East Australian Current Sea Surface Temperature Mapping from Himawari-8, 2015-2017

Geoscience Australia Data provides a dataset mapping the East Australian Current (EAC) using Himawari-8 satellite sea surface temperature (SST) data. The data covers the period from July 2015 to September 2017 and uses a Topographic Position Index (TPI) method to capture the current's spatial structure. The study quantitatively documents the EAC's meanders, offshoots, eddies, and seasonal encroachment patterns along the southeast Australian coast.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the spatial and temporal evolution of EAC encroachment based on mapped SST signatures.
• Investigating eddy-shedding timescales and seasonal cycles in current proximity to the coast.
• Relating satellite-derived SST patterns to surface current speeds using model comparisons mentioned in the description.
• Studying coastal upwelling dynamics driven by the 'encroach and accelerate' mode of the EAC.

Strengths

• Uses very high spatiotemporal resolution Himawari-8 SST imagery, as noted in the description.
• Covers a defined 26-month study period from July 2015 to September 2017.
• Method validated against an eddy-resolving numerical ocean model, with an overlap ratio of ~60% between SST and current speed signatures.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and file size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data freshness should be verified; the last updated metadata points to a future date (2026-04-30).

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data

Collection Method

Derived from Himawari-8 satellite sea surface temperature data using a Topographic Position Index (TPI) mapping method.

Time Range

July 2015 to September 2017

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-30 15:09:39.913172; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Southeast coast of Australia, including the East Australian Current path and the eastern coast of Tasmania.