Limitations
There are some limitations inherent to the system that do not permit certain applications. Here are presented the main practical limitations:
- CODAR does not permit to measure currents and waves in the area closer than 2 km from its location. This uncovered area results from the fact that the receiver is turned off during the pulse transmission. In this lapse of time, any signal backscattered is lost.
- CODAR’s resolution cell size is generally bigger than 5 sq km. This does not permit to use this system for most of the inlets and harbor entrances.
- As discussed before, for a