The Integrated Ocean Observing System High-Frequency Radar Network: Status and Local, Regional, and National Applications

Harlan, Jack; Terrill, Eric; Hazard, Lisa; Keen, Carolyn; Barrick, Donald E.; Whelan, Chad; Howden, Stephan; Kohut, Josh

doi:10.4031/mtsj.44.6.6

Cited by 68 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…If any UWLS-derived total vector had an error threshold above 1.5, it was not considered in the analysis. This is consistent with quality standards already governing the data going to the EDS and SAROPS and the national network (Harlan et al 2010;Roarty et al 2010). …”

Section: Unweighted Least Squaressupporting

confidence: 62%

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Evaluation of two algorithms for a network of coastal HF radars in the Mid-Atlantic Bight

et al. 2012

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The National High Frequency (HF) Surface Current Mapping Radar Network is being developed as a backbone system within the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System. This paper focuses on the application of HF radarderived surface current maps to U.S. Coast Guard Search and Rescue operations along the Mid-Atlantic coast of the USA. In that context, we evaluated two algorithms used to combine maps of radial currents into a single map of total vector currents. In situ data provided by seven drifter deployments and four bottom-mounted current meters were used to (1) evaluate the well-established unweighted least squares (UWLS) and the more recently adapted optimal interpolation (OI) algorithms and (2) quantify the sensitivity of the OI algorithm to varying decorrelation scales and error thresholds. Results with both algorithms were shown to depend on the location within the HF radar data footprint. The comparisons near the center of the HF radar coverage showed no significant difference between the two algorithms. The most significant distinction between the two was seen in the drifter trajectories. With these simulations, the weighting of radial velocities by distance in the OI implementation was very effective at reducing both the distance between the actual drifter and the cluster of simulated particles as well as the scale of the search area that encompasses them. In this study, the OI further reduced the already improved UWLS-based search areas by an additional factor of 2. The results also indicated that the OI output was relatively insensitive to the varying decorrelation scales and error thresholds tested.

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Section: Unweighted Least Squaressupporting

confidence: 62%

“…In the USA, there is now an effort to expand the operational support of SAROPS beyond the Mid-Atlantic Bight to the national scale (Harlan et al 2010). In that process, there is currently an evaluation to determine the optimal processing suite to maintain a national surface current mapping product that meets USCG quality standards.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of two algorithms for a network of coastal HF radars in the Mid-Atlantic Bight

et al. 2012

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“…2018, 10, 1224 4 of 28 signal to infer radial component of surface currents with up to 200 km range. To triangulate the full current vector, a spatial array of such radars is positioned along the shoreline, providing continuous coverage by at least two radars along the coastal waters, thus delivering an essential coastal current monitoring resource [25].…”

Section: Microwave Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Airborne Remote Sensing of the Upper Ocean Turbulence during CASPER-East

et al. 2018

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This study takes on the challenge of resolving upper ocean surface currents with a suite of airborne remote sensing methodologies, simultaneously imaging the ocean surface in visible, infrared, and microwave bands. A series of flights were conducted over an air-sea interaction supersite established 63 km offshore by a large multi-platform CASPER-East experiment. The supersite was equipped with a range of in situ instruments resolving air-sea interface and underwater properties, of which a bottom-mounted acoustic Doppler current profiler was used extensively in this paper for the purposes of airborne current retrieval validation and interpretation. A series of water-tracing dye releases took place in coordination with aircraft overpasses, enabling dye plume velocimetry over 100 m to 10 km spatial scales. Similar scales were resolved by a Multichannel Synthetic Aperture Radar, which resolved a swath of instantaneous surface velocities (wave and current) with 10 m resolution and 5 cm/s accuracy. Details of the skin temperature variability imprinted by the upper ocean turbulence were revealed in 1-14,000 m range of spatial scales by a mid-wave infrared camera. Combined, these methodologies provide a unique insight into the complex spatial structure of the upper ocean turbulence on a previously under-resolved range of spatial scales from meters to kilometers. However, much attention in this paper is dedicated to quantifying and understanding uncertainties and ambiguities associated with these remote sensing methodologies, especially regarding the smallest resolvable turbulent scales and reference depths of retrieved currents.Keywords: airborne remote sensing; ocean surface currents; upper ocean turbulence BackgroundCapabilities for spatial measurements of ocean surface turbulence are highly desirable for a wide variety of needs ranging from basic studies of upper ocean mixing processes to data assimilation into high-resolution coastal and ocean circulation models. On the global scale, presently available observations of the ocean currents are provided by satellite altimeters, which are limited to mesoscales and resolve only the geostrophic component of the surface current. Much anticipated launches of the

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“…Hundreds of HF radar systems have been installed worldwide in both operational and experimental modes (Harlan et al, 2010;Willis, 2012). With their large area coverage, high resolution in time and space, and long-term operational capabilities, the radar systems have enhanced the coastal ocean monitoring capabilities for surface currents (Paduan and Rosenfeld, 1996) and have enabled the development of new data products.…”

Section: The Variables Of Interest For Coastal Applications Includementioning

confidence: 99%

Ocean forecasting for the German Bight: from regional to coastal scales

Stanev¹,

Schulz‐Stellenfleth²,

Staneva³

et al. 2016

Ocean Sci.

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Abstract. This paper describes recent developments based on advances in coastal ocean forecasting in the fields of numerical modeling, data assimilation, and observational array design, exemplified by the Coastal Observing System for the North and Arctic Seas (COSYNA). The region of interest is the North and Baltic seas, and most of the coastal examples are for the German Bight. Several pre-operational applications are presented to demonstrate the outcome of using the best available science in coastal ocean predictions. The applications address the nonlinear behavior of the coastal ocean, which for the studied region is manifested by the tidal distortion and generation of shallow-water tides. Led by the motivation to maximize the benefits of the observations, this study focuses on the integration of observations and modeling using advanced statistical methods. Coastal and regional ocean forecasting systems do not operate in isolation but are linked, either weakly by using forcing data or interactively using two-way nesting or unstructured-grid models. Therefore, the problems of downscaling and upscaling are addressed, along with a discussion of the potential influence of the information from coastal observatories or coastal forecasting systems on the regional models. One example of coupling coarse-resolution regional models with a fineresolution model interface in the area of straits connecting the North and Baltic seas using a two-way nesting method is presented. Illustrations from the assimilation of remote sensing, in situ and high-frequency (HF) radar data, the prediction of wind waves and storm surges, and possible applications to search and rescue operations are also presented. Concepts for seamless approaches to link coastal and regional forecasting systems are exemplified by the application of an unstructured-grid model for the Ems Estuary.

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The Integrated Ocean Observing System High-Frequency Radar Network: Status and Local, Regional, and National Applications

Cited by 68 publications

References 12 publications

Evaluation of two algorithms for a network of coastal HF radars in the Mid-Atlantic Bight

Evaluation of two algorithms for a network of coastal HF radars in the Mid-Atlantic Bight

Airborne Remote Sensing of the Upper Ocean Turbulence during CASPER-East

Ocean forecasting for the German Bight: from regional to coastal scales

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