Sediment Transport and Water Movement at One Tree Reef, 1979

Water circulation and sediment flux measurements from One Tree Reef in the southern Great Barrier Reef, collected in March and April 1979. The dataset, provided by the Australian Ocean Data Network, documents flow patterns and sediment transport across windward and leeward reef margins, coral flats, and sand sheets. It captures differences between spring and neap tide cycles, explaining sediment distribution within the lagoon.

Use Cases

• Modeling sediment loss and deposition patterns based on described water flow reversals between spring and neap tides.
• Analyzing the relationship between tidal energy and mud concentration distribution across different reef zones.
• Studying the net sediment flux towards the lagoon on sand sheets as described in the monitoring summary.

Strengths

• Data captures specific tidal cycles (spring and neap) during a defined monitoring period in March/April 1979.
• Measurements cover multiple distinct reef environments: windward/leeward margins, coral/algal flats, and sand sheets.
• The description provides a clear causal explanation linking observed energy patterns to sediment distribution.

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; the last metadata update is dated 2026-06-23.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Monitoring of water circulation and sediment flux over reef margins.

Time Range

March/April 1979

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-23 00:56:01.247033

Geography

One Tree Reef, southern Great Barrier Reef