Australian South-Eastern Coast Upwelling Systems from 14 Years of MODIS Data

The south-eastern coast of Australia, spanning 4500 km, is the focus of this dataset. It maps the spatial and temporal variability of coastal upwelling systems using 14 years of monthly MODIS sea surface temperature data. The study identifies two persistent upwelling systems with distinct seasonal patterns and intensities.

Use Cases

• Analyze inter-annual variability of upwelling intensity based on 14 years of monthly SST data
• Compare seasonal patterns between the NSW and WVIC/SA upwelling systems based on described temporal characteristics
• Investigate correlations between upwelling features (SST anomaly, chlorophyll-a) and climate indices like ENSO based on the description
• Model spatial distribution of upwelling influence areas along the Australian coast based on the mapping results

Strengths

• 14 years of monthly data provides a long-term temporal perspective
• Covers a 4500 km long coastline, offering significant spatial scope
• Identifies and characterizes two distinct upwelling systems (NSW and WVIC/SA) with specific drivers

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment
• Data may reflect geographic/temporal bias inherent to data_gov_au

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network via data_gov_au

Collection Method

Developed using a scale-independent, semi-automatic image processing technique on MODIS SST data

Time Range

14 years (specific years not stated)

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-27 19:31:56.218531; freshness should be verified

Geography

South-eastern coast of Australia (New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia)