Oceanography radar system WERA: features, accuracy, reliability and limitations

The WERA system (WavE RAdar) is a shore based remote sensing system to monitor ocean surface currents, waves and wind direction. This long range, high resolution monitoring system based on short radio wave radar technology. The vertical polarised electromagnetic wave is coupled to the conductive ocean surface and follows the curvature of the earth. This over the horizon oceanography radar can pick up back-scattered signals from the rough ocean surface (Bragg effect) from ranges of up to 200 km. The physical background, technical concept and environmental boundary conditions are explained. Results for various installations from all over the world demonstrates the features and flexibility of the system: high resolution monitoring (range cell size of 300 m) over a range of 60~km or long range applications with 3 km range cell size, all generated with the typical high temporal resolution of 10 minutes. The technical performance depends on the site geometry, system configuration and the environmental conditions. These aspects are discussed to enable interested users to estimate the potential of this technology for their specific application.
Anahtar Kelimeler:

Radar, WERA, Current, Waves.

Oceanography radar system WERA: features, accuracy, reliability and limitations

The WERA system (WavE RAdar) is a shore based remote sensing system to monitor ocean surface currents, waves and wind direction. This long range, high resolution monitoring system based on short radio wave radar technology. The vertical polarised electromagnetic wave is coupled to the conductive ocean surface and follows the curvature of the earth. This over the horizon oceanography radar can pick up back-scattered signals from the rough ocean surface (Bragg effect) from ranges of up to 200 km. The physical background, technical concept and environmental boundary conditions are explained. Results for various installations from all over the world demonstrates the features and flexibility of the system: high resolution monitoring (range cell size of 300 m) over a range of 60~km or long range applications with 3 km range cell size, all generated with the typical high temporal resolution of 10 minutes. The technical performance depends on the site geometry, system configuration and the environmental conditions. These aspects are discussed to enable interested users to estimate the potential of this technology for their specific application.

___

  • D. D. Crombie, “Doppler spectrum of sea echo at 13.56 Mc/s”, Nature Vol. 175 (1955) pp. 681-682
  • D. E. Barrick, “Ocean surface current mapped by radar”, Science Vol. 198 (1977) pp. 138-144
  • L. R. Wyatt, “HF radar measurements of the ocean wave directional spectrum,” IEEE J. Oceanic Eng., Vol. 16, pp. 163-169, (1991)
  • K.-W. Gurgel, et al, “An Empirical Method to Derive Ocean Waves from Second-Order Bragg Scattering - Prospects and Limitations”, IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering, Vol. 31, no. 4, October 2006, pp. 804...811
  • Lucy R Wyatt, “HF radar wind measurement – present capabilities and future prospects”, Proceedings of the Radiowave oceanography 1stinternational workshop, (2001)
  • K.-W. Gurgel, T. Schlick, “HF Radar Wave Measurements in the Presence of Ship Echoes - Problems and Solutions”, Proceedings of the IEEE Oceans 2005 Europe, Brest, June 2005
  • K.-W. Gurgel, et al., “Wellen Radar(WERA), a new ground-wave based HF radar for ocean remote sensing”, Coastal Engineering Vol. 37, NOS. 3-4, ISSN 0378-3839, pp. 219...234, August 1999
  • K.-W. Gurgel et al., “HF radars: Physical limitations and recent developments”, Coastal Engineering, Vol. 37, NOS. 3-4, ISSN 0378-3839, pp. 201...218, August 1999
  • H. H. Essen et al., “Comparison of remotely measured and modeled currents in coastal areas of Norway and Spain”, The Global Atmosphere and Ocean System (ISSN 1023-6732), Volume 9, Number 1-2, pp. 38...64, (2003)
  • L. R. Wyatt et al., “Validation and intercomparions of wave measurements and models during the EuroROSE experiments”, Coastal Engineering, Vol 48, pp. 1..28, (2003)
  • Liu, Y. et al., “Characteristic current patterns on the west Florida shelf from an adjoint, self organizing map analysis of HF radar and ADCP data”, J. Phys. Oceanogr. (Submitted) Shay, L. K. et al., “Relationship between oceanic energy fluxes and surface winds during tropical cyclone pas- sage” (Chapter 5). Atmosphere-Ocean Interactions II, Advances in Fluid Mechanics. Ed. W. Perrie, WIT Press, Southampton, UK. 31pp, (In Press) V. Cochin et al.,”SURLITOP experiment in West Brittany: Results and validation”. Proceedings of Radiowave Oceanography Workshop (ROW-6), Hamburg, Germany, May 2006
  • T. Helzel et al., “Accuracy and Reliability of Ocean Current and Wave Monitoring with the Coastal Radar WERA”, IEEE Oceans Conference Proceedings (ISBN 978-1-4244-2523-5), Bremen, May 2009