IMOS - ANMN Queensland and Northern Australia, Pilbara 50m (PIL050) Mooring Platform

The Pilbara 50m mooring (IMOS platform code PIL050) is part of the Pilbara array. It was initially deployed on the 21/02/2012 at (20.13 S, 116.67 E). The site depth is 54.1m. This mooring array was discontinued, and this mooring removed in August 2014.

Mooring Designs replicate where possible similar instrumentation to the Shelf ITF moorings. Observations of currents, temperature and salinity are collected throughout the array with the coastal mooring also observing optical water quality parameters of fluorescence and turbidity.

The Pilbara array, in combination with the Kimberly array and the ITF Array will help determine the influence of the Indonesian Throughflow on the currents along the Northwest shelf and as well as processed driving cross shelf exchange.

The Pilbara line will help document the variability in the the northward flowing Ningaloo Current, characterised by cooler waters. In addition, the Pilbara coast is characterised by high evaporation, leading to a cross shelf density gradient. The cross shelf arrays will allow variability in the gradient of density and the resultant gravitational currents to be determined.