HF radar wave measurement-progress towards an operational system

The HF radar group at the University of Sheffield has been developing and evaluating methods for ocean wave measurement using HF radar for the last 10 years building on work begun at the University of Birmingham. The CODAR and OSCR systems were specifically developed for current measurement. The possibility of extending their applications to allow wave measurement is being explored. As part of the MAST SCAWVEX project, the authors have been working with a group at the University of Hamburg, owners of one of the original CODAR systems, on the development of a new radar, WERA, of the OSCR type but with potentially better range. Results from the Holderness experiment on the NE coast of England (using OSCR) are presented. The OSCR measurements of the directional wave spectrum and derived parameters are compared with wavebuoy data providing a quantitative assessment of the accuracy of the radar measurements. Examples showing the spatial and temporal resolution obtainable are presented