HF radar wind measurement over the Eastern China Sea

HF radar can be employed to measure sea surface state parameters such as waveheight, wind field and surface current velocity. This paper describes the application of the high frequency ground wave radar OSMAR2000 developed by Wuhan University in remote sensing the surface condition over the East China Sea in October 2000. The preliminary wind field estimated from the collected data is outlined and compared with the ship-recorded results. The range for wind direction sensing is up to 180 or 220 km, wind speed can be provided out to a range of 80 or 120 km. The mean difference of wind direction is 20/spl deg/ and wind speed is measured to within 0.6 m/s; the agreements are fairly good. The feasibility of the inversion algorithm and ocean state real-time sensing capability of OSMAR2000 are demonstrated.