HF radar wave and wind measurement over the Eastern China Sea

High-frequency (HF) radar can be employed to measure sea surface state parameters such as waveheight, wind field, and surface current velocity. This paper describes the application of the HF ground wave radar in remote sensing the surface conditions over the Eastern China Sea in October 2000. The radar, referred to as the OSMAR2000, was developed by Wuhan University. Preliminary wave spectra, waveheights, and wind fields estimated from the collected data are presented and compared with ship-recorded measurements where such are available. The range for wind direction sensing is up to 200 km. Wave information and wind speed can be provided up to a range of 120 km. The mean difference between radar- and ship-measured significant waveheight is 0.323 m; wind direction is measured within 20°; and wind speed to within 0.6 m/s. With such agreement being fairly reasonable, the feasibility of the inversion algorithm and the ocean state real-time sensing capability of OSMAR2000 are demonstrated.