Preliminary 3D chronostratigraphic geological model of the Canning Basin, Western Australia - Data package of 3D modelling chronostratigraphic geological surfaces, isochores and Vshale modelling, Version 1.0

This dataset presents results of a first iteration of a 3D chronostratigraphic geological model across the Canning Basin, developed as part of Resourcing Australia’s Prospectivity Groundwater Mapping Project. Resourcing Australia's Prosperity (https://www.ga.gov.au/scientific-topics/resourcing-australias-prosperity) is the Australian Government’s 35-year, precompetitive geoscience initiative, led by Geoscience Australia, to accelerate the discovery and development of critical minerals and other resources, to support Australia’s energy transition and enable responsible management of resources. The model provides a basin-scale representation of stratigraphic architecture and basin geometry to support groundwater resource assessment, mineral and energy exploration, and land-use decision-making.

The Canning Basin is a remote region of Western Australia that remains partly underexplored, with some areas exhibiting significant mineral potential. In parts of this extensive basin, groundwater demand is increasing due to industrial and agricultural activities and prospective energy development. It comprises multiple depocentres bounded by structural highs (Figure 1) and stacked Neoproterozoic to Early Cretaceous sedimentary sequences overlain by Cenozoic cover, shaped by a complex tectonic history (Figure 2; Rollet et al., 2025). Major aquifers occur within Cretaceous to Permian sandstones, deeper Paleozoic units, and Devonian reef complexes, variably confined by fine-grained strata. The potential for increasing demand from groundwater resources underscores the need to understand basin architecture, aquifer connectivity, and recharge processes to support sustainable water management and balanced resource development with environmental and cultural values.

The 3D geological model (Figure 3) integrates interpretation of existing geophysical datasets and newly acquired regional data (Figure 4), including approximately 1,580 km of deep seismic reflection interpretation, 40,000 line kilometres of AusAEM airborne electromagnetic interpretation, and stratigraphic review of more than 800 legacy boreholes (Figure 5). All data are compiled within a consistent chronostratigraphic framework (Figure 2) to enable visualisation of Cenozoic palaeovalleys, Mesozoic–Paleozoic sedimentary sequences of the Canning Basin, and underlying Proterozoic basement units, and to assess their potential connectivity.

The associated data package includes 22 regional stratigraphic and structural surfaces, 29 isochore grids, 16 median Vshale maps, and 20 confidence maps describing the interpreted stratigraphic horizons. Together, these datasets constrain basin architecture, aquifer distribution, and potential groundwater flow domains, and provide a semi-continental geological framework suitable for incorporation into national datasets and to support groundwater conceptual modelling, resource impact assessments, and exploration studies.

The associated data package comprises twenty-two 3D surfaces, twenty-nine isochores, sixteen Vshale maps showing the median Vshale model values for the isochore, and twenty confidence maps

Tags: 3D modelling, Canning Basin hydrogeology, Depth to basement, Groundwater Mapping, National 3D groundwater systems, Published_External, Resourcing Australia's Prosperity, Stratigraphy (incl. biostratigraphy, sequence stratigraphy and basin analysis)
Organization: Geoscience Australia Data