A microwave radar water level sensor, the Design Analysis Waterlog H-3611 has recently entered service at tide stations operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service (NOS), Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) as part of the National Water Level Observation Network (NWLON). The microwave water level sensor combines high accuracy with low sensitivity to variations in air temperature and humidity but differs from other water level sensors in utilizing an unconfined radar beam aimed vertically downward to the water surface. Many potential benefits of using microwave radar sensors for short-term flood advisories and long-term sea level monitoring have been identified by several organizations throughout the ocean observing community. The most notable advantage of radar sensors is their ability to measure water level remotely with no parts directly in contact with the water column. Water level measurement stations that employ remote radar sensor technology will avoid many problems typical of long-term subsurface ocean sensors including biological fouling and corrosion. Remote sensing also results in a significant reduction in system hardware components and overall installation and maintenance requirements. Results from a series of laboratory and field tests conducted by CO-OPS over the last few years have led to operational use of Waterlog radar units in certain specific applications. It is acknowledged, however, that most test data collected and analyzed to date for the purpose of assessing the sensor's capabilities have focused on enclosed coastal regions with limited fetch and a low-wave environment (average significant wave height nominally less than 1 m). Although these test results are relevant to many CO-OPS applications of interest, including the majority of NWLON stations located in low-wave environments, uncertainty remained after the initial test phase and led to a new outlook toward sensor performance in open ocean environments that experience significant wave heights frequently in excess of 1 m. Additional testing under these conditions has presented a greater challenge as both the test and reference NWLON sensors are likely to encounter limitations in the presence of large waves. Analytical tools including spectral analysis of sensor output signals and an evaluation of sample statistics were needed to better understand the nature of these limitations. In order to address the remaining uncertainty in sensor performance capability, a multi-sensor test deployment was recently conducted at an open-ocean test site, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Field Research Facility at Duck, NC (Duck FRF). The resulting multi-sensor data set has allowed sensor measurement error to be estimated for the first time from measurement residuals about an ensemble average series. Comparing ensemble-based error estimates with corresponding Duck FRF nearshore wave data averaged over selected measurement periods shows that sensor error increases, as expe...
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Ocean Service Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) manages the National Current Observation Program (NCOP) and Physical Oceanographic Real-Time Systems (PORTS®). These programs provide tide and current predictions, as well as real-time current and meteorological information. Outdated current predictions, navigational support requirements, and incident response scenarios (e.g., oil spills, vessel accidents) have highlighted CO-OPS' need for a rapidly deployable system that provides near-surface current and meteorological observations. To address this, CO-OPS designed, developed, and tested a real-time system based on a surface buoy platform, hereinafter referred as CURrents BuoY (CURBY). This paper provides an overview of the system design, field test results, operational applications, and future plans.In 2018, CO-OPS completed the build, integration, and testing of the first prototype CURBY. A successful field test was completed during 2018 in the Chesapeake Bay, and the first operational deployment followed shortly on the Delaware River in 2019. Resulting measurements were used to improve tidal current predictions and to plan for a 2021 regional survey. Initial success with tidal current survey operations led to design enhancement and wider use. During 2020‐2021, CO-OPS partnered with the NOAA Office of Response and Restoration to build two new CURBYs to support emergency response applications in the Gulf of Mexico region. During 2022, two CURBY systems were deployed in the Columbia River, Oregon, to support additional NCOP operations. Future plans include establishing a long-term CURBY system for Kings Bay, Georgia, PORTS®.
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