National Geophysics Validation Line

Collecting diverse geophysical instrumentation to build comprehensive datasets. Image: Auscope

AuScope’s National Geophysical Validation Line (NGVL) aims to establish an independent, easily accessible, and well-characterised national calibration line in Australia. It includes the collation, analysis, and modelling of existing data, as well as support for acquiring multi-scale geophysical datasets, which will be hosted and accessible through a dedicated Calibration Site portal.

Overview

Led by Dr Tim Munday from CSIRO in collaboration with Geoscience Australia, the Western Australian Government Departments, and Yued Elders, this project focuses on creating a national calibration line for geophysical systems. The line will be equipped with diverse geophysical instrumentation to collect comprehensive datasets along designated roads and sites. These datasets will be collated into accessible formats and made available through an open and free online data delivery system integrated into the existing AuScope portal infrastructure.

The challenge

Existing geophysical data collection lacks standardised calibration sites, hindering benchmarking and validation efforts across different geophysical technologies. Establishing a national calibration line addresses this gap by providing a standardised platform for testing and improving data acquisition, processing, and inversion techniques.

Expected outcomes

  • Establishment of an officially named national calibration line for geophysical instruments and tools, such as magnetometers.

  • Enhanced community engagement through workshops, publications, and presentations. This enables stronger connections between researchers, industry practitioners, and government agencies through skill development, best-practice sharing, and network building of users who can use the calibration line for their respective work.

  • Publication of methodologies and case studies in leading geophysical journals. 

  • Development and launch of a data service portal for accessing and utilising calibration line data.

What are the benefits?

  • Standardised Calibration Framework: Developing a consistent benchmark platform for geophysical systems will enable research and industry professionals to improve survey comparability, support inter-project validation, and reduce data variability.

  • Broader Community Engagement: The curation of workshops and publications will foster connections between researchers, industry practitioners, and government agencies through skill development, best-practice sharing, and network building of users who can use the calibration line for their work.

  • Improved Data Access: The development of an online portal will provide free and easy access to all calibration-line datasets. Researchers, contractors, and government agencies can utilise high-quality datasets for their analyses, assisting with project setup and accelerating innovation.

Who will benefit?

Researchers, government agencies, contractors, and industry professionals involved in geophysical exploration, environmental monitoring, and resource management will benefit from the standardised calibration data provided by the national line. This initiative will support improved data quality and consistency across various applications.

Access

  • Data Access: Geophysical data collected along the calibration line will be publicly and freely accessible through the AuScope portal.

  • Workshops and Training: Training materials and workshop outcomes will be published openly, promoting widespread understanding and usage of calibration line data.

  • Access Regime: An open-access regime will be implemented to ensure equitable access for researchers, industry, and government entities interested in utilising the calibration line data for geophysical studies and applications.

 
 

Project Name
National Geophysics Validation Line

Project Lead

Featured
Dr Tim Munday
Dr Tim Munday

Timeframe
2026 to 2028

Status
Upcoming

Funding
AuScope Pilots 3

Host
 CSIRO

Partners
Geoscience Australia
Curtin University
WA Government Departments
University of Western Australia (UWA)
Yued Elders


AuScope Programs

Acknowledging AuScope

This project was made possible by support from the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) through AuScope. Acknowledging AuScope and NCRIS helps us demonstrate the value of shared research infrastructure, ensuring continued support and resources for the research community.

If you helped deliver this project or have benefited from its outputs, please credit AuScope so we can include your work in our impact reporting. For examples of acknowledgment, please visit our ‘How to Acknowledge AuScope’ page.

We’d love to see your work—please tag us on social media using:

@auscope | #AuScopeImpact | #NCRISimpact

EISGuest UserPilot 3, Geophysical Validation Line, Calibration Site Portal, CSIRO, Upcoming, GA