Great Barrier Reef Diuron Pesticide Dispersal Model 2016-2018

January 2016 to July 2018 simulation quantifies the load and dispersal of the pesticide diuron entering Great Barrier Reef waters using a 1 km resolution eReefs marine model. The dataset is derived from hydrodynamic modeling forced by wind, tides, and river inputs from 16 GBR rivers, with diuron concentrations calculated hourly per model cell. It was produced by CSIRO Marlin Data Catalogue using the GBR-Dynamic SedNet catchment model and validated against observations at 11 monitoring sites.

Use Cases

• Analyze hourly diuron concentration fluctuations per model cell to identify pollution hotspots and temporal patterns in the Great Barrier Reef.
• Model river plume dispersal using unique conservative tracers for each of the 16 rivers to trace the source contribution of diuron in coastal waters.
• Validate simulated diuron distributions against observations from the 11 monitoring sites to assess model accuracy and the determined 40-day half-life.
• Study the impact of surface flux inputs from high-load rivers like the Murray, Mossman, Proserpine, and Burrum on coastal diuron concentrations.

Strengths

• Simulation covers a 2.5-year time period from January 2016 to July 2018.
• Model integrates data from 16 individual rivers in the Great Barrier Reef catchment.
• Hydrodynamic and transport models operate on a high 1 km spatial resolution and calculate diuron concentrations hourly.
• Validation performed against field observations at 11 monitoring sites.

Limitations

• Dataset is a synthetic model output, not direct observational measurements, which may contain simulation errors.
• Diuron concentration at ocean boundaries is fixed at 0, and diuron leaving the model domain does not return, potentially simplifying real-world boundary exchanges.
• Some river catchments are noted to have no diuron loads, limiting the spatial scope of the pesticide analysis.

Provenance

Source

CSIRO Marlin Data Catalogue

Collection Method

GBR-Dynamic SedNet catchment model and nested 1 km resolution eReefs marine model (GBR1_H2p0_Cq3pe1_Dhnd) forced by wind, atmospheric pressure, tides, and river inputs.

Time Range

January 2016 to July 2018

Freshness

Last updated March 2026.

Geography

Great Barrier Reef marine environment, Australia