Seeing sense: developing multiple quality control parameters to assist in the interpretation and understanding of X-Band radar derived bathymetry

Description

In recent years, X-band radar derived bathymetry has offered an exciting glimpse into nearshore zone seabed changes over large areas at high frequency intervals. This is done through inferring water depths from certain wave parameters (period and wavelength) extracted from the X-band radar imaged sea surface. However, as complimentary bathymetry datasets are rarely available there has been limited opportunity to validate and scrutinise the bathymetry inferred from radar. We describe five different QC parameters wave-look-angle, wave-current-alignment, wavelength-depth-saturation, signal intensity and probability density function correlation; explaining multiple factors which can affect how effectively the wave-inversion algorithm can perform. Together these QC parameters paint a detailed picture of the waves, currents and bathymetry that are being inferred promoting a better basis for data exclusion before data aggregation and final bathymetric map production. A QC procedure is proposed alongside further discussion on how the QC parameters can be used together, including techniques such as fuzzy-logic. This work provides an important stepping stone in refining radar-derived bathymetric mapping, providing more meaningful data for decision-makers at temporal and spatial scales not previously attainable.

Period	16 Sept 2025 → 18 Sept 2025
Event title	Institute of Civil Engineers Coastal Management 2025
Event type	Conference
Location	Bristol, United KingdomShow on map