14-Year MODIS Sea Surface Temperature Data for Australian Upwelling Systems

Geoscience Australia Data provides a dataset mapping the spatial and temporal variability of coastal upwelling systems along Australia's south-eastern coast. The data is derived from 14 years of monthly MODIS sea surface temperature (SST) observations, covering a 4500 km coastline. The study identifies two persistent upwelling systems with distinct seasonal patterns and intensities.

Use Cases

• Analyzing spatial and temporal variability of upwelling areas based on 14-year monthly SST data
• Comparing upwelling intensity between the NSW and WVIC/SA systems based on SST anomaly, chlorophyll-a concentrations, and upwelling speed
• Investigating the impact of El Niño and La Niña events on upwelling intensity as indicated in the study

Strengths

• 14-year temporal coverage providing a long-term perspective
• Covers a 4500 km coastline, offering significant spatial scope
• Derived from MODIS satellite data, a standard source for remote sensing

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data

Collection Method

Semi-automatic image processing technique applied to MODIS SST data

Time Range

14 years (specific years not stated)

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-20 01:30:24.499099; freshness should be verified

Geography

South-eastern coast of Australia (4500 km)