U.S. IOOS® HF Radar Network10 Years of Experience

Measuring Ocean Surface Currents

Jack Harlan, Ph.D.

U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS®)

HF Radar Program Manager

26 February 2015

CIIMAR-GOMC

Mexico D.F.

Stakeholders

•Operated by 30 institutions

•USA, Mexico, Canada

Who Depends on it

•USCG Search and Rescue

•Oil spill response

•Water quality

•Commercial marine navigation

•Offshore energy

•Harmful algal bloom warnings

•Marine fisheries

•Criminal forensics

•Emerging - Tsunami detection

U.S. IOOS - High Frequency Radar Network

Search area decreased 66% in 96 hours

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Continental U.S.A.

Australia

South Korea

Canada

Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Is.

Hawaiian Is.

Spain

Mexico

High Frequency Radar Network (HFRNet)130+ Radars (USA,Mexico,Canada

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● Also, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, N.Alaska, Hawaii

● Hourly solutions produced on 0.5, 1, 2 and 6 km grids

IOOS HFRNet Grid includes Mexico

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How Was IOOS HFRNet Created?

• Leveraged existing HF radar infrastructure in U.S. academia

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Growth of U.S. HFRNet

Operational budget line established for U.S. O&M

Integration of Existing Research Systems

State of CA44 radars funded

Start 2006

Continual growth a result of commitment

to network by U.S. partners

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Surface Current Data Flow for U.S. Coast Guard Search and Rescue Optimal Planning System (SAROPS)

HFRNet for Search and Rescue

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Applications

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U.S. IOOS Response to DWH

U.S. IOOS partnership demonstrated ability to:

•Quickly deploy: Gliders & HF radar, saving resources/improving safety

•Models/Imagery ingested into NOAA/Navy models

•Data assimilation improved spill response decision-making and public understanding

USM HFR

USF HFR

HFR data informed NOAA trajectory forecasts

HFR validation of SABGOM Forecast with satellite detected oil slicks

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96 hr: Without HFR36,000 Km2

96 hr: With HFR12,000 Km2

U.S. Coast Guard Search & Rescue

Actual Drifter LocationActual Drifter Location

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Shipping Navigation

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Shipping Navigation (cont.)

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National Weather Service Forecasts

• Automated Weather Information Processing System (AWIPS-2)– Every Coastal Forecast Office in the USA

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Accessing the Data in AWIPS-2

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Modeling/Data Assimilation

• West Coast Operational Forecast System (WCOFS)

Now Underway

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Biological Monitoring and Prediction

• Probability of egg occurrence

• HFR for particle trajectories

• Larval dispersal & MPAs

• Similar uses for spawning and migration studies

Winter Spring

Autumn Summer

Gong et al., 2009. JGR

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Upwelling and Phytoplankton

• Space & time pattern in flows, temperature and phytoplankton concentration.

• Upwelling – southward flow of cold nutrient-rich waters.

• Relaxation – northward flow of warmer, plankton-rich waters from south.

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The end cap on the main San Francisco municipal outfall was accidently dropped during maintenance; diffusers were temporarily shunted for ten days in October 2007

To close or not to close the beaches inshore of SF outfall?

San Francisco Sewage

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1-10 October 2007

Statistics of surface particle movements helped to show that beaching of the sewage plume was unlikely

6hr drift

12hr drift

24hr drift

San Francisco Sewage (cont.)

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Cosco Busan Tanker Spill58,000 gal of oil into San Francisco Bay - 8 Nov 2007

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Cosco Busan Spill (cont.)

• HF radar observations in the Gulf of the Farallones were able to predict which beaches were vulnerable as the oil exited the Golden Gate

• Responders focused assets effectively based on predictions

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HFRNet Data Management

• 24/7/365

• Redundant Servers

• Diagnostics

• Quality Control

• Data Storage

• Archival

LOTS of Behind-the-Scenes WORK!

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Radial Diagnostics

Radial diagnostics are summarized in a balloon with a link to the most recent radial image, file information and time histories of latencies and radial solutions

Site Diagnostics

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Network diagnostics are summarized monthly based on coverage

Site and Network Diagnostics

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GEO Global HF Radar

http://www.ioos.noaa.gov/globalhfr/welcome.html

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Global HF Radar Network

37 Countries with HF Radar for

oceanographic purposes

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GEO Global HF Radar Goals

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Looking to the Future: Innovations

Antenna Pattern MeasurementsUsing Automated Identification System (AIS)

For each vessel,

AIS provides:

Time-Stamped•Position•Bearing•Speed

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More Innovation

Antenna Pattern MeasurementsWith UAVs!

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Thank You

Please Visit the IOOS HF Radar Websiteioos.noaa.gov/hfradar

and the GEO Global HF Radar Website

ioos.noaa.gov/globalhfr/welcome.html

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