Significant Wave Height Estimation Incorporating Second-Order Scattering

TL;DR

This paper introduces a physics-informed quadratic regression model that incorporates second-order scattering effects to improve the accuracy of significant wave height estimation from HF radar data, achieving a lower RMSE compared to traditional methods.

Contribution

The paper develops and validates a second-order scattering model for HF radar SWH estimation, enhancing accuracy over first-order models.

Findings

Minimum RMSE of approximately 19 cm achieved

Second-order scattering improves estimation accuracy

Model validated with real HF radar and buoy data

Abstract

Traditional significant wave height (SWH) estima- tion from HF radar typically relies on spectral analysis of the received radar signals. This process was previously simplified by establishing a linear relationship between SWH and the standard deviation of received HF radar voltages under first- order scattering. Building on this approach, this paper presents a physics-informed regression model that incorporates second- order scattering effects through a quadratic formulation derived from a Neumann expansion. The proposed method is evaluated using HF radar data collected in July 2018 at Argentia, New- foundland, with collocated buoy measurements as ground truth. The model achieves a minimum root-mean-square error (RMSE) of approximately 19 cm.