HF radar measurement of surface currents in fresh water: theoretical and design considerations and observational results

Although HF radar has become an important tool for mapping surface currents in the coastal ocean, its use over fresh water has been very limited due to much higher propagation loss and smaller wave heights on fresh water lakes relative to the salt-water ocean. Recent experiments on Lake Michigan and Lake Tahoe show that HF radar can play a very useful role in physical limnology near lake shores (within /spl ap/15 km). The authors summarize theoretical considerations dictating HF radar performance over fresh water and give examples of observations during Episodic Events Great Lakes Experiment (EEGLE).