact geometries, and by capturing stratigraphic units, their ages and relationships. Results provide a fundamental geological framework, currently covering 27% of the Australian continent, or approximately 2,085,000 km 2. Delivery as precompetitive data in various non-proprietary formats and on various platforms ensures that these interpretations represent an enduring and meaningful contribution to academia, government and industry. The outputs support resource exploration, hazard mapping, environmental management, and uncertainty attribution. This work encourages exploration investment, can reduce exploration risks and costs, helps expand search area whilst aiding target identification, and allows users to make well-informed decisions. Presented herein are some key findings from interpretations in potentially prospective, yet in some cases, underexplored regions from around Australia.