Sediment Transport and Water Movement at One Tree Reef, 1979

One Tree Reef, in the southern Great Barrier Reef, is a triangular coral reef with distinct windward and leeward margins. Water circulation and sediment flux were monitored over the reef margins in March/April 1979, revealing patterns like flow reversal on spring tides and net sediment loss from the lagoon over the leeward margin. The data was aggregated by the Australian Ocean Data Network and last updated on the platform in April 2026.

Use Cases

• Modeling sediment flux patterns based on water flow data across reef zones.
• Analyzing the relationship between tidal cycles (spring vs. neap) and sediment transport direction.
• Studying the distribution of mud in reef lagoons based on observed energy patterns.
• Comparing water velocity changes from ocean perimeters to the lagoon interior.

Strengths

• Monitoring occurred during a specific field campaign in March/April 1979.
• Description details distinct sediment transport behaviors for spring versus neap tides.
• Data covers multiple reef zones: windward flats, sand sheets, and the leeward margin.

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 and temporal bias inherent to a single reef study in 1979.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Field monitoring of water circulation and sediment flux.

Time Range

March/April 1979

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-10 22:01:34.218273; freshness should be verified.

Geography

One Tree Reef, southern Great Barrier Reef