Bonney Coast Upwelling Maps from MODIS Satellite Data, 2002-2016

More than 170 SST and Chlorophyll-a satellite images from July 2002 to December 2016 were used to map the Bonney Coast upwelling system. The study, presented at the 2017 Australian Marine Science Association Conference, confirmed the upwelling is seasonal, occurring between November and April, with strong inter-annual variation. During intensive events, the upwelling influences over 10,000 km2, with sea surface temperature anomalies more than 1°C lower than surrounding waters.

Use Cases

• Analyze spatial and temporal variability of upwelling based on mapped extents and time-series data.
• Investigate the relationship between upwelling intensity and chlorophyll-a concentrations mentioned in the description.
• Model the influence of ENSO events on inter-annual upwelling patterns suggested by the study.
• Study marine species aggregation, such as krill swarms and blue whales, in relation to upwelling events.

Strengths

• Includes more than 170 satellite images spanning over 14 years (July 2002 to Dec 2016).
• Spatial resolution of approximately 1 kilometer for detailed coastal analysis.
• Results provide specific metrics, such as upwelling area exceeding 10,000 km2 and chlorophyll-a concentrations nearly double the summer shelf average.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data freshness should be verified as the last update timestamp is 2026-06-04.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network via data_gov_au.

Collection Method

Analysis of MODIS satellite data using Topographic Position Index (TPI) and image segmentation techniques.

Time Range

July 2002 to December 2016.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-04 05:52:32.614860; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Bonney Coast, Australian southern shelves from Cape Jaffa (SA) to Cape Nelson (VIC).