Hydrography and Water Masses off Western Australia, 2000-2003

Field measurements from 2000 and 2003 describe five distinct water masses in the upper 1000 meters of the eastern Indian Ocean margin off Western Australia. The data, provided by Parks Australia, analyzes interannual variability linked to ENSO events and details the dynamics of the Leeuwin Current system. This record was previously available via the Australian Marine Parks Science Atlas.

Use Cases

• Modeling the Leeuwin Current system dynamics based on described geopotential gradients and current positions.
• Analyzing interannual variability of tropical surface water and subantarctic mode water masses based on comparisons with 1987 data and ENSO linkages.
• Studying water mass distribution and layering based on salinity and dissolved oxygen concentrations for five identified masses.
• Investigating cross-shelf geopotential anomalies and their relationship to downwelling/upwelling processes described in the study.

Strengths

• Identifies five specific water masses with distinct salinity and oxygen characteristics.
• Compares data from 2000 and 2003 with historical data from 1987, enabling analysis of interannual variability.
• Provides specific geopotential gradient measurements (e.g., sea surface slope of 4×10⁻⁷) for current dynamics.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data freshness should be verified; the last metadata update is listed as 2026-07-16.

Provenance

Source

Parks Australia, referencing a source publication.

Collection Method

Field measurements.

Time Range

Primary data from 2000 and 2003, with comparison to 1987 data.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-16 23:14:44.607205; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Eastern Indian Ocean margin off the Western Australian coast, between latitudes 21° and 35°S.