CANNING BASIN

also called Desert Artesian Basin arid sedimentary basin in northwestern Western Australia. Occupying a largely unexplored area of about 150,000 square miles (400,000 square km), it extends south from the Fitzroy River to the De Grey River and from the coast southeast almost to 128 E longitude. The basin underlies the western section of the Great Sandy Desert (q.v.). Most of its interior is covered by parallel sand dunes, between the crests of which there may appear clay pans and spinifex vegetation. The region has artesian water formations and, because of crustal sag under the Canning Basin, is a centre of seismic activity. The Blina oilfield is in the area.