Sea surface temperature (SST) data collected from the bulk carrier RTM Wakmatha as part of the Australian Integrated Marine Observing System's Ships of Opportunity program. The vessel supplies near real-time bulk SST approximately monthly from transects between Gladstone and Weipa in Queensland. Data is collected every 2 seconds, averaged to 1-minute records, quality-controlled by the Bureau of Meteorology, and provided to the Australian Ocean Data Network.
Use Cases
- Validating satellite-derived sea surface temperature products based on in-situ hull sensor measurements.
- Analyzing temporal and spatial variability of coastal ocean temperatures along the Queensland shipping route.
- Calibrating or verifying oceanographic models for the region based on the high-frequency (2-second) sampling.
- Studying the impact of vessel loading state on sensor depth and temperature readings based on the described 8-9m (laden) vs 3-4m (unloaded) depths.
Strengths
- Data is collected at a high temporal resolution of every 2 seconds and averaged to 1-minute records.
- Measurements are taken from a calibrated SeaBird SBE 48 hull temperature sensor.
- Data undergoes quality control by the Bureau of Meteorology before provision.
- Sensor depth is documented as 8-9 meters when the vessel is laden and 3-4 meters when unloaded.
Limitations
- Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
- Data collection is intermittent, occurring approximately monthly and only when CSIRO personnel are on board.
Provenance
- Source
- Australian Ocean Data Network (AODN), via the IMOS Ships of Opportunity - Sea Surface Temperature Sensors for Australian Vessels Sub-Facility.
- Collection Method
- Underway bulk SST measured by a hull-contact sensor on the merchant vessel RTM Wakmatha during its commercial voyages.
- Freshness
- Last updated 2026-05-05 14:20:24.000948; freshness should be verified.
- Geography
- Transects between Gladstone and Weipa, Queensland, Australia.