Active sensor devices for the sea surface have been used for many years in order to supply large scale information on the wave and wind fields. Among them, the most important is the satellite altimeter, whose main application so far has mostly been related to the calibration of forecasting or hind-casting models over the oceans. Enclosed or semi-enclosed seas pose a bigger challenge because of the rapidly varying wind and sea state fields, as well as of the relatively scarce time and space density of the coverage. The Arabian Gulf, in particular, is an ideal testing field for the synergy between wave modeling and satellite altimeter wave monitoring, since rainfall, one of the main cases of altimeter disturbances, is rare or virtually absent. Wave climate in the Gulf has already been thoroughly considered in depth and a full WAM based simulating system was setup. There is, however, a comparative scarcity of field data to verify and calibrate such a system, therefore the availability of space data is an important option. This paper presents some comparisons between the WAM based modeling system at Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR), with ERS-2, Envisat and Jason-1 altimeter data. Some measurements taken by wavemeters located off Dubai were also considered. In addition to that, the importance and the possible causes of small spatial scale oscillation of both wind and wave measurements from altimeter data is considered; such oscillations mightprovide an indication of spatial storm variability on a smaller scale than that of the standard meteo grids.
SATELLITE ALTIMETER CALIBRATION OF A WAVE MODEL
REALE, FERDINANDO;PUGLIESE CARRATELLI, Eugenio;
2009-01-01
Abstract
Active sensor devices for the sea surface have been used for many years in order to supply large scale information on the wave and wind fields. Among them, the most important is the satellite altimeter, whose main application so far has mostly been related to the calibration of forecasting or hind-casting models over the oceans. Enclosed or semi-enclosed seas pose a bigger challenge because of the rapidly varying wind and sea state fields, as well as of the relatively scarce time and space density of the coverage. The Arabian Gulf, in particular, is an ideal testing field for the synergy between wave modeling and satellite altimeter wave monitoring, since rainfall, one of the main cases of altimeter disturbances, is rare or virtually absent. Wave climate in the Gulf has already been thoroughly considered in depth and a full WAM based simulating system was setup. There is, however, a comparative scarcity of field data to verify and calibrate such a system, therefore the availability of space data is an important option. This paper presents some comparisons between the WAM based modeling system at Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR), with ERS-2, Envisat and Jason-1 altimeter data. Some measurements taken by wavemeters located off Dubai were also considered. In addition to that, the importance and the possible causes of small spatial scale oscillation of both wind and wave measurements from altimeter data is considered; such oscillations mightprovide an indication of spatial storm variability on a smaller scale than that of the standard meteo grids.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
