Skip to main content
Ocean Networks Canada

Ocean Networks Canada

Search form

Facebook iconTwitter iconLinkedIn iconYouTube iconFlickr iconInstagram icon

Menu

  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Jobs & Opportunities
    • Events & Workshops
    • Contact Us
    • Support Us
    • Annual Report 2019-2020
    • Organization
      • Leadership
      • Staff
      • Boards
      • Committees
    • Funders, Associate Members & Partners
      • Funders
      • Associate Members
      • Partners
  • Science
    • Science
    • Active Research
    • Highlights
    • Science Plan
      • Summary
      • Science Themes
    • Publications
      • General Interest
      • Academic
    • Getting Involved
      • Proposals
  • Innovation Centre
    • Innovation Centre
    • About the Innovation Centre
    • Success Stories
    • Contact Us
    • Smart Ocean™ Systems
      • Sensors and Instruments
      • Technology Demos
      • Ocean Observing Systems
      • Earthquake Early Warning
    • Partners & Networks
      • Industry Network
      • Global Partnerships
      • R&D Support
      • Students in Industry
    • Atlantic Partners
  • Learning
    • Learning
    • Learning Highlights
    • Learning Events
    • Partnerships
    • Contact Us
    • Ocean Sense
      • Community Observatories
        • Cambridge Bay
        • Campbell River
        • Kitamaat Village
        • Prince Rupert
      • Teacher Info
      • Student Info
      • Resources & Lessons
    • Get Involved
      • For Students
        • For Undergrads & Grads
      • For Educators
        • Educator Opportunities
      • For Communities
      • Ship2Shore
      • Citizen Science
        • Coastbuster
        • Digital Fishers
      • Youth Science Ambassador
    • Resources
      • Learning at Home
      • Educator Resources
      • Ocean Alive!
      • Oceanography 101
      • About the Observatories
      • Research Ideas
      • Student Reports
  • Observatories
    • Observatories
    • Arctic
    • Atlantic
    • Pacific
    • Mobile Platforms
    • Infrastructure
      • Data Facilities
      • Platforms
      • Devices & Sensors
      • Cables & Connectors
    • Expeditions
      • Wiring the Abyss
      • Expedition Logs
      • Maintenance Processes
    • Notices
      • Information for Mariners
      • Alerts and System Status
  • Data & Tools
    • Data & Tools
    • Highlights
    • Data Quality
    • Preview & Download
      • Preview & Visualize
      • Data Download Tools
      • State of the Ocean Plots
      • Ocean Report Card
    • Apps & Services
      • Mobile Apps
      • OPeNDAP Web Services
      • Related Sources
      • Earthquake Data Dashboard
    • Data Help
      • Usage Policy
      • Tutorials & Help Pages
      • Request Help
  • Sights & Sounds
    • Sights & Sounds
    • Terms of Use
    • Video
      • Live Video
      • Video Highlights
      • Video Archives
    • Images
      • Maps
    • Audio
      • Audio Highlights
      • Audio Archive
  • News
    • News
    • Stories
    • Newsletters
    • Calendar
    • Media Relations
      • Backgrounders
      • Downloads
      • In the News
      • News Releases
      • Media Contacts

About Us

You are here

  1. Home
Jul 26, 2017

Real-time radar data spurs international gathering

In June 2017 Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) hosted a WERA high frequency oceanographic radar workshop to discuss “first ever” real-time data that detected tsunami waves when Typhoon Songda hit the west coast of Canada in October 2016, triggering a tsunami alert on the WERA system.

The storm caused Tofino’s Emergency Program Coordinator Keith Orchiston to close beaches in the famous surfing location. “It is always a hard decision to close beaches, but that day we decided to play it safe. Real-time data from an instrument like the WERA radar (Figure 1) would support critical and lifesaving decision making for coastal communities.”

14 October 2016 storm tracked by ONC’s WERA high frequency oceanographic radar software

Figure 1. Tsunami algorithm detection plots from ONC's WERA high frequency oceanographic radar software showing the probability of a tsunami during the 14 October 2016 storm. 

Installed at Tofino airport in 2015, the WERA (WavE RAdar) high frequency oceanographic radar array (Figure 2) is a shore-based remote sensing system that includes four transmitting and 12 receiving antennas that monitor ocean current speed in real-time.

The system is capable of detecting large events, storm surges and tsunamis up to 80 kilometres from shore, which could provide up to 20 minutes of advanced warning of an incoming tsunami.

ONC's high frequency oceanographic WERA array at Tofino airport

Figure 2. ONC’s high frequency oceanographic WERA array at Tofino airport.

Bringing together participants from across the globe, the workshop focused on the capabilities of this technology and the different data that can be analyzed for public and marine safety. Participating institutions included the University of Hamburg in Germany, NOAA’s National Weather Service, Memorial University, Maine Sciences Institute of Rimouski, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Institute of Ocean Sciences, University of British Columbia and the University of Victoria. Presentations of the data and algorithms, on the system capabilities and potential uses, and ONC’s growing infrastructure and facilities resulted informative and productive discussions.

A new real-time tsunami detection algorithm was also evaluated by tsunamis experts at the University of Rhode Island, USA and University of Toulouse, France. Combining tsunami physics with radar measurements this algorithm provides a solution adapted for this critical west coast site. The use of two algorithms simultaneously provide redundancy and improves the robustness of the detection.

