HF Radar Wind Direction: Multiannual Analysis Using Model and HF Network

Created March 19, 2026

Updated on May 21, 2026

approved

HF radar systems have the potential to measure the wind direction, in addition to surface currents and wave fields. However, studies on HF radar for wind direction determination are rare in the scientific literature. Starting with the results presented in Saviano et al. (2021), we here expand on the reliability of the multiannual wind direction data retrieved over two periods, from May 2008 to December 2010 and from January to December 2012, by a network of three SeaSonde high-frequency (HF) radars operating in the Gulf of Naples (Central Tyrrhenian Sea, Western Mediterranean Sea). This study focuses on the measurements obtained by each antenna over three range cells along a coast–offshore transect, pointing to any potential geographically dependent measurement. The scarcity of offshore wind measurements requires the use of model-generated data for comparative purposes. The data here used are obtained from the Mediterranean Wind–Wave Model, which provides indications for both wave and wind parameters, and the ERA5@2km wind dataset obtained by dynamically downscaling ERA5 reanalysis. These data are first compared with in situ data and subsequently with HF-retrieved wind direction measurements. The analysis of the overall performance of the HF radar network in the Gulf of Naples confirms that the HF radar wind data show the best agreement when the wind speed exceeds a 5 m/s threshold, ensuring a sufficiently energetic surface wave field to be measured. The results obtained in the study suggest the necessity of wind measurements in offshore areas to validate the HF radar wind measurements and to improve the extraction algorithms. The present work opens up further investigations on the applications of wind data from SeaSonde HF radars as potential monitoring platforms, both in coastal and offshore areas.

itineris-hub
Tags:
Gulf of Naples
HF Wind Direction
MWM Model Wind Data
Publication - Article
Basic
Language
English
MainTitle
HF Radar Wind Direction: Multiannual Analysis Using Model and HF Network
Original ids
https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15122991
Type
publication
bestAccessRight
OPEN
contributors
  • Department of Research Infrastructures for Marine Biological Resources, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy;
  • CoNISMa—National Inter-University Consortium for Marine Sciences, Piazzale Flaminio, 00196 Rome, Italy;
  • Department of Science and Technologies, Parthenope University of Naples, Centro Direzionale Is.C4, 80143 Naples, Italy;
  • Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy
countries
Italy
Creator/Author
Full name
  • Simona Saviano, orcid: 0000-0001-9482-8068;
  • Anastasia Angela Biancardi, orcid: 0009-0000-2014-4130;
  • Florian Kokoszka, orcid: 0000-0001-5346-3058;
  • Marco Uttieri, orcid: 0000-0001-7026-0156;
  • Enrico Zambianchi, orcid: 0000-0001-5474-7466;
  • Luis Alberto Cusati;
  • Andrea Pedroncini;
  • Daniela Cianelli, orcid: 0000-0003-2195-7517
Other
Description
HF radar systems have the potential to measure the wind direction, in addition to surface currents and wave fields. However, studies on HF radar for wind direction determination are rare in the scientific literature. Starting with the results presented in Saviano et al. (2021), we here expand on the reliability of the multiannual wind direction data retrieved over two periods, from May 2008 to December 2010 and from January to December 2012, by a network of three SeaSonde high-frequency (HF) radars operating in the Gulf of Naples (Central Tyrrhenian Sea, Western Mediterranean Sea). This study focuses on the measurements obtained by each antenna over three range cells along a coast–offshore transect, pointing to any potential geographically dependent measurement. The scarcity of offshore wind measurements requires the use of model-generated data for comparative purposes. The data here used are obtained from the Mediterranean Wind–Wave Model, which provides indications for both wave and wind parameters, and the ERA5@2km wind dataset obtained by dynamically downscaling ERA5 reanalysis. These data are first compared with in situ data and subsequently with HF-retrieved wind direction measurements. The analysis of the overall performance of the HF radar network in the Gulf of Naples confirms that the HF radar wind data show the best agreement when the wind speed exceeds a 5 m/s threshold, ensuring a sufficiently energetic surface wave field to be measured. The results obtained in the study suggest the necessity of wind measurements in offshore areas to validate the HF radar wind measurements and to improve the extraction algorithms. The present work opens up further investigations on the applications of wind data from SeaSonde HF radars as potential monitoring platforms, both in coastal and offshore areas.
Publication Date
2023-06-08
Publisher
MDPI AG
Subjects
  • Gulf of Naples;
  • HF wind direction;
  • Science;
  • 0207 Environmental engineering;
  • 14. Life underwater;
  • 02 Engineering and technology;
  • MWM Model Wind Data;
  • 01 Natural sciences;
  • 0105 Earth and related environmental sciences
isGreen
false
isInDiamondJournal
false
Software
Publication
Name
Remote Sensing
Publication
Article
Starting page
2991
issnOnline
2072-4292
vol
15
Other Research Product
Detailed informations
system:type
Research Product
Management Info
Author
Catalogue Manager ITINERIS
Version
1
Last Updated
May 21, 2026, 09:51 (UTC)
Created
March 19, 2026, 00:29 (UTC)
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