Coastal Risk Information Service (C-RISe) (National Oceanography Centre) (IPP funded)
www.satoc.eu/projects/c-rise
Overview
Coastal Risk Information Service (C-RISe) delivers access to satellite-derived data on sea level, wind speed and wave heights; enabling stakeholders to use this information to improve socio-economic resilience to coastal hazards such as inundation, floods, storm damage, wetland loss, habitat change, coastal erosion and saltwater intrusion.
Solution benefits
- Sea level information is critical for improving socio-economic resilience to coastal hazards such as inundation, floods, storm damage, wetland loss, habitat change, coastal erosion and saltwater intrusion.
- C-RISe delivers new sea level and met-ocean data to address a gap in Earth observation (EO) data available to the country partners to monitor coastal risks.
- Provides analysis of historical changes in sea level, alongside met-ocean data on winds and waves, revealing trends and rates of change.
- Collaborative approach to local data validation and interpretation builds human and institutional capacity to deliver information on coastal risks.
- A number of use cases are being developed that combine C-RISe data with local expertise from the region.
- The alternative to C-RISe is use of long-term tide gauge records which are not available in many areas of the world.
Key technical features
- C-RISe is based on the application of freely available radar altimetry data (ERS-1, ERS- 2, Envisat, Topex, Jason-1,2,3), analysed using methods developed at the National Oceanography Centre.
- Variable spatial and temporal resolution depending on source of satellite data.
- A 14-year coastal sea level data set for the South West Indian Ocean region has been generated with the NOC ALES processor. These data and analyses are being provided, with wave and wind climatologies and near real-time wave and wind data, to local users, through a bespoke data portal.
- A python software package has been written to allow regional partners to validate the C-Rise altimetre sea level data against locally available tide gauge data.
- Processed data sets are accessible/ downloadable via a web portal and can be used off-line (https://eo.meraka.csir.co.za/ crise/).
Case studies
Service focused initially on Mozambique, Madagascar and South African coastlines supported by IPP. Case studies will be made available at when completed.
Organisation overview
The National Oceanography Centre (NOC) conducts Satellite Oceanography research concerned with measuring exchanges between the atmosphere, ocean, and marine biosphere to predict the response of the marine system to climate change. This includes measurement of variability and change in sea level, wind and waves which, combined with in situ observations and models, can be used to inform hazard assessments. We contribute towards developing cost-effective observations of global and coastal oceans to deliver state-of-the-art operational oceanography and environmental monitoring.
