Simulated true colour (GBR4 BGC v4.2 baseline)
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Data gap notice
Some dates in the 4km eReefs BioGeoChemical model v4.2 dataset have been removed because the model output for those dates was found to be inaccurate, as shown in this sample video.
The following date ranges have been removed:
| Start date | End date |
|---|---|
| 2 Jan 2011 | 31 Jan 2011 |
| 2 Feb 2012 | 2 Mar 2012 |
| 9 Mar 2013 | 7 Apr 2013 |
| 1 Mar 2014 | 30 Mar 2014 |
| 6 Apr 2015 | 5 May 2015 |
| 10 May 2016 | 8 Jun 2016 |
| 14 Jun 2017 | 13 Jul 2017 |
| 19 Jul 2018 | 17 Aug 2018 |
| 23 Aug 2019 | 21 Sep 2019 |
| 26 Sep 2020 | 25 Oct 2020 |
| 31 Oct 2021 | 29 Nov 2021 |
| 19 May 2022 | 17 Jun 2022 |
Please use caution when interpreting the videos in the player above.
Although the obviously inaccurate dates have been removed, the model may take some time to recover after each disruption. As a result, data in the days and weeks following the removed periods may also be affected. The 30-day buffer used here is a visual estimate and not scientifically validated, so some remaining inaccuracies may still be present in the dataset.
We will update this portal when corrected model output becomes available.
A key challenge with validating the BGC model is that the number of in-situ observations is very limited compared with the geographic scope and detail of the model. To help overcome this limitation the CSIRO eReefs BGC model simulates the light transport through the water based on the nutrients, plankton and suspended sediments. It uses this information to simulate what the ocean would look like if it were imaged by the NASA MODIS satellite. This allows the model results to be directly compared with satellite imagery to check its performance and skill.
This visualisation shows the estimated colour image as would be seen by the MODIS satellite, except with no clouds. While we don’t create a direct comparison with the MODIS imagery here on this site, you can view the MODIS imagery via the NASA WorldView browser.
Source data
The videos/images on this page are based on the 4km eReefs BioGeoChemical model (v4.2) run with SOURCE Catchments using Baseline catchment conditions. The model builds on the CSIRO Environmental Modelling Suite (EMS), described in the paper: Scientific description of the optical and biogeochemical models (vB3p0). The dataset metadata is available from the NCI GeoNetwork: eReefs GBR4 Biogeochemistry and Sediments v4.2 baseline catchment scenario. The raw model data is available from the NCI THREDDS server (daily, in curvilinear NetCDF format).
Data span
These results are based on a fixed time period (Dec 2010 - Apr 2019) hind-cast analysis developed for comparing changes in land practices. The river runoff used to drive the BGC model was provided by the SOURCE Catchments modelling.