NSW Nearshore Wave Buoy Data from 20 Locations (2016-2023)

Over 7,000 days of wave measurements collected between 2016 and 2023 from 20 shallow water locations in New South Wales, Australia. The dataset includes time series of spectral and time-domain parameters describing wave height, period, and direction at half-hourly resolution, along with buoy displacement and wave spectra. Data were collected and processed by the NSW Government Environment Coastal and Marine Science team and a snapshot is maintained by the Australian Ocean Data Network.

Use Cases

• Calibrating numerical wave models based on in-situ wave buoy observations.
• Predicting sediment transport and shoreline change based on nearshore wave conditions.
• Studying coastal hazards like beach erosion based on captured ambient and storm condition data.
• Analyzing wave direction and period variability based on half-hourly spectral parameters.

Strengths

• Over 7,000 days of wave measurements provide a substantial temporal record.
• Data from 20 locations captures spatial variability along the NSW coast.
• Half-hourly temporal resolution allows for detailed analysis of wave dynamics.
• Includes advanced data types like wave spectra and buoy displacement for specialized applications.

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 bias inherent to data_gov_au, focusing solely on NSW, Australia.

Provenance

Source

NSW Government Environment Coastal and Marine Science team; Australian Ocean Data Network (AODN).

Collection Method

In-situ measurements from temporarily moored GPS/GNSS wave buoys.

Time Range

2016 - 2023

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-16 03:39:28.456036; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Shallow coastal waters (< 35 m depth) in New South Wales, Australia.