Real-Time Marine Radar Observations of Nearshore Waves and Flow Structures from Shore-based Towers

Herein, we describe the design and operation of a real-time marine radar observing system operating from shore-based towers. Novel aspects include a solar powered, mobile, telescoping 100-ft tower for improved imaging range via enhanced signal-to-noise ratio, as well as real-time data products available via mobile device. The mobile radar system has been successfully deployed at two recent major field experiments. These experiments were coordinated efforts with a large number of investigators and the radar observations were used in real time to identify and track features of interest and to guide ship-based sampling. In addition, we present some data examples that show nearshore & estuarine dynamical features and some poorly understood phenomena in greater detail than can be achieved by in situ sampling. These include a set of rip currents interacting with internal waves at a site in California and interactions between the Connecticut River plume and Long Island Sound.