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Multiple HF-Radar System Development for a Regional Longterm Ecosystem Observatory in the New York Bight
Josh T. Kohut, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ; and S. M. Glenn and D. E. Barrick
A Standard SeaSonde HF-Radar system has been operational at the Longterm Ecosystem Observatory (LEO-15) along the New Jersey coast since 1998. The system provides real-time maps of ocean surface currents extending 50 km alongshore and 40 km offshore. The various in situ measurements, including moored, ship-towed and AUV mounted ADCP’s, collected at LEO-15 provide an excellent testbed for HF-Radar validation studies. An important aspect of this validation has been to test the role of antenna pattern distortions in both the accuracy and coverage of the measurements. Since the antenna patterns are used by the system to determine the direction of the backscattered signal, any distortions in these patterns will affect the surface current data. An experiment has been set up to test possible causes of these distortions including the surrounding environment and system hardware. By optimizing the system based on the antenna patterns, the radial data collected has been shown to be more accurate and cover a larger area of the ocean surface. In addition to the standard SeaSonde system, a long-range system was deployed in June 2000. This new site transmits at a lower frequency allowing measurements to be made further offshore. Radial data collected during the summer of 2000 will be validated against multiple ADCP platforms at the LEO-15 site. One of the restrictions of HF-Radar systems is the inability of the systems to resolve total current vectors near the coast. The third system to be tested at LEO-15 will eliminate this near coastal gap by incorporating data collected by two bistatic transmitters mounted on buoys deployed 20 km offshore. The standard, long-range and bistatic CODAR systems form the backbone of a nested regional observatory for the New York Bight (LEO-NYB). LEO-NYB is one prototype for a series of linked regional observatories envisioned to form the NorthEast Ocean Observing System (NEOOS).
Session 1, New Ocean Observing and Data Management Systems (NOPP Special Session)
Monday, 15 January 2001, 8:30 AM-12:30 PM
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