This page shows the magnitude of the surface sea water current on the Great Barrier Reef based on the 1km eReefs Hydrodynamic model.
Recent data
The results are updated in near-real-time, however sometimes they can be behind real time up to 2 weeks. This happens due to delays in the model runs being held up for technical reasons or delays in source data that drive the model. This visualisation portal can sometimes also delay the products by up to 1 day. To check the latest available model data look at the date on the NCI THREDDS server. If the model data is more up to date than this portal let us know.
Navigation
These pages can show a combination of videos and images dependent on the underlying data. Make a selection via the tabs in the "Time step" panel at the top of the visualisation. The content type (video or image) is identified by the icon in the corresponding tab.
The interactive map below the visualisation (left) allows for zooming in on a particular region, or all of Queensland. Where applicable, the interactive map is accompanied with a list of the regions for clarity.
The calendar below the visualisation (right) selects the data range of the visualisation. Individual months and/or entire years can be selected when supported by the underlying data.
The magnitude shown in these videos and images tells you the speed of the water, but with no indication of the direction. In shallow areas this information can be useful in understanding the amount of sediment mixing caused by tides and the amount of shear stress (side ways rubbing) that these areas might experience. Shallow areas that have a high current magnitude are likely to be different habitats.
For details of this dataset and access to the data see the eReefs CSIRO Hydrodynamic model (Temperature, Salinity, Wind, Current) Summaries (AIMS) metadata page.
AIMS eReefs