Marine X-band radar derived wave field quality on an ebb tidal delta

Abstract

Marine X-band radar is used to monitor the sea surface. Algorithms to derive wave, current and bathymetric information from the radar images are surrounded by considerable uncertainty and lack of robustness, especially in complicated morphological settings. The large temporal and spatial resolution of radar imaging qualifies radar data for calibration or validation of numerical models, but the data quality should be known. Therefore the aim of this thesis is to find the wave field quality in marine X-band radar images, using data collected at the Ameland Inlet during two storms in 2010. Quality reduction factors are interpreted from the temporal and spatial variability in radar wave field quality which follows from two developed methods: (1) evaluating when and where the data filters removed radar-derived wave field outliers and (2) comparing radar to modelled SWAN wave characteristics. The regions with reduced quality include regions where waves break, the bathymetry is steep and the radar cannot view the waves well. This opens up possibilities to a priori predict radar quality.