IMOS Ocean Radar: Sea Water Velocity in South Australia Gulfs

The IMOS South Australia Gulfs HF ocean radar system measures sea water velocity over an area of about 40,000 square kilometres. Data from the WERA phased array system at Cape Wiles and Cape Spencer can be used to calculate surface currents, wind directions, and significant wave height. The dataset is managed by the Australian Ocean Data Network and was last updated in July 2026.

Use Cases

• Modeling shelf current connections to regional influences like the Southern Ocean based on velocity data.
• Analyzing oceanic processes such as eddies and mixing that drive cross-shelf exchange mentioned in the description.
• Studying the effect of ocean circulation on sediment and nutrient distribution for fisheries research.
• Investigating summertime upwelling systems and gulf flushing dynamics using radar-derived current maps.
• Assessing environmental impacts on aquaculture and lower trophic levels (phytoplankton/zooplankton) based on current and wave data.

Strengths

• Covers a large, dynamic ocean area of about 40,000 square kilometres.
• Data collection uses a WERA phased array system with a maximum range of 200 km, operating at 8.512 MHz.
• Measures multiple parameters: surface currents, and data from which wind direction and significant wave height can be calculated.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data is described as 'Delayed mode'; real-time applicability may be limited.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network, with capital contributed by the South Australia Research and Development Institute.

Collection Method

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

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-10 04:25:31.767315; freshness should be verified.

Geography

South Australia Gulfs, bounded by Kangaroo Island and the Eyre Peninsula, Australia.