Is the Great Artesian Basin a closed basin?
In the far north of the Great Artesian Basin, there is groundwater outflow to the Gulf of Carpentaria. Everywhere else the aquifer behaves as a closed basin with outflow in the form of vertical seepage (e.g. to the Mound Springs of South Australia), artesian overflowing boreholes, and pumped boreholes. There may once have been hydraulic connection to the Southern Ocean, but that ceased several millions of years ago - not such a long time when one considers that the longest through-flow time of groundwater, from east to west, is about two million years.