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Título del libro: Oceans Conference Record (ieee)
Título del capítulo: The Yucatan HF Radar Network: A Multinational Technology Demonstration to Advance Monitoring of Western Boundary Currents

Autores UNAM:
ROSALINDA MONREAL JIMENEZ; DAVID ALBERTO SALAS DE LEON; MIGUEL ANGEL GOMEZ REALI; JOSE EDGAR ESCALANTE MANCERA;
Autores externos:

Idioma:

Año de publicación:
2025
Palabras clave:

'current; Adaptive sampling; Automatic identification system; Automatic identification system calibration; CODAR seasonde; Data assimilation; Gulf of Mexico; High frequency radar; High-frequency radar; Loop current; Model validation; Ocean observing; QARTOD; Surface current; System calibration; Western boundary currents; Yucatan; Yucatan current


Resumen:

© 2025 Marine Technology Society.The Yucatan High Frequency Radar (HFR) Network is a trilateral collaboration between the U.S., Mexico, and Cuba designed to monitor surface currents in the Yucatan Channel, a critical segment of the Atlantic Ocean conveyor belt. Two long-range CODAR SeaSonde systems were installed on Isla Contoy and at UNAM's Puerto Morelos facility to provide sustained, near-real-time observations of the Yucatan Current, which feeds the Loop Current and impacts hurricane intensification and climate variability. A key innovation is the use of Automatic Identification System (AIS) ship-tracking data to continuously calibrate receiver antenna patterns, eliminating the need for traditional on-water calibration. Hourly surface currents are processed, quality-controlled using QARTOD standards, and publicly distributed via an ERDDAP server. A derived velocity transect product along the strait's axis is used to analyze flow variability and validate ocean models, which often misrepresent the spatial structure observed by HFR. During the 2024 Mini-Adaptive Sampling Test Run (MASTR), real-time radar products supported autonomous vehicle missions and targeted ship sampling. Expansion to Cuba and additional Mexican sites is underway, positioning the network as a foundation for Caribbeanwide HFR coverage under GOOS and TAC-OOFS to improve ocean forecasting and hurricane prediction.


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