NSW

Spatial variability of wave signatures and profile morphotypes of beaches in estuaries and bays across different tidal regimes

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Map showing the Ría de Vigo and Pittwater estuaries with the locations of eight studied beaches and wave measurement sites.

This study compares sandy beaches within estuaries and bays in a microtidal system (Pittwater, Sydney) and a mesotidal system (Ría de Vigo, Spain) to understand how waves, tides and sediment shape beach profiles. Swell waves dominate wave energy in both settings, but their relative contribution decreases further from the estuary entrance, where wind and infragravity … Read more…

Machine learning framework for prospectivity mapping of Cu–Au porphyry mineralisation in the Lachlan Fold Belt, eastern Australia

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Map of NSW showing tectonic provinces, porphyry tracts, and major porphyry deposits including Northparkes and Cadia.

Researchers developed a machine learning framework to predict where copper–gold porphyry deposits are likely to occur in the Lachlan Fold Belt of New South Wales, Australia. By combining geological, geophysical and remote sensing data with a positive-unlabelled bagging and random forest approach, the model successfully captures 95% of known mineral occurrences within just 5% of … Read more…

Impact of Cenozoic sea-level fluctuations on passive margin stratigraphic architecture: Implications for underground hydrogen storage potential

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Global map showing passive margins with thick sedimentary successions and greenhouse–icehouse regime shifts relevant to hydrogen storage potential.

This study used forward stratigraphic modelling of the Hunter offshore margin in New South Wales to examine how Cenozoic sea-level changes shaped the layering of sediments on passive continental margins. The results show that warm 'greenhouse' periods produced thick, continuous sediment layers good for storing gases, while colder 'icehouse' periods produced thinner, stacked layers that … Read more…

Why Does the Broken Hill Deposit Sit in Resistive Crust? Magnetotelluric Evidence for Metamorphic Decoupling of a World‐Class Mineral System

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Regional gravity and magnetic anomaly maps showing tectonic boundaries and the location of the Broken Hill deposit, NSW, Australia.

Researchers used magnetotelluric surveys to image the electrical structure of the crust around the world-class Broken Hill Pb-Zn-Ag deposit in NSW, Australia. They found that the upper crust here is mostly resistive, with only small, isolated conductive zones linked to the ore body and its host rocks, which do not connect down to a deeper … Read more…

Lateritic Ni-Co prospectivity modelling in eastern Australia using an enhanced generative adversarial network and positive-unlabelled bagging

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The surging demand for nickel (Ni) and cobalt (Co), driven by the acceleration of clean energy transitions, has sparked interest in the Lachlan Orogen of New South Wales for its potential lateritic Ni-Co resources. Despite recent discoveries, a substantial knowledge gap exists in understanding the full scope of these critical metals in this geological province. … Read more…

Exploration in the House: AI, new data, new exploration futures

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EXPLORATION IN THE HOUSE – NEW DATA, NEW EXPLORATION FUTURES The half-day event on Friday 10 May will feature a keynote presentation on the applications of artificial intelligence-driven data processing in the search for critical minerals. Join Mining, Exploration and Geoscience for Exploration in the House – New data, new exploration futures at the NSW … Read more…