Multi-year assessment of ocean surface currents from Copernicus Sentinel-1 and HF radar in the German Bight

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Gommenginger ◽  
Adrien C. H. Martin ◽  
Benjamin Jacob ◽  
Joanna Staneva
Keyword(s):  
German Bight ◽  
Surface Current ◽  
Ground Truth ◽  
Ocean Surface ◽  
Hf Radar ◽  
Surface Velocity ◽  
Coastal Current ◽  
Direct Estimate ◽  
Simple Method ◽  
Surface Motion

<p>Direct estimate of ocean surface motion sensed by the Doppler shift of the surface includes ocean surface current and a wind-wave induced artefact surface velocity (WASV). The Sentinel-1 (S1) C-band SAR mission includes direct ocean surface motion estimates as an operational Level-2 Ocean (OCN) Radial VeLocity (RVL) product. The existing operational RVL products suffer from significant uncorrected platform and instrument effects that presently prevent exploitation of the data. This paper proposes a simple method to calibrate and correct for these effects and evaluate the benefit of these corrections over 2.5 years S1A acquisition against ground truth measurements. A specific geometry for S1 has been chosen for S1-A over the HF radar (HFR) instrumented site in the German Bight. The 78 S1A snapshots end in 56 match-ups within 20 minutes of HFR measurements. HFR velocity fields were projected in the same radial direction as S1A. Land calibration corrects for constant snapshot biases of the operational products up to 2 m/s. Besides these constant biases there is persistent relative biases within snapshots between up to 0.4 m/s in addition to the TOPSAR uncorrected scalloping effect with an amplitude of 0.1 m/s. After calibration, corrected RVL are compared against HFR with various WASV correction. Applying WASV correction with a reduced 70% C-Dop model, gives the best results with a precision of 0.25 m/s and correlation in time of 0.9. This might be due to C-Dop amplitude in up/downwind being too strong for a coastal environment as encountered in the German Bight. Quadratic mean of all 78 S1A snapshots after all corrections applied exhibits coastal current jets in good agreement with bathymetry channels and is promising as a cheap way to infer local bathymetry channels.</p>

scholarly journals Blending Surface Currents from HF Radar Observations and Numerical Modeling: Tidal Hindcasts and Forecasts

2015 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 256-281 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. V. Stanev ◽  
F. Ziemer ◽  
J. Schulz-Stellenfleth ◽  
J. Seemann ◽  
J. Staneva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Modeling ◽  
German Bight ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Surface Current ◽  
Hf Radar ◽  
Optimal Interpolation ◽  
Kelvin Wave ◽  
Arctic Seas ◽  
Current Estimate ◽  
Radar Observations

AbstractAn observation network operating three Wellen Radars (WERAs) in the German Bight, which are part of the Coastal Observing System for Northern and Arctic Seas (COSYNA), is presented in detail. Major consideration is given to expanding the patchy observations over the entire German Bight on a 1-km grid and producing state estimates at intratidal scales, and 6- and 12-h forecasts. This was achieved with the help of the proposed spatiotemporal optimal interpolation (STOI) method, which efficiently uses observations and simulations from a free model run within an analysis window of one or two tidal cycles. In this way the method maximizes the use of available observations and can be considered as a step toward the “best surface current estimate.” The performance of the analysis was investigated based on the achieved reduction of the misfit between model and observations. The complex dynamics of the study domain was illustrated based on the spatial and temporal changes of tidal ellipses for the M2 and M4 constituents from HF radar observations. It was demonstrated that blending observations and numerical modeling facilitates physical interpretation of processes such as the nonlinear distortion of the Kelvin wave in the coastal zone and in particular in front of the Elbe and Weser estuaries. Comparisons with in situ data acquired outside the area covered by the HF radar demonstrated that the analysis method is able to propagate the HF radar information to larger spatial scales.

Measuring Antenna Patterns for Ocean Surface Current HF Radars with Ships of Opportunity

2014 ◽  
Vol 31 (7) ◽  
pp. 1564-1582 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian M. Emery ◽  
Libe Washburn ◽  
Chad Whelan ◽  
Don Barrick ◽  
Jack Harlan
Keyword(s):  
Surface Current ◽  
Ocean Surface ◽  
Radar Data ◽  
Direction Finding ◽  
Antenna Pattern ◽  
Hf Radar ◽  
Ocean Current ◽  
Identification System ◽  
Screening Methods ◽  
Ocean Surface Current

Abstract HF radars measure ocean surface currents near coastlines with a spatial and temporal resolution that remains unmatched by other approaches. Most HF radars employ direction-finding techniques, which obtain the most accurate ocean surface current data when using measured, rather than idealized, antenna patterns. Simplifying and automating the antenna pattern measurement (APM) process would improve the utility of HF radar data, since idealized patterns are widely used. A method is presented for obtaining antenna pattern measurements for direction-finding HF radars from ships of opportunity. Positions obtained from the Automatic Identification System (AIS) are used to identify signals backscattered from ships in ocean current radar data. These signals and ship position data are then combined to determine the HF radar APM. Data screening methods are developed and shown to produce APMs with low error when compared with APMs obtained with shipboard transponder-based approaches. The analysis indicates that APMs can be reproduced when the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the backscattered signal is greater than 11 dB. Large angular sectors of the APM can be obtained on time scales of days, with as few as 50 ships.

