SPATIO-TEMPORAL ASSIMILATION OF MODELLED CATCHMENT LOADS WITH MONITORING DATA IN THE GREAT BARRIER REEF

摘要

Soil erosion and sediment transport into waterways and the ocean can adversely affect water clarity, leading to the deterioration of marine ecosystems such as the iconic Great Barrier Reef (GBR) in Australia. Quantifying a sediment load and its associated uncertainty is an important task in delineating how changes in management practices can contribute to improvements in water quality, and therefore continued sustainability of the GBR. However, monitoring data are spatially (and often temporally) sparse, making load estimation complicated, particularly when there are lengthy periods between sampling or during peak flow periods of major events when samples cannot be safely taken.