Tidal Current Measurements Using VHF Radar and ADCP in the Normand Breton Gulf: Comparison of Observations and Numerical Model

Performance and operational feasibility of very high- frequency (VHF) Doppler radar have been demonstrated in a region dominated by strong tidal currents. An analysis of remote measurements of sea surface currents acquired by Courants de Surface MEsurs par Radar (COSMER)-pulsed Doppler radar during Evaluation et Prvision de l'Environnement Littoral (EPEL) experiment (supported by the French Navy) is presented in this paper. The VHF COSMER radar was deployed to provide continuous sea surface current measurements within an area of about 25 km $\,\times\,$ 25 km in the Normand Breton Gulf, France. This paper presents VHF measurement comparisons with observations such as acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP), as well as comparisons with numerical model TELEMAC 2-D. Results of tidal waves extraction, using harmonic analysis and residual currents, are shown in this paper. We also present a case where radar method is limited, due to the presence of additional peaks in the Doppler spectrum.