Simulation of tsunami signatures in ocean surface current maps measured by HF radar

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Dzvonkovskaya ◽  
Klaus-Werner Gurgel ◽  
Thomas Pohlmann ◽  
Thomas Schlick ◽  
Jiangling Xu
Keyword(s):  
Surface Current ◽  
Ocean Surface ◽  
Hf Radar ◽  
Ocean Surface Current

Ocean Surface Current Measurement Using Shipborne HF Radar: Model and Analysis

2016 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 970-981 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guanghong Chang ◽  
Ming Li ◽  
Junhao Xie ◽  
Ling Zhang ◽  
Changjun Yu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Surface Current ◽  
Ocean Surface ◽  
Current Measurement ◽  
Hf Radar ◽  
Ocean Surface Current

scholarly journals Applying the Method of EOF Interpolation and 2dVar to Complete the Ocean Surface Current Data Obtained from HF Radar System

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (1S) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nguyen Thi Thu Mai ◽  
Alexei Sentchev ◽  
Tran Manh Cuong
Keyword(s):  
Interpolation Method ◽  
Surface Current ◽  
Ocean Surface ◽  
Radar Data ◽  
Current Data ◽  
Surface Flow ◽  
Radar System ◽  
Hf Radar ◽  
High Frequency Radar ◽  
Ocean Surface Current

Abstract: There are now over 350 high frequency radar (HF radar) stations operating on the coast of 37 countries around the world that allow the mapping of ocean surface current. However, observation from HF radars are often interrupted (loss of data) in both space and time due to signal inference, backscatters, ocean state.Therefore, in this study, we will present a method to improve the surface current data collected from HF radar system. Firstly, the radial surface current data will be filtered intermittently, then the result is interpolated over time and space by the orthogonal experimental EOF and the 2dVar bi-directional variable interpolation. In addition, the authors have initially applied 2dVar interpolation method to the HF radar data in Vietnam and received initial positive results. The methods used in this paper promise to be effective when applied to improve surface flow data obtained from HF radar stations in Vietnam in the future.   Keywords:EOF interpolation, 2dVar, Iroise sea, HF radar, ocean surface current.

A National Coastal Ocean Surface Current Mapping System for the United States

2004 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 102-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey D. Paduan ◽  
P. Michael Kosro ◽  
Scott M. Glenn
Keyword(s):  
High Frequency ◽  
Surface Current ◽  
Ocean Surface ◽  
The United States ◽  
Hf Radar ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Radar Systems ◽  
Mapping System ◽  
Ocean Surface Currents ◽  
Ocean Surface Current

A description is given for a nation-wide surface current mapping system for the U.S. continental shelf regions based on the emerging capabilities of high frequency (HF) radar backscatter instruments. These HF radar systems have the advantages of being real-time, non-invasive, shore-based instruments capable of mapping ocean surface currents out to ranges of ∼200 km from shore. A framework for a national backbone system is described based on long-range HF radar systems and example results are provided from existing arrays off the northwest and northeast U.S. coastlines.

scholarly journals The Influence of Fetch on the Response of Surface Currents to Wind Studied by HF Ocean Surface Radar

2008 ◽  
Vol 38 (5) ◽  
pp. 1107-1121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yadan Mao ◽  
Malcolm L. Heron
Keyword(s):  
Wind Speed ◽  
Momentum Transfer ◽  
Surface Current ◽  
Ocean Surface ◽  
Growth Function ◽  
Current Data ◽  
Hf Radar ◽  
Stokes Drift ◽  
Surface Currents ◽  
Sea State

Abstract The momentum transfer from wind to sea generates surface currents through both the wind shear stress and the Stokes drift induced by waves. This paper addresses issues in the interpretation of HF radar measurements of surface currents and momentum transfer from air to sea. Surface current data over a 30-day period from HF ocean surface radar are used to study the response of surface currents to wind. Two periods of relatively constant wind are identified—one for the short-fetch condition and the other for the long-fetch condition. Results suggest that the ratio of surface current speed to wind speed is larger under the long-fetch condition, while the angle between the surface current vector and wind vector is larger under the short-fetch condition. Data analysis shows that the Stokes drift dominates the surface currents under the long-fetch condition when the sea state is more mature, while the Stokes drifts and Ekman-type currents play almost equally important roles in the total currents under the short-fetch condition. The ratios of Stokes drift to wind speed under these two fetch conditions are shown to agree well with results derived from the empirical wave growth function. These results suggest that fetch, and therefore sea state, significantly influences the total response of surface current to wind in both the magnitude and direction by variations in the significance of Stokes drift. Furthermore, this work provides observational evidence that surface currents measured by HF radar include Stokes drift. It demonstrates the potential of HF radar in addressing the issue of momentum transfer from air to sea under various environmental conditions.

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