Accuracy and reliability of ocean radar WERA in beam forming or direction finding mode

Abstract

This paper introduces the over-the-horizon radar technique optimized for oceanographic applications. The relation between radar range and operating frequency will be explained as well as the radar resolution which depends on the radar bandwidth. The accuracy in azimuth strongly depends on the number of used receive antennae and samples demonstrate the high accuracy that can be achieved. The oceanographic data output are provided in near real-time with an individually optimized integration time for currents (5 to 10 min) and wave data (20 to 30 min). This method results in very reliable and accurate ocean data with a reported data availability of more than 98 % within the last 3 years. This excellent reliability makes these kind of instruments a perfect tool for harbor and coastal management to optimize SAR and pollution drift monitoring.