As a result of this workshop, a working group was formed to study WERA high frequency data from these types of events. The working group will meet at the International Summer School on Radio-oceanography in France, August 2017 and again at the International Radiowave Oceanography Workshop in Germany, September 2017. Additional planned collaboration will also take place with researchers from Japan, Philippines, Chile, and the Netherlands, who have previously detected tsunami signals using WERA radar.

“Real-time detection of hazards with instruments such as the WERA can provide alerts to coastal community when minutes count. Alerts based on these systems can provide valuable advice for safe navigation in the area and save lives in event such as Meteotsunamis”, says Tania Insua, ONC’s ocean analytics program manager.
WERA high frequency radar in Tofino, British Columbia remote sensing device is developed in collaboration between ONC, Helzel Messtechnik (Germany) and Canadian companies Northern Radar Inc. (St. John’s) and ASL Environmental Sciences (Victoria, BC)

Figure 4. WERA high frequency radar in Tofino, British Columbia. This innovative remote sensing device is developed in collaboration between ONC, Helzel Messtechnik (Germany) and Canadian companies Northern Radar Inc. (St. John’s) and ASL Environmental Sciences (Victoria, BC)..

ONC’s Tofino WERA array (Figure 4) is just one of several other kinds of oceanographic radars⎯such as coastal oceanic dynamics applications radar (CODAR) and WaMoS (Wave Monitoring System)⎯installed in the Strait of Georgia and along the British Columbia coast (Figure 5). These land–based detection systems form part of ONC’s Smart Ocean™ Systems, a program that provides technology solutions for marine and public safety as well as environmental monitoring in real-time. The program is designed to provide alerts and preparedness tools to government agencies and municipalities for public and marine safety.

Map showing ONC’s Southern British Columbia infrastructure including oceanographic radar locations

Figure 5. Map showing ONC’s Southern British Columbia infrastructure including oceanographic radar locations.

Presentations from the June workshop are listed below.

 

 

 

WERA | radar | workshop | tsunami | data | Wave Radar | Tofino

ONC Tsunami Project: Updates and Recent Models, by Tania L. Insua
Introduction of the Ocean Radar, by Thomas Helzel & Anna Dzvonkovskaya
ASL Environmental Sciences introduction, by Jan Buermans
Northern Radar, by Noah Hansen
WERA Ocean Radar Capability of Real-Time Tsunami Detection, by Dr. Anna Dzvonkovskaya
Sea level oscillations on the coast of British Columbia during typhoon Songda, by A. Rabinovich, R. E. Thomson, I. V. Fine
Tsunami detection with the Time-Correlation Algorithm and application to the Tofino HF radar, Part II, by Charles-Antoine Guerin
Tsunami detection with the Time-Correlation Algorithm and application to the Tofino HF radar, Part I, by Stephan Grilli
HF radars WERA and CODAR in the St. Lawrence estuary, by Cedric Chavanne
Surface Wind Speed Estimation from HF Radar Data for Fetch-Limited Seas, by W.Wang, E. Gill, W. Huang
The ONC Strait of Georgia CODAR array, by M. Halverson, R. Pawlowicz, C. Chavanne
Waves in the Salish Sea, by Richard Dewey
West Coast Wave Initiative, by Dr. Bryson Robertson
Printer-friendly versionPDF version

Related Stories

Building TRUST to be FAIR: data stewardship for a sustainable ocean economy
Feb 5, 2021

Tsunami Monitoring and Public Safety for At-Risk Coastal Communities
Nov 4, 2020

Resilience through preparedness: remembering the 1964 ‘Good Friday’ tsunami
Apr 8, 2020

Coming soon: MINTED dynamic citation tool
Apr 8, 2020

Drop, cover, and hold on
Nov 14, 2019

Visiting scientist to focus on marine geohazard research and data
Oct 24, 2019

Marine imaging workshop advances ocean intelligence
Aug 14, 2019

Calendar of Events

March 2021

  • « Prev  
  •   Next »
S M T W T F S
28
1
2
3
4
5
6
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
 
Pacific Rim Whale Festival
»
 
 
 
 
 
 
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
«
Pacific Rim Whale Festival
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
28
29
30
31
1
2
3
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Newsletter

Sign up for our monthly e-newsletter:

 

Tweets Follow @Ocean_Networks

 

 

Highlights

  • Audio
  • Data
  • Learning
  • Science
  • Video

Reading Room

  • Active Research
  • Backgrounders
  • FAQs
  • Glossary
  • News Briefs
  • News Stories
  • Newsletters
  • Publications

Cool Stuff

  • Apps
  • Digital Fishers
  • iBooks & e-Pubs
  • Live Video
  • Maps
  • Images
  • State of the Ocean

Data & Tools

  • Apps
  • Data Plots
  • Data Search
  • Data Policy
  • Data Help
  • OPeNDAP Web Services

Opportunities

  • Calendar
  • Educator Opportunities
  • Global Partnerships
  • Industry Network
  • Jobs
  • Staff List
  • Technology Services

Sites & Instruments

  • Arctic Sites
  • Northeast Pacific Sites
  • Salish Sea Sites
  • Notice to Mariners

Follow Us

Facebook iconTwitter iconLinkedIn iconYouTube iconFlickr iconInstagram icon

Sign up for our newsletter

Feedback

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

                              

About Us | Contact Us | Media Relations | Legal Notices

©   Ocean Networks Canada. All rights reserved.  2474 Arbutus Road, Victoria, BC, V8N 1V8 | 1.250.472.5400