b'Geophysics in the surveysNewsGeological Survey of Western Australia: WA-ARRAY announcedOn May 2 2022 the Western Australianmapped over a ten year period betweenexploring and developing future mines Minister for Mines and Petroleum, Billnine regional areas (Figure 1). and associated potential downstream Johnston announced that, as part of theprocessing operations.State Budget, the Western AustralianWA has no shortage of mineral Government would fund a State-wideresources, but most known depositsThe intention of the WA-Array high-resolution passive seismic surveyare near the surface. The WA-Arrayprogramme is to help unlock a new and are providing $12 million overprogramme will make it easier togeneration of resource discoveries, and the next four years to kick start thelocate deeper resources. The data willwill provide fundamental data that will programme. be used to provide an image of thehelp with evaluating competing land geological structure from a few metersuses as new renewable energy hubs The WA-Array will be one of the largestdepth down to, and including, theare developed. As Western Australia is passive seismic programmes undertakenlithosphere-asthenosphere boundary.one of the most seismogenic regions anywhere in the world and will extendThis will be a fundamental dataset forin Australia, this data will also assist in the work of the AusArray programme,mapping mineral systems, includingevaluating the States seismic hazard started under the coordinationcritical minerals such as lithium, cobaltrisk for disaster management planning, of Geoscience Australia and stateand nickel. Western Australias futureproviding data to input into the National Geological surveys, completing therequires optimal strategic planningSeismic Hazard Assessment, which, in national coverage. The programme willthat balances the competing land usesturn, is used to develop building codes deploy 165 broadband seismometers inrequired for the States transition tofor earthquake resilience.a grid pattern at 40 km intervals. Eacha low carbon economy. Locations for seismometer will be left in place for onerenewable energy projects, includingRuth Murdie year before being rolled over into thea future renewable hydrogen exportGeological Survey of Western Australia, next area, with the entire State beingindustry, must be balanced againstRuth.Murdie@dmirs.wa.gov.auFigure 1.Location of the permanent and temporary stations in the WA-ARRAY.27 PREVIEW JUNE 2022'