Search results for "Surface current"
showing 7 items of 7 documents
The synergy of water quality and sea surface currents data in determining the spatio-temporal evolution of large-scale circulation features
2014
Chlorophyll-a (CHL-a) and Sea Surface Temperature (SST), amongst others, are proxies or indicators for water quality and can be easily retrieved synoptically and almost in near-real time through satellite remote-sensing. However, as they evolve in space and time in response to winds and currents, a full resolution of the temporal and spatial scales of these latters is required and their influence in shaping the distribution of water quality parameters needs to be assessed. While providing synoptic views and revealing mesoscale features, satellites suffer, indeed, from inadequate representation of sub-grid physical processes and lack of temporal resolution. Conventional point-wise measuremen…
A Comparison between Drifter and X-Band Wave Radar for Sea Surface Current Estimation
2016
This paper deals with exploitation of the wave radar system for sea surface current estimation in a coastal zone. In particular, we present the results of the processing of the radar data collected by an X-band marine radar installed in Capo Granitola site, which is located in the south-west part of Sicily, on 15 May 2015. The effectiveness of the data processing is analyzed by comparing the wave radar estimated sea surface current with that provided by the Lagrangian drifters along its movement trajectory. During the measurement campaign, three drifter releases are carried out and for each one the comparison is provided in terms of the mean error and standard deviation. In addition, we rep…
Coastal high-frequency radars in the Mediterranean – Part 1: Status of operations and a framework for future development
2022
Due to the semi-enclosed nature of the Mediterranean Sea, natural disasters and anthropogenic activities impose stronger pressures on its coastal ecosystems than in any other sea of the world. With the aim of responding adequately to science priorities and societal challenges, littoral waters must be effectively monitored with high-frequency radar (HFR) systems. This land-based remote sensing technology can provide, in near-real time, fine-resolution maps of the surface circulation over broad coastal areas, along with reliable directional wave and wind information. The main goal of this work is to showcase the current status of the Mediterranean HFR network and the future roadmap for orches…
Coastal high-frequency radars in the Mediterranean - Part 2: Applications in support of science priorities and societal needs
2022
The Mediterranean Sea is a prominent climate-change hot spot, with many socioeconomically vital coastal areas being the most vulnerable targets for maritime safety, diverse met-ocean hazards and marine pollution. Providing an unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution at wide coastal areas, high-frequency radars (HFRs) have been steadily gaining recognition as an effective land-based remote sensing technology for continuous monitoring of the surface circulation, increasingly waves and occasionally winds. HFR measurements have boosted the thorough scientific knowledge of coastal processes, also fostering a broad range of applications, which has promoted their integration in coastal ocean …
Validation of HF radar sea surface currents in the Malta-Sicily Channel
2019
Abstract A network of High-Frequency radar (HFR) stations runs operationally in the Malta-Sicily Channel (MSC), Central Mediterranean Sea, providing sea surface current maps with high temporal (1 h) and spatial (3 × 3 km) resolutions since August 2012. Comparisons with surface drifter data and near-surface Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) observations, as well as radar site-to-site baseline analyses, provide quantitative assessments of HFR velocities accuracy. Twenty-two drifters were deployed within the HFR domain of coverage between December 2012 and October 2013. Additionally, six ADCP vertical current profiles were collected at selected positions during a dedicated field survey.…
CALYPSO, a permanent and operational network of High-Frequency radar observing systems for real-time monitoring of surface currents in the Malta-Sici…
2014
Illegal migration often results in dramatic loss of lives that can be avoided with timely Search and Rescue (SAR) interventions; such SAR services require accurate information such as on sea-state and operational tools such as trajectory forecasting for floating objects at sea. The maritime transport of oil crossing this region accounts for 25% of the global maritime traffic and for nearly 7% of the world oil accidents over the last 25 years. In combination with localized oil extraction plants existing in the shelf zones this situation presents a serious threat to both the open-sea and coastal-zone habitats, with consequent impacts on local economic activities as tourism and fisheries, impa…
Downscaling hydrodynamics features to depict causes of major productivity of Sicilian-Maltese area and implications for resource management
2018
Abstract Chlorophyll- a ( CHL-a ) and sea surface temperature ( SST ) are generally accepted as proxies for water quality. They can be easily retrieved in a quasi-near real time mode through satellite remote sensing and, as such, they provide an overview of the water quality on a synoptic scale in open waters. Their distributions evolve in space and time in response to local and remote forcing, such as winds and currents, which however have much finer temporal and spatial scales than those resolvable by satellites in spite of recent advances in satellite remote-sensing techniques. Satellite data are often characterized by a moderate temporal resolution to adequately catch the actual sub-gri…