On 19th June 2018, Mr. Xiao Liu from China – Shandong Tongda Marine Technology Pty Ltd in Qingdao visited SARCCM. He met Head of the School of Physical, Environmental and Mathematical Sciences Prof Warrick Lawson and Prof Xiao Hua Wang and discussed a possible collaboration on the International Oceanography Field School in Jiaozhou Bay, Qingdao, China. 

Mr. Xiao Liu and Prof Xiao Hua Wang

On 20th June Morning, Mr. Xiao Liu and Mr. Yuanchi Xiao from the SARCCM visited the Marine Geophysics Laboratory (MGL) at James Cook University (JCU), Townsville. Dr James Whinney who is the senior research officer gave introduction to their various self-produced instruments, including the nephelometer, current meter and drifter. After that, they discussed the prospect of cooperation between MGL in JCU, SARCCM in UNSW Canberra and Shandong Tongda Marine Technology Pty Ltd in Qingdao.

Mr. Xiao Liu (Third left), Mr. Yuanchi Xiao (First left), Dr James Whinney (Forth left) and other research officers from the Marine Geophysics Laboratory, James Cook University.

MPhil Candidate Mr. Yuanchi Xiao gave a presentation about his research in the topic of ‘Burdekin River Plume evolution during Cyclone Debbie in 2017’. The riverine freshwater propagated hundreds of kilometers northward from the Burdekin River mouth within 30 days. There are only <10 % of freshwater propagated offshore during the Cyclone. The Empirical Orthogonal Function Analysis also suggests that the river discharge is the major cause for the sea surface salinity variation in the Burdekin River Estuary during the cyclone. His research outcome has been submitted as the paper ‘The development and evolution of the Burdekin River estuary freshwater plume during Cyclone Debbie (2017)’ to the journal Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science.

After the visit to JCU, Mr. Xiao Liu and Mr. Yuanchi Xiao undertook a field trip to the Burdekin River estuary which is the Mr. Xiao’s research area. They left Townsville on 21st June.

Burdekin River near the Burdekin Bridge.