Surface pH And Marine Heatwave Projections For Australian Waters

Australian Ocean Data Network provides a simulation map of ocean surface pH and marine heatwave metrics under the RCP8.5 climate scenario. The dataset includes monthly climatologies for sea surface temperature, aragonite saturation state, pH, and heatwave intensity and duration. It was last updated in April 2026.

Use Cases

• Modeling coral bleaching risk by analyzing projected Sea Surface Temperature and Degree Heating Weeks for the Great Barrier Reef.
• Assessing ocean acidification impacts on shell-forming organisms using Surface Aragonite Saturation State and Surface pH monthly climatologies.
• Projecting changes in marine heatwave regimes by evaluating the Intensity and Duration of Marine Heat Wave metrics for the Tasman Sea.
• Studying phytoplankton response to environmental stress by correlating NPP monthly climatology with marine heatwave and acidity projections.

Strengths

• Data is derived from a high-resolution, eddy-resolving ocean model (OFAM3) simulation.
• Projections are based on multi-model mean forcings from the RCP8.5 scenario.
• Includes multiple key ocean diagnostics like pH, aragonite state, and heatwave metrics.

Limitations

• Specific spatial resolution, row count, and temporal granularity (beyond monthly) are not provided.
• Projections are limited to the RCP8.5 scenario, not a range of emission pathways.
• The dataset's underlying sample data and column definitions are unavailable for review.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network, based on simulations referenced in multiple peer-reviewed publications.

Collection Method

Output from a near-global eddy-resolving ocean model (OFAM3) simulation forced with RCP8.5 projections.

Time Range

Projections are defined according to 20-year periods for specific Global Warming Levels (GWLs).

Freshness

Last updated in April 2026.

Geography

Focus on Australian ocean regions including the Tasman Sea, Great Barrier Reef, Ningaloo Reef, and Southern Ocean south of 60S.