Detection of wind-induced coastal upwelling of deeper Marine waters from A X-band wave radar

The aim of this work is to show how an X-band radar system was able to instantly observe a phenomenon known as coastal upwelling. In fact, an X-band radar system is able to provide information about direction and intensity of the sea surface currents and waves in an area up to 3 nautical miles from the radar site. This capability, together with their flexibility and low cost, makes these devices useful tools for coastal monitoring and for the study of local small-scale phenomena as, for example, the upwelling. This phenomenon is, as generally recognized, the upward motion of deeper water while the surface ones are transported offshore by the stress of the wind blowing on the sea. Upwelled water is colder than surface water, moreover it is richer in nutrients and, as a consequence, it generates an increase in phytoplankton production (which in turn is able to boost food availability for fish populations) in the area affected by the upwelling. The characteristics of this phenomenon makes the X-band radar devices useful tools to support inshore fisheries, by monitoring environmental conditions at sea.