Water Properties of Ashmore Reef, Australia, 1991-Present

Australian Ocean Data Network provides water quality observations for Ashmore Reef, a tropical marine reserve. Data includes regional, lagoonal, and well water chemistry, sea surface temperatures, salinity, and tidal volumes, with records from 1991 and an intensive program since 1999. The dataset documents a semi-diurnal tide of 4.75 m and seasonal temperature ranges from 25.48°C to 34.5°C.

Use Cases

• Modeling the relationship between tidal volume and water chemistry based on the described 7.5 km³ spring tide wash-over.
• Analyzing seasonal and spatial salinity variations based on reported ranges from 31.2 to 39.6 in lagoons and 34.51 to 34.75 in oceanic waters.
• Studying the characteristics of freshwater lenses in vegetated cays based on well water data including salinity, pH, and dissolved oxygen.
• Investigating the impact of monsoonal climate on reef hydrology based on provided evaporation and rainfall figures.

Strengths

• Time series spans over three decades, with observations noted from 1991.
• Includes multi-faceted measurements: oceanic, lagoonal, and well water properties with specific numeric ranges (e.g., temperature, salinity).
• Describes specific physical context, including tidal amplitude (4.75 m) and annual freshwater extraction (150,000 liters).

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data is presented in HTML format, which may complicate structured analysis.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Field observations and satellite-derived measurements, as described.

Time Range

1991 to present, with intensive program since 1999

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-27 21:13:48.445635; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Ashmore Reef, North-west Shelf, Australia