Operational data management procedures for the Australian Coastal Ocean Radar Network

The Australian Coastal Ocean Radar Network measures current, wave and wind parameters from an array of HF radar systems. A network of CODAR and WERA radars have been operating in Australia since 2007. This paper describes some data quality issues identified using the phased-array systems and the techniques in development in order to mitigate these factors: the optimal spatiotemporal spectral averaging schemes are determined using comparisons with a wave buoy and improvements in the quality of radar wave data are found; issues encountered since moving to the new ITU oceanographic radar frequency bands are described; the quality control procedures that have been applied to radar surface currents are discussed.