The physical oceanography of Bowling Green Bay, north Queensland

An array of oceanographic instruments was deployed in Bowling Green Bay and at the Yongala Wreck between October 1984 and June 1985. The array consisted of 7 current meters, 5 tide gauges and a wave gauge.

Requirements for setting up the array and the choice of locations for deployment of instruments were determined by numerical modelling of historical data on sea levels and currents recorded at the Yongala Wreck, 24km east of Cape Bowling Green.

Current meter stations BG01, BG02, BG03 and BG04 were established along a line joining Cape Cleveland and Cape Bowling Green, and a weather station was placed on Cape Bowling Green to investigate the relationship between winds and boundary currents. A tide gauge was also deployed at station BG02 and the mooring at station BG03 also had a wave gauge attached. Stations BG01 and BG04, at either end of the bay, were placed to measure the longshore flow through the end boundaries. Stations BG02 and BG03 were placed to obtain measurements that could be classed as more in the far field.

The current meter station BG05 was placed to investigate the complex coastal jet. The current meter stations BG06 and BG07 were also placed to investigate the complex coastal jet as well as the strong tidal currents in the southeast corner of the bay.

Tide gauge station BG08 was placed to measure the cross-bay phase and amplitude change. Tide gauge stations BG09 and BG10, were placed at either end of the bay to determine the amplitudes and phases of constituents along the open boundary.