|
||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||
|
VIRTUAL CYCLONES CRASH ONTO WEBSITE12 September 2001 A CRC Reef project has produced an online atlas of waves that hit the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area during cyclones.
"Wave measuring instruments are very expensive and can only measure waves at one point in the vastness of the Great Barrier Reef," said Associate Professor Hardy. "To find out about waves during tropical cyclones, we might have to wait years for that exact spot to be hit by a cyclone." "So, we created a wave model especially adapted for the Great Barrier Reef and then used it to simulate the waves produced during thousands of cyclones." The results from these simulations have been used to create the online wave atlas. The atlas will ensure reef users are better prepared for cyclonic conditions in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. "Tourism operators can use the atlas to search for suitable sites for pontoons," said Associate Professor Hardy. "It will also help engineers to design mooring systems that are appropriate for extreme conditions." "The atlas will also help biologists and reef managers to better understand the reef ecosystem," he said. "For example, it could help biologists understand why certain corals and fish may thrive in some areas and not in others." Cyclone waves are just the first component of the atlas. Non-cyclonic winds and waves, as well as tidal and wind-driven currents and water levels will be future additions. The web-based atlas is ideal for graphical display of this information. It is on CRC Reef's website at www.reef.crc.org.au/research/engineer/waveatlas.html or the James Cook University website at mmu.jcu.edu.au. For more information or to arrange an interview contact:
|
As part of a CRC Reef project, Associate Professor Tom Hardy and his team
from the School of Engineering at James Cook University modeled 6,000 virtual
cyclones and calculated the wave energy, frequency and direction of waves
at 150,000 points throughout the Great Barrier Reef.