Ocean wave parameters and spectrum estimated from single and dual high-frequency radar systems

Abstract

The high-frequency (HF) radar inversion algorithm for spectrum estimation (HIAS) can estimate ocean wave directional spectra from both dual and single radar. Wave data from a dual radar and two single radars are compared with in situ observations. The agreement of the wave parameters estimated from the dual radar with those from in situ observations is the best of the three. In contrast, the agreement of the wave parameters estimated from the single radar in which no Doppler spectra are observed in the cell closest to the in situ observation point is the worst among the three. Wave data from the dual radar and the two single radars are compared. The comparison of the wave heights estimated from the single and dual radars shows that the area sampled by the Doppler spectra for the single radar is more critical than the number of Doppler spectra in terms of agreement with the dual-radar-estimated wave heights. In contrast, the comparison of the wave periods demonstrates that the number of Doppler spectra observed by the single radar is more critical for agreement of the wave periods than the area of the Doppler spectra. There is a bias directed to the radar position in the single radar estimated wave direction.