Sea surface temperature observations collected on trips of the merchant vessel RTM Wakmatha between Gladstone and Weipa, Australia. Data consists of 1-minute median values measured by an SBE48 hull contact sensor, retrieved hourly and quality controlled by the Bureau of Meteorology. The dataset is provided by the Australian Ocean Data Network.
Use Cases
- Validate satellite-derived sea surface temperature products based on in-situ underway measurements.
- Analyze coastal temperature variability along the Gladstone-Weipa shipping route based on the described transect.
- Study the effect of sensor depth (3-9 meters) on bulk sea surface temperature readings.
- Model diurnal or short-term temperature cycles based on the 1-minute median data collection.
Strengths
- Data undergoes quality control at the Bureau of Meteorology.
- Sensor depth is precisely documented as 8-9 meters when laden and 3-4 meters when unloaded.
- Observations are 1-minute median values, which likely reduces noise from instantaneous readings.
Limitations
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
- Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
- The geographic coverage is limited to a specific shipping route between Gladstone and Weipa.
Provenance
- Source
- Australian Ocean Data Network, collected on the merchant vessel RTM Wakmatha.
- Collection Method
- Underway observations measured by an SBE48 hull contact sensor, retrieved hourly.
- Freshness
- Last updated 2026-04-28 20:18:28.324502; freshness should be verified.
- Geography
- Shipping route between Gladstone and Weipa, Australia.