Comparison between Microwave Radar Gauge and Pressure Gauge in Monitoring Sea Level Surface at Alexandria Naval Port

The importance of knowing the sea level stems from the full awareness of the danger this elevation poses to many people living in coastal cities which are sometimes located at elevations less than 1 meter. The Pressure Gauge (PG) is the oldest tool for measuring changes in sea level. In recent years, the microwave Radar Gauge (RG) device has emerged, which measures sea level using remote radar waves and records the rise and fall of the sea level. In this study, a comparison between the observations of the PG and RG were conducted by collecting data from both devices over a period of fourteen months from January 2020 to February 2021. A sea level monitoring station was established in the Alexandria Naval Port by the National Water Research Centre (NWRC) in collaboration with the Egyptian Military Survey Department of the Ministry of Defense. The microwave radar device was installed next to the previously installed pressure gauge, and data were collected from both devices. By analyzing 20,400 observations collected every 30 minutes over a period of 14 months and conducting T-test and F-test statistical analysis after applying 3 ϭ rule filter, as well as representing graphical plots of the observations of both devices at different time periods, the results indicated a somewhat close accuracy between the two devices over long periods of the year. However, the pressure gauge remained stable, and its observations were more consistent than those of the microwave radar device.