Surface vector fields estimation using soft computing and remote sensing data at an open water marine renewable test site

Abstract

Galway Bay has one of the world’s few open water marine renewable test sites and so is of national and international interest. A high frequency radar system has been deployed in Galway Bay area to monitor near real time surface currents and waves since July 2011. In this research, a soft computing approach was applied to estimate surface vector fields using the observed radar data. Results indicate that soft computing is a novel and promising method to estimate surface vector fields. It provides a potential way to obtain useful information of coastal water body for marine renewable energy development and assessment. Keywords: Marine renewable energy, Soft computing, High Frequency radar, Galway Bay, Remote sensing, Surface currents