A WERA phased array radar system with two 16-element receive arrays measures surface currents off the coast of New South Wales, Australia. The system operates at 13.920 MHz with a 100 KHz bandwidth and a maximum range of 100 km, collecting data from which wind directions and significant wave height can also be calculated. The dataset is provided by the Australian Ocean Data Network and was last updated in July 2026.
Use Cases
- Modeling coastal and continental shelf water connectivity based on measured surface currents.
- Analyzing the transport and dispersion of biota based on the described physical and biological connectivity of currents.
- Studying the influence of the East Australian Current on nutrient upwelling and biological productivity.
- Calculating wind direction and significant wave height from the radar-derived data mentioned in the description.
Strengths
- Data is collected by a WERA phased array radar system with two 16-element receive arrays, providing detailed spatial coverage.
- The radar operates at a specific frequency of 13.920 MHz with a 100 KHz bandwidth and a maximum range of 100 km.
- Focuses on a key oceanographic region where the East Australian Current is at its narrowest and swiftest.
Limitations
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
- Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
- Last updated 2026-07-10 18:56:14.016010; freshness should be verified.
Provenance
- Source
- Australian Ocean Data Network
- Collection Method
- Measured by a WERA phased array HF ocean radar system.
- Freshness
- Last updated 2026-07-10 18:56:14.016010
- Geography
- Coffs Harbour region, New South Wales, Australia, focusing on an area up to 100 km from the coast.