Dense Shelf Water Formation and Transport Off South-West Australia Over 13 Months

Hydrological data from a 13-month glider transect offshore Two Rocks, Australia, reveals dense water formation and transport as a near-bed gravity current is a regular occurrence. The data, presented by Parks Australia, shows salinity changes from evaporation dominate in autumn, while surface cooling dominates in winter. The speed of the Dense Shelf Water Cascade was estimated at 0.01–0.02 m s−1.

Use Cases

• Modeling dense shelf water cascades based on seasonal salinity and temperature data.
• Analyzing cross-shelf transport dynamics based on repeated glider transect measurements.
• Studying the impact of seasonal wind patterns on coastal oceanography based on described wind speed transitions.
• Comparing dense water formation speeds with other global regions based on the provided 0.01–0.02 m s−1 estimate.

Strengths

• Data collection spanned 13 months, capturing seasonal variations.
• Specific speed estimates (0.01–0.02 m s−1) for the Dense Shelf Water Cascade are provided.
• The description details distinct formation mechanisms for autumn (salinity) and winter (temperature).

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• The dataset is provided in HTML format, which may not be a standard data file for analysis.

Provenance

Source

Parks Australia, referencing a source publication.

Collection Method

Data gathered using Teledyne Webb Research Slocum Electric gliders on repeated cross-shore transects.

Time Range

13 months (specific dates not provided).

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-15 02:56:31.218117; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Offshore Two Rocks in south-western Australia.