Results from the Mid Atlantic High

Frequency Radar Network

Hugh Roarty
Ethan Handel
Michael Smith
Erick Rivera
John Kerfoot
Josh Kohut
Scott Glenn

hroarty@marine.rutgers.edu
 Rutgers University
Coastal Ocean Observation Lab

CODAR Network L-Band & X-Band Satellite 3-D Nowcasts Glider Fleet
Receivers & Forecasts
 1000 km CT RI Cape
MA
Cape to Cape Cod
NY 10 States
PA
11 IOOS NJ
Regional
Associations
MD DE MIDDLE
ATLANTIC
REGIONAL
ASSOCIATION
COASTAL
OCEAN
OBSERVING
VA SYSTEM

NC
Cape
Hatteras To seek, discover and apply new knowledge
& understanding of our coastal ocean
 MARACOOS Regional Data & Regional Products
Satellites HF-Radar Gliders Drifters

Population Density To seek, discover & apply

new knowledge & understanding
of our coastal ocean

Weather Stations Ocean Forecast

Ensemble
 MARACOOS Regional Themes
1) Maritime Operations – Safety at Sea 3) Water Quality – Floatables, Hypoxia, Nutrients

2) Ecosystem Decision Support - 5) Energy – Offshore Wind

Fisheries 4) Coastal Inundation - Flooding
High Frequency
Radar Network
 Components of a High Frequency (HF) RADAR system
Computer and Monitor Transmitter
Receiver Transmit Antenna

receive antenna Receive Antenna

monopole (A3)
loop box
(A1 & A2)
radial whips
electronics
loop box Frequency Dependent Range,
Resolution & Vessel Size

loop 1 (A1) loop 2 (A2)

 LONG
RANGE 2003
2003

NETWORK 2001
2000 2007
2010 2003

5 MHz 2001
2001
2006
2006
2009
Range ~ 180 km
2003 Resolution 6 km
2003
Standard
Range
Network
25 MHz

Range ~ 30 km
Resolution 1 km
Future Medium
Range Network
13 MHz

Range ~ 80 km
Resolution 2 km
 13 MHz Tx/Rx
Antenna
• Single antenna at 13
MHz
• Transmit and Receive
• Radial whips no
longer needed
• Possible to install with
no guy wires and
small base
 Long Range
Data Coverage
 2008 Temporal Coverage
Unweigted Least Squares Optimal Interpolation
 2009 Spatial Coverage
Unweigted Least Squares Optimal Interpolation
 2010 Spatial Coverage
Unweigted Least Squares Optimal Interpolation
Spatial and Temporal Coverage Metric
Spatial and Temporal Coverage Metric
 Long Range
Annual and Seasonal Mean
 Winter
DEC ’08 – FEB ‘09

Curly vectors
plotted with
NCAR
Computing
Language (NCL)
 Spring
MAR ’09 – MAY ‘09
Summer
JUNE ’09 – AUG ‘09
 Fall
SEP ’09 – NOV ‘09
Delivery and Use in SAROPS
 Individual Forecast
Data Product
Product Decision Tool
Site Data Aggregator Aggregator
Generation
Distribution: OPeNDAP/ THREDDS
Data Format: NetCDF STPS,
(UConn)

HF Radar MARCOOS ROMS

Radials Totals EDS SAROPS
(Rutgers)

NOAA
National HOPS
Network (SMAST)

NYHOPS
(Stevens)
HF Radar Currents in SAROPS
 HF Radar
and
HYbrid Coordinate Date Time
Ocean Model or 22 July 2009
00
0000 Z
(HYCOM) 23 July 2009
Currents in SAROPS 0000 Z
24
24 July 2009
• High Confidence (HF Radar)
0000 Z
48
– sigma (1 std dev) = 0.22 knots
25 July 2009
– Tau (half life) = 264 minutes
0000 Z
72
• Low Confidence (HYCOM)
– sigma (1 std dev) = 0.37 knots 26 July 2009
0000 Z
96
– Tau (half life) = 264 minutes
• Number of particles = 5000
• SLDMB 39029
 24 Hours Into Search

HYCOM HF Radar
Low Confidence High Confidence
 48 Hours Into Search

HYCOM HF Radar
Low Confidence High Confidence
Search Area After 96 Hours

154 km
100 km

232 km 123 km

HYCOM HF Radar

36,000 km2 12,000 km2

10,500 nmi2 3,500 nmi2

HF Radar within NOAA
May 4, 2009: After a year of testing, NOAA Announces on
U.S. Department of Commerce Website that
MACOORA CODAR is Operational in SAROPS
U.S. IOOS Goal
for 2011:
Bring all
sustained
regional-scale
HFR networks
up to operational
status in USCG
SAROPS
U.S. National HF Radar Network Summary
• Already includes
129 Sites from
29 Organizations

• First of 11 Regions is
already operational in Coast
Guard SAROPS

• Several regional networks

will come on line in 2010

• A 5-Year Buildout Plan

has been developed.

• While Search And Rescue

has been the driver, many
other applications benefit.

•$5M requested for FY12

www.legislative.noaa.gov/Testimony/Lubchenco033111.pdf
 Enhancing the Network with
Bistatics

Bistatic from SEAS

Transmitter

Bistatic from
SEAB Seasonde

Backscatter
 Enhancing
the Network
with Bistatics
 Radial Current Vectors

13 MHz
Totals from Radials

Optimal spacing
should be 40 km
90 km
Elliptical Current Vectors
Totals from Radials & Ellipticals

Coverage Area
from only Radials
Enhancing the Network with Bistatics –
At Sea Transmitter

SNR 17 dB SNR 32 dB

Monostatic Geometry Bistatic Geometry

at 13 MHz at 13 MHz
Contours of SNR and Range
Vessel Detection with HF
Radar
 HF Radar Spectra
Fixed Objects & Direct Signals

Signal Strength (dB)

Bragg Waves Bragg Waves
Vessel
Vessel

e
ng
Ra
Doppler Frequency
GPS Track of YM Los Angeles
Pepper Plot of All Detections
Association of Detections with GPS
Detections on a Map
Other Detections
Conclusions
• Mid Atlantic Long Range HF
Radar Network is celebrating
its 10th anniversary
• MARCOOS is delivering
Quality Controlled Surface
Current Data and Forecasts to
the US Coast Guard for
improved SAR
• HF Radar Network is helping to
describe the nature of the flow
in the Mid Atlantic
• We are also developing the
dual-use capability of the radar
for vessel detection