Bonney Coast Upwelling Spatial and Temporal Variability from MODIS, 2002-2016

More than 170 satellite-derived Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and Chlorophyll-a images from July 2002 to December 2016, with a spatial resolution of approximately 1 kilometer. This dataset was created by Geoscience Australia to map and investigate the seasonal Bonney Coast upwelling system off southern Australia using MODIS data. The results confirm the upwelling occurs seasonally from November to April, with strong inter-annual variation in intensity and spatial extent.

Use Cases

• Mapping the spatial extent of coastal upwelling based on Topographic Position Index (TPI) and image segmentation techniques.
• Analyzing inter-annual and seasonal variability of upwelling events based on a 14-year time series.
• Investigating correlations between upwelling intensity (SST anomaly) and biological productivity (Chlorophyll-a concentration).
• Studying the influence of climate phenomena like ENSO on upwelling dynamics based on the described temporal patterns.

Strengths

• Time series spans over 14 years, from July 2002 to December 2016.
• Includes more than 170 processed SST and Chlorophyll-a images.
• Spatial resolution is approximately 1 kilometer, suitable for regional coastal analysis.
• Study quantifies upwelling impact, noting events can influence over 10,000 km² with SST anomalies >1°C.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation and sample data are unavailable, requiring manual inspection after download.
• The dataset's primary format is PDF/HTML, which may require extraction to access underlying geospatial data.
• Row count and specific data structure are unknown, limiting suitability assessment for direct machine learning application.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data

Collection Method

Derived from MODIS satellite imagery, processed using a combination of Topographic Position Index (TPI) and image segmentation techniques.

Time Range

July 2002 to December 2016

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-30 14:50:14.994793; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Bonney Coast, Australian southern shelves from Cape Jaffa, South Australia to Cape Nelson, Victoria