East Australian Current Shoreward Intrusion Maps from 26 Years of Satellite SST Data

26 years of AVHRR Sea Surface Temperature data from 1992 to 2018 were processed to map the East Australian Current off northern New South Wales. The dataset provides quantitative measurements of the current's seasonal shoreward intrusion, showing it moves ~6 km closer to the coast in summer and autumn. This analysis was conducted by researchers using the Australian Ocean Data Network.

Use Cases

• Modeling seasonal coastal upwelling patterns based on the quantified distance of the East Australian Current to the shore.
• Analyzing long-term variability in shelf circulation based on the 26-year time series of sea surface temperature.
• Validating ocean current simulation outputs using the direct, remotely sensed measurements of intrusion area and distance.
• Studying bio-physical interactions on the continental slope and shelf based on the mapped current intrusion dynamics.

Strengths

• Covers a 26-year time series from 1992 to 2018, providing a long-term perspective.
• Enables direct quantitative measurement of intrusion area and distance-to-coast.
• Uses a specific, documented processing technique (Topographic Position Index) for mapping.

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 on a specific region of Australia.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Remotely sensed AVHRR Sea Surface Temperature data processed with a Topographic Position Index technique.

Time Range

1992 to 2018

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06 23 05:08:42.582335; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Coast of northern New South Wales, Australia, between 28°S - 32.5°S