Coastal-trapped waves behind a large continental shelf island, Southern Great Barrier Reef.

Abstract

The salient features of subinertial frequency fluctuations of current, sea level, temperature and wind stress observed within the Capricornia section of the Great Barrier Reef are interpreted by comparison with coastal trapped wave (CTW) theories. Near-coastal currents and sea levels are modelled with some success by a theory of first mode wind forced barotropic continental shelf waves with geographical origin at Fraser Island, the southern across shelf boundary of the study region. However, current and temperature variations of period 8-10 days on the continental slope are observed to have energy far in excess of that generated by the local wind. The possible biological and geological relevance of CTW activity within the study region is briefly dicussed.