Bureau launches Australian Groundwater Explorer and other new water data services

On 21 October, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment, Simon Birmingham, launched the Australian Groundwater Explorer, which provides a comprehensive picture of Australia’s groundwater resources. 


Now available from the Bureau’s website, the Australian Groundwater Explorer is a web mapping portal for visualising, analysing and downloading Australian groundwater data. It is the first system to make Australian groundwater data publicly available at a national scale.

The Explorer contains bore and bore-log information for over 800 000 sites, as well as contextual datasets, such as surface geology and sedimentary basins.

Interactive maps let you pan and zoom to particular locations, and selected information can be analysed and accessed as tables or graphs. Advanced search functionality allows you to combine multiple scenarios to search for bores based on their attributes, data availability and location.

Check out the Australian Groundwater Explorer


3D model of Murray Basin

A 3D hydrostratigraphy model has been developed for the Murray Basin in southeastern Australia. The model can be viewed as an interactive PDF in the new Australian Groundwater Explorer, so you can view the data in 3D, including the ability to zoom in and out, pan and turn layers on and off.

The model has nine layers, which represent the aquifers and aquitards in the Murray Basin. Layers for the New South Wales section were produced by the Bureau of Meteorology using hydrostratigraphy logs interpreted by the NSW Office of Water. Victorian layers were provided by the Department of Environment and Primary Industries and South Australian layers by the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources.

The dataset, including ESRI georasters and geovolumes, is available by email request to groundwater@bom.gov.au


Water data at your fingertips

Released  this week, Water Data Online provides a single access point to nationally consistent, timely data from thousands of water monitoring stations across Australia.

As a water manager, policymaker, researcher or industry professional, you can better understand Australia’s water resources by viewing or downloading data and reports. You can now find standardised watercourse level and watercourse discharge data from approximately 3500 water monitoring stations around Australia.

Water Data Online displays information collected by the Bureau of Meteorology from lead State and Territory water agencies under the Water Regulations 2008. Over time, more stations and parameters will become available and linkages will be made from the Geofabric.

Access Water Data Online now or contact us for more information at waterdatasupport@bom.gov.au


Geofabric made simple
A new video released also released this week shows how the Australian Hydrological Geospatial Framework (Geofabric) is like a digital street directory of Australia’s important water features.

The Geofabric lets you visualise how water is moved, used and stored throughout the landscape. Understanding how rivers, lakes and water storages are all connected is vital for the effective management of water resources.

The video shows how the Geofabric works seamlessly across the country. It also demonstrates how you can trace the flow-directed stream network and create customised catchments—widely used by hydrologists to inform environmental management and reporting.

View the Geofabric video

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