East Australian Current Shoreward Intrusion Mapped from 26 Years of Satellite SST

A 26-year remotely sensed Sea Surface Temperature dataset spanning 1992-2018 maps the seasonal shoreward intrusion of the East Australian Current off northern New South Wales. The Australian Ocean Data Network provides this data, which uses a Topographic Position Index technique for quantitative mapping. Analysis shows the current moves ~6 km closer to the coast and occupies ~12% more shelf area in austral summer and autumn compared to winter.

Use Cases

• Model seasonal coastal upwelling patterns based on the quantified seasonal migration of the East Australian Current.
• Analyze shelf circulation dynamics based on the mapped distance and area of the current's shoreward intrusion.
• Study impacts on coastal marine ecosystems based on the described influence of the current on bio-physical dynamics.
• Validate ocean circulation models using the direct, long-term measurements of current position and seasonality.

Strengths

• 26 years of continuous data from 1992 to 2018 provides a long-term record.
• Enables direct measurement of intrusion area and distance-to-coast using a quantitative mapping technique.
• Focuses on a specific coastal region between 28°S and 32.5°S off northern New South Wales.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Freshness should be verified; last metadata update was 2026-06-16.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

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

Time Range

1992-2018

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-16 19:05:45.458761

Geography

Coastal ocean off northern New South Wales, Australia, between 28°S and 32.5°S.