The sea state monitoring systems mounted in coastal zones allow us to estimate the physical parameters involved in those phenomena occurring in a coastal environment, as the erosion and the instability caused by both natural (e.g., the action of the coastal currents and waves) and anthropogenic factors (e.g., maritime works planned without a proper environmental impact assessment).
Thanks to the use of the NSP (Normalized Scalar Product) algorithm, developed by the IREA-CNR researchers, we are able to get high resolution estimation maps of both bathymetry and surface current in coastal areas. Figure depicts a comparison between the bathymetry map measured by the echo sounder multi beam and the bathymetry map retrieved by X-Band radar data.
In addition to the remote monitoring of coastal phenomena, the sea state estimation system was employed to support the removal activities of the Costa Concordia's shipwreck. The information provided by such a system allowed us to assess the impact of the sea waves on the wreck as well as to estimate the surface current fields in its neighborhood.
Research activity: Sea state monitoring