Hydrogeophysics for Informed Water Management Decisions in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands of South Australia

Abstract

The Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands of South Australia is an arid environment and the population relies largely on groundwater resources for potable water and agricultural needs. Historically, locating productive wells in the region has been hit-and-miss and even if a water source was found, the quality may be unreliable. In this project, we seek to improve the water security in the APY lands by demonstrating that surface Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Time-Domain Electromagnetic (TEM) geophysical measurements are able to map local aquifers and quantify ground water resources, thereby optimizing site selection for potential future wells. Surface NMR is directly sensitive to water and TEM measurements detecting the electrical conductivity structure and able to image the subsurface over large areas – all entirely non-invasively and with minimal risk of disturbing sites of importance to the local Aboriginals.