Dataset: IMOS - ACORN - Radials (QC)


Description

Radial data files contain radial components of sea surface parameters measured by HF ocean radars operated by Australian Coastal Ocean Radar Network (ACORN), a facility of Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS).

Regardless of the radar system (WERA or SeaSonde), the primary product is the radial component of the sea surface current along a line between the radar station and a point on the sea surface. By combining radials measured at two stations surface current vectors can be constructed. These surface current vectors can then be used to study tides, wind-driven currents and perform lagrangian particle tracking.

Raw data collected at each radar site are re-processed by ACORN in order to assign quality control flags to data points. This is not possible in real-time because real-time data are produced by proprietary manufacturer software without quality control flags and it is not feasible to transfer the raw data to ACORN in real-time.

Each radial file contains a set of standard metadata fields, such as radar system type, operating frequency and bandwidth. Other metadata fields describe radar system type-specific parameters. Radial file metadata fields are described in a separate ACORN data document.

In addition, for WERA radar systems, ACORN provides quality controlled heights of left and right bragg peaks, from which the wind direction can be inferred.

General Information

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