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Abstract
Ten consecutive Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) infrared images off the north-west coast of Australia were analysed to detect tidal motions by tracking surface features using the maximum cross-correlation (MCC) method. The study area contains a broad continental shelf with the 200 m isobath situated approximately 200 km offshore. Tidal height variations at the coast are in excess of 8 m. The results not only demonstrate the potential of the MCC method in defining surface displacements in coastal regions but also provide a warning to MCC users that tidal effects must be taken into account when deriving mesoscale ocean currents from satellite sensor imagery.
Acknowledgments
Many thanks to the Australian National Tidal Facility for the easy access to data provided through their WWW site at http://www.ntf.flinders.edu.au. The assistance of Paul Tildesley in the collection and navigation of the satellite sensor data is acknowledged. David Griffin and George Cresswell have provided useful comments on the preparation of the manuscript.