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BMRC is now part of CAWCR: The Centre for Australian Weather and Climate Research.
For more information on The Centre please go to http://www.cawcr.gov.au

These images show surface velocities obtained from satellite altimeter data. The altimeter measures the relative height of the sea-surface and surface currents are then calculated assuming geostrophic equilibrium. (Currents within Bass Strait are not reliable due to difficulties in determing geostrophic heights in shallow regions).

These plots are 15 day averages centred on the days shown. They show a very similar pattern to that deduced from the SST images. This data was provided by D. Griffin, CSIRO Marine Research.

The effect of an adverse current on a wave field is to decrease the wavelength and increase the SWH. This therefore has the effect of steepening the waves. However the amount by which the waves are altered is uncertain. Previous studies have suggested that for a maximum current speed of 2m/s, variations in SWH could be up to 30% for swell, and up to 10% for wind-sea. The eastward flowing current at the latitude of the south-east corner of the continent will therefore cause the westerly propagating swell (from the Tasman Sea storm) to steepen.

Note: The following results do not (yet!) include the effects of the surface current on the wave field.

Dec. 20

Dec. 30

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Experimental results described in these pages are from research systems developed in BMRC and are not part of the Bureau of Meteorology's operational products & services.

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