Geological Survey of Western Australia - GSWA

Fieldnotes issue 118 is out now: https://ow.ly/K9fB50YMn9R

Featured highlights:
✈️ A look back at our mission to PDAC 2026 with Invest and Trade Western Australia
🗺️ Collaborative geoscience with the Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia (MRIWA)
🧂 Salt intervals in the Canning Basin
📑 A round-up of our latest publications, datasets, and maps

Subscribe to the GSWA eNewsletter to receive Fieldnotes in your inbox: https://ow.ly/HmTs50YMn9S

Step into more than 4 billion years of Earth’s history without leaving home 🌏https://ow.ly/MV4B50YMmen

Our virtual geotrails transform Western Australia into a living field guide, from coastal cliffs and ancient reefs to city streets built from remarkable stone. Each trail is designed to be accessible, practical and genuinely engaging whether you’re a career geoscientist or simply curious about the rocks beneath your feet.

The 2026 Major Resource Projects – Western Australia map is now available 👇
https://ow.ly/4Ico50YKg47

This annual map shows the projects that made the biggest economic impact in the 2024–25 financial year, with a clear, state-wide view of activity across the resources sector.

On the map you’ll find:
🔹 Major operating projects generating more than $5 million in sales
🔹 Projects under construction in FY2024-25
🔹 Proposed medium- to long-term projects (with completed pre-feasibility studies)
🔹 Projects recently placed on care and maintenance

A simple way to see where Western Australia’s resources industry is and where it’s heading.

At GSWA, our Geoscience Data Integration Team is helping turn Western Australia’s world-class geoscience data into something people can actually use.

Working with some of the largest and highest quality datasets, the team is focused on making data easier to access, connect and understand - supporting better decisions across the resources sector.

It’s not just about tech, AI, and automation. It’s about bringing geoscientists and data specialists together in new ways to get more value from the data we already have.

Visit our GitHub to find a growing collection of open-source geoscientific software packages:
https://github.com/Geological-Survey-of-Western-Australia

Explore the Pinnacles, Nambung National Park and Jurien Bay like never before through our new ArcGIS StoryMap: https://ow.ly/TypQ50Y4Gyv

This compilation reveals the stories behind the Pinnacles, ancient living fossils at Lake Thetis, and the unique coastal landscapes of Jurien Bay and how they were all shaped by changing sea levels, climate and oceans over time.

🗺️Some parts of this StoryMap align with educational objectives in the WA School Curriculum.

Today is the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, and this year's theme is 'From Vision to Impact: Redefining STEM by Closing the Gender Gap.'

At GSWA, that impact isn’t abstract. It looks like people. It looks like everyday actions. It looks like Riley Rohrer, Senior Geoscientist and manager of the Industry Ready Graduate Program.

“It can be a bit awkward sometimes being the only female in the room ... and still wanting your voice to be heard,” she says.

For Riley, confidence didn’t happen overnight. It grew through connection.

"I’ve had some really great female role models within my specialty so far, who I’ve been lucky to work with here at GSWA like Fawna Korhonen... I’ve gained a lot of confidence just working here."

Now, through her work with our graduates, Riley focuses on something simple but powerful: belonging.

“I try to make others comfortable,” she says, “and have those open, awkward conversations.”

That might mean practical advice about remote fieldwork. Or just being a visible example for women and girls studying geoscience.

Women like Riley see the future of geoscience expanding beyond stereotypes: "we just need creative minds."

Her message is simple: you don’t have to change who you are to belong in geoscience.

Passion. Curiosity. Confidence. Community. That’s what impact looks like.

This International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we celebrate Riley, and the many women turning vision into action across geoscience every day.

All presentations from GSWA Open Day 2025 are available to watch on the DMPE YouTube channel: https://ow.ly/YZSB50XRNTq

▶️ Revisit our program of world class geoscience
▶️ Share content with your colleagues
▶️ Let us know what you want to see in 2026!

From all of us at GSWA, wishing you a safe and happy festive season 🎄✨

Thank you for your collaboration, curiosity, and commitment to world-class geoscience throughout the year. Here’s to a well-earned break and an exciting year ahead as we continue exploring Western Australia’s geology together in 2026.

📸Kalamina Gorge Pool, Karijini National Park. Photo by Bernd Striewski

▶️ Watch the GSWA Open Day 2025 highlights reel: https://youtu.be/i6S_yNNB88g

From cutting-edge research and digital data platforms to collaboration across sectors, GSWA Open Day showcased how pre-competitive geoscience continues to support discovery, investment and innovation across WA’s resources sector.

Our highlights video captures the energy of the day — the big ideas, the technical depth, and most importantly, the people behind the science.

Recorded presentations will be uploaded soon! Watch this space 🔎

Get them what they really want this Christmas: the 2026 GSWA Calendar 🗓️🎄https://ow.ly/Rh8I50Xth3m

Featuring 12 months of stunning photographs from across Western Australia. Pick up your copy from the First Floor counter at Mineral House, 100 Plain St, East Perth.

📸 Collecting samples as part of a geochemistry project targeting late Archean granites near Nullagine, Eastern Pilbara.