Artesian Basin

The areas of volcanism in Eastern Australia surround the great artesian basin."Artesian" water is underground water confined and pressurised within a porous and permeable unit, an aquifer. The aquifers of the Great Artesian Basin consist of permeable sandstones.
The Great Artesian Basin adjoins a wide north-south zone of volcanism in Australia, extending from Cape York to Tasmania. It is little recognised that this belt of volcanism extending over the entire length of eastern Australia is one of the world's most extensive volcanic zones.