170+ MODIS satellite images of sea surface temperature and chlorophyll-a concentration from July 2002 to December 2016 were used to map a seasonal upwelling system off southern Australia. The study, presented at the 2017 Australian Marine Science Association Conference, confirmed the upwelling occurs between November and April, with strong inter-annual variation. During intensive events, it influences over 10,000 km² and chlorophyll-a concentrations can exceed 0.8 mg/m³.
Use Cases
- Map the spatial extent of coastal upwelling based on sea surface temperature and chlorophyll-a signatures.
- Analyze inter-annual variability in upwelling intensity and timing.
- Investigate correlations between upwelling events and marine life aggregations like krill swarms.
- Study the influence of climatic events like ENSO on seasonal upwelling patterns.
Strengths
- Includes more than 170 satellite images spanning over 14 years (July 2002 to Dec 2016).
- Provides spatial resolution of approximately 1 kilometer.
- Maps upwelling events influencing over 10,000 km² surface area with specific temperature anomalies.
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 temporal bias inherent to the MODIS sensor's operational period.
Provenance
- Source
- Australian Ocean Data Network
- Collection Method
- Analysis of MODIS satellite data using Topographic Position Index and image segmentation techniques.
- Time Range
- July 2002 to December 2016
- Freshness
- Last updated 2026-04-16 15:36:27.471717; freshness should be verified.
- Geography
- Bonney Coast, Australia, from Cape Jaffa (SA) to Cape Nelson (VIC)