IMOS Ocean Radar: South Australia Gulfs Wind and Surface Current Data

South Australia Gulfs HF ocean radar system covers an area of about 40,000 square kilometres bounded by Kangaroo Island and the Eyre Peninsula. Data from the WERA phased array system includes measured surface currents and calculated wind directions and significant wave height, linking dynamics of the Great Australian Bight to the Bonney Coast. Most capital was contributed by the South Australia Research and Development Institute.

Use Cases

• Modeling shelf current connections to the Flinders Current based on detailed surface current measurements.
• Analyzing cross-shelf exchange and summertime upwelling systems based on oceanic current and process data.
• Studying the impact of ocean circulation and eddies on sediment and nutrient distribution for fisheries.
• Assessing environmental effects on aquaculture operations based on wind and wave data.

Strengths

• Covers a key ocean area of about 40,000 square kilometres.
• Data is collected by a WERA phased array system with a maximum range of 200 Km.
• Specific research questions are identified, providing clear scientific context.

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 as the last update is listed as 2026-07-10.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network via data_gov_au.

Collection Method

Collected by a WERA phased array HF ocean radar system with 16-element receive arrays at Cape Wiles and Cape Spencer.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-10 15:04:57.439120; freshness should be verified.

Geography

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