X-band radar system to support coastal management decisions.

Abstract

The difficulties and costs associated with the acquisition of hydrodynamic and bathymetry data in the nearshore is widely recognised. While technological advances have enabled in situ measurements at increased precision, the limited spatial and temporal resolution of data continues to hinder evidence-based coastal management. This paper presents selected results from the ‘X-Band radar as a coastal monitoring tool’ (X-Com) project which tests the suitability of a land-based X-Band radar system to provide data required for practical coastal management applications. Results are shown from a radar installation at Thorpeness (Suffolk, eastern England) from August 2015 to October 2016. At this location, coastal erosion threatens clifftop and beach front properties, and the lack of understanding about the local nearshore-shore-cliff interactions has been identified as a key factor limiting the development of a sustainable coastal strategy. A model is used in a preliminary examination of surface current data from the radar. X-Com results indicate that X-Band radar systems have an unrealised potential and could become a cost-effective tool for coastal management applications pending improvements in the automation of data processing, assessment of data accuracy and end user-friendly output formats.