Herbert River Nutrient and Sediment Export During Cyclone Sadie Flood (1994)

Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) and CSIRO collected water samples in the Herbert River catchment before, during, and after the flood associated with Cyclone Sadie in January-February 1994. The dataset includes time-series measurements of dissolved and particulate nutrients, suspended sediment, and salinity from a primary site at John Row Bridge, with additional sampling at other bridges. The study aimed to estimate the export of nutrients and sediment from the catchment to the Great Barrier Reef lagoon during a major flood event.

Use Cases

• Modeling flood-driven nutrient export to coastal waters based on dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and phosphorus (DIP) concentrations.
• Analyzing sediment transport dynamics during extreme weather events based on suspended sediment measurements.
• Comparing sampling and analytical methodologies between different research agencies (AIMS and CSIRO) using concurrent data from John Row Bridge.
• Estimating the contribution of particulate vs. dissolved nutrient fractions to total export based on PN, PP, TDN, and TDP data.

Strengths

• Time-series sampling covered approximately 2.5 days through the peak of a major flood event, capturing dynamic changes.
• Independent concurrent sampling by AIMS and CSIRO at the John Row Bridge allows for methodological comparison.
• Sampling spanned a period of over three weeks, capturing a primary flood and a subsequent smaller flood event.
• Water discharge data was monitored at two flow gauging stations, providing context for concentration measurements.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic and temporal bias inherent to a single catchment and specific 1994 flood event.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network, aggregating data from AIMS and CSIRO.

Collection Method

Surface water samples collected from bridges in the Herbert River catchment and analyzed for multiple nutrient and sediment parameters.

Time Range

January-February 1994, centered on the Cyclone Sadie flood event.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-04 19:11:13.781075; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Herbert River catchment, northern Queensland, Australia, with specific sites including John Row Bridge.