Numerical simulation and inversion of offshore area depth based on x-band microwave radar

A detection method of offshore area depth utilizing the x-band microwave radar is proposed. The method is based on the sea clutter imaging mechanism of microwave radar, and combined with dispersion equation of the liner wave theorem and least square method （LSM）, consequently get the inversion results of water depth in the detected region. The wave monitoring system OSMAR-X exploited by the Ocean State Laborato-ry, Wuhan University, based on a microwave radar has proven to be a powerful tool to monitor ocean waves in time and space. Numerical simulation and inversion of offshore area depth are carried out here; since JONSWAP model can give description of stormy waves in different growth phase, it is suitable for simulation. Besides, some results from measured data detected by OSMAR-X x-band radar located at Longhai of Fujian Province, China, validates this method. The tendency of the average water depths inferred from the radar images is in good agreement with the tide level detected by Xiamen tide station. These promising results suggest the possibility of using OSMAR-X to monitor operationally morphodynamics in coastal zones. This method can be applied to both shore-based and shipborne x-band microwave radar.

Surface tidal currents in the open sea area to the east of the Zhoushan Islands measured with high frequency surface wave radar

Based on the quasi-harmonic analysis of 11 d vector ocean currents obtained from two high frequency sur- face wave radars located at Zhujiajian Island and Shengshan Island, the spatial distribution characteristics of surface tidal currents in the open sea area to the east of the Zhoushan Islands of Zhejiang Province, China are studied. The following conclusions are drawn from the analysis： the tidal current pattern in the open sea area to the east of Zhoushan Islands is primarily regular semidiurnal, which is significantly affected by the shallow water constituents. The directions of the major axes of tidal current ellipses of M2 lie approx- imately in the NW-SE direction. With the increasing of distance away from the coast, the directions of the tidal current ellipses gradually shift toward the E-W direction. The tidal currents are mainly reversing cur- rents. The spatial distribution of probable maximum current velocities decreases gradually from northeast to southwest which is basically in accordance with the spatial distribution of measured maximum current velocities. The residual currents near the coast are larger than those far away from the coast. The directions of the residual currents are basically north by east, and the angle to the due north increases gradually with the increasing distance away from the coast. The topography shows a certain impact on the spatial distri- bution of shallow water constituents, the rotation of tidal currents, the probable maximum currents and the residual currents.