WA-Array - Centre for Exploration Targeting

WA-Array – a ten-year state funded project to map WA’s prestige lithosphere

WA-Array
Start Date:
1 Nov 2022
End Date:
1 Nov 2033
Location:
Western Australia

Funded by the Government of Western Australia and run by the Geological Survey of Western Australia, WA-Array aims to investigate the crustal and lithospheric mantle structures with the primary aim of identifying prospective regions for mineral exploration, especially in areas undercover.

WA-Array will also provide a unique opportunity to study the whole WA lithosphere related to early Earth tectonics and evolution. The WA-Array project will see the collection and interpretation of passive seismic data across Western Australia, at a nominal 40 km spacing, through nine regions with a total of 1600 temporary stations (Figure below) with two principle objectives:

1) the collection of a whole-state passive-source dataset that may be one of the densest regional scale arrays in the world; and

2) to provide a unique opportunity to map WA’s whole-lithospheric architecture with cutting-edge imaging techniques.

 

Map of WA showing the location of each planned site and the location of the nine regions across which the 160 seismometers will be deployed for a full year. Existing seismic arrays are also presented.

Involvement

Project Coordinator:

Additional Information

Participating Partner Research Orgs: The Geological Survey of Western Australia

Funding Agencies: The Government of Western Australia