STEPS TOWARDS AN OPERATIONAL SERVICE USING NEAR REAL-TIME ALTIMETER DATA

摘要

Thanks largely to modern computing power, numerical forecasts of winds and waves over the oceans are ever improving, offering greater accuracy and finer resolution in time and space. However, it is recognized that met-ocean models still have difficulty in accurately forecasting severe weather conditions, conditions that cause the most damage and difficulty in maritime operations. Therefore a key requirement is to provide improved information on severe conditions. No individual measurement or prediction system is perfect. Offshore buoys provide a continuous long-term record of wind and wave conditions, but only at a limited number of sites. Satellite data offer all-weather global coverage, but with relatively infrequent sampling. Forecasts rely on imperfect numerical schemes and the ability to manage a vast quantity of input data. Therefore the best system is one that integrates information from all available sources, taking advantage of the benefits that each can offer. We report on an initiative supported by the European Space Agency (ESA) which investigated how satellite data could be used to enhance systems to provide Near Real Time monitoring of met-ocean conditions.