IMOS Coffs Harbour HF Ocean Radar: Delayed Mode Wave and Current Data

HF ocean radar data from the Coffs Harbour site in New South Wales, Australia, managed by the Australian Ocean Data Network. The radar system measures surface currents and calculates wind direction and significant wave height within a 100 km range. The site is strategically located where the East Australian Current begins to separate from the coast.

Use Cases

• Modeling the East Australian Current's separation dynamics based on surface current measurements.
• Analyzing coastal-shelf water connectivity for anthropogenic impact studies based on the description.
• Studying biological transport and nutrient upwelling influenced by current structures mentioned in the description.
• Validating ocean circulation models using high-frequency radar-derived wave height and wind data.

Strengths

• Data is collected by a WERA phased array radar system with a specified 100 km maximum range.
• Radar operates at a defined frequency of 13.920 MHz and bandwidth of 100 KHz.
• Focus area is described as a key 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.
• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Data collected by a WERA phased array HF ocean radar system with 16-element receive arrays.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-13 20:53:54.379968; freshness should be verified

Geography

Ocean region off Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia, within a 100 km radar range.