Global High Frequency (HF) RadarSurface Current Mapping

GEO Task

Co-ChairsJack Harlan (USA)

Lucy Wyatt (Australia)Enrique Alvarez-Fanjul (Spain)

Oceanology International – London, 13 March 2012

GEO Work Plan 2012-2015

• Endorses a task to plan a Global HF Radar Network for data sharing and delivery and to promote the proliferation of HF radar surface current velocity measurements.

• This GEO task is mentioned under–  IN-01 Earth Observing Systems– SB-01 Oceans and Society: Blue Planet

87%

Total in situ networks 61%

59%

81%

62%73%34%48%

100%

100%

Global Component: Global Ocean Observing System for Climate

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HF Radar Currents ?

Responding to Crisis: Deepwater HorizonU.S. IOOS partnership demonstrated ability to:

•Quickly deploy technologies: Gliders and HF radar, saving resources/improving safety

•Models/Imagery ingested into NOAA/Navy models

•Data assimilation improved spill response decision-making and public understanding

USM HFR

USF HFR

TS Bonnie

Web Portal

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HFR data informed NOAA trajectory forecasts

Briefing Blog

HFR validation of SABGOM Forecast with satellite detected oil slicks

Outline: Goals

• Background Discussion – – Current status of HF radar globally– Existing national programs– Current status of HF data management– Existing applications examples– Radio Frequency Management

• Synergies & Challenges• Next steps

– Focused working groups?– Other?

CODAR SeaSonde Worldwide 2012• United States 130

• Canada 8

• Mexico 2

• Brazil 2

• Bahamas 2

• Honduras 2

• Norway 6

• Portugal 4

• Italy 6

• Croatia 2

• Spain 16

• Ireland 2

• Russia 1

• France 2

• Israel 2

• Japan 22

• Korea 24

• China 8

• Thailand 6

• Malta 2

• Taiwan 20

• India 12

• Vietnam 3

• Indonesia 2

• Jordan 1

• UAE 2

• Egypt 2

• Azerbaijan 2

• Australia 5

Total Sales: ~298

WERA Worldwide 2012• USA: 12• Mexico: 2• France: 6• Australia: 8• Germany: 5• UK: 2• Chile: 2• Oman: 2• Greece: 2• China: 4• Korea: 2

• Total Sales: 47

Present US HF Radar Network

• 129 Radars of Four Range/Resolutions*– Maximum Ranges: 25-200 km– Resolution: 500 m - 6 km

• Some Radars Deployed since early ’90s

• 44 CODAR Radars Purchased by California Coastal Ocean Current Monitoring Program (~2003-2004)

*Does not include 3 seasonal radars

Mid-Atlantic USA

NYC

DC

Pacific USA

Data Management• Standard interoperable self-describing

netCDF format

• Standard metadata ISO 19115 format

• Quality control– Radar level– Radial velocity level– Total vector velocity level

• Three Data Nodes

• Ten Aggregator Server Portals

IOOS HF Radar Data Flow3 Data Nodes

US Coast Guard Search & Rescue

Only 3 radars and 1 Aggregator shown

US Coast Guard Support

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• R&D to Create HF Radar Tools • Integrated into USCG Operational SAR Optimal Planning System (SAROPS) for Mid-Atlantic in 2009• Refines search zone

96 hr: Without HFR (36,000 Km2)

96 hr: With HFR (12,000 Km2)

Applications• Oil Spill Response; 24x7 availability a must.

– HFR was used as a cost avoidance tool during oil spill in San Francisco Bay • Water Quality Monitoring

– San Francisco’s accidental discharge of secondarily-treated wastewater. – San Diego, Dept of Environmental Health uses the Tijuana River Plume Trajectory

to help guide decisions about sampling and beach closures. – Los Angeles used HFR data to determine beach closures during a major

maintenance operation of a 50-year old outflow pipe. ~$750M in unneeded repairs could have been avoided had the HFR data been available in previous years.

• Commercial Marine Navigation. – Ship captains use HFR data in a display environmental conditions at the entrance

to the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach Harbor. • Criminal Forensics: Conviction (fine) of a Dentist for dumping medical waste which

washed up on the New Jersey shores. Using HFR they were able to hindcast where the needles came from.

• Offshore Energy: New Jersey has funded 4 radars to support offshore energy siting. Also it is to be ingested into oceanic models that will provide better forecasts for all types of offshore energy operations.

• Marine Fisheries: HFR data are being used to monitor the dispersal of commercial fish larvae & juvenile fish survival.

• Harmful Algal Bloom (“red tides”): HFR data are being used in the forecasts for the Washington Coast.

Port Navigation

Water Quality & FisheriesPlume tracking Fisheries

Are there preferred locations for the fall squid migration to the outer shelf?

Squid prefer persistent upwelling zones.

• Start Points• Stop Points

PositiveCorrelation

Persistent Downwelling

PersistentUpwelling

NegativeCorrelation

Tracking pollution from the Tijuana River in Southern CA

Radio Frequencies• World Radiocommunications Conference Feb 2012

– Frequency bands for global use*– 4.438 - 4.488 MHz     50 kHz

– 5.250 - 5.275 MHz    25 kHz

– 9.305 - 9.355 MHz    50 kHz  (not usable in the Americas)

– 13.450 - 13.550 MHz  100 kHz   

– 16.100 - 16.200 MHz  100 kHz

– 24.450 - 24.650 MHz  200 kHz

– 26.200 - 26.420 MHz  220 kHz

– 41.015 - 41.665 MHz  650 kHz

– 43.350 - 44.000 MHz  650 kHz

• 25 kHz = 6 km range resolution• 50 kHz = 3 km• 150 kHz = 1 km * status depends on ITU Region

Synergies & Challenges

• Synergies– WRC frequency allocations– Data file formats

• Challenges– Data file formats– Data distribution: technical & political– Data assimilation into operational models– Frequency synchronization

An Operational HF Radar Network

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Boston

Washington

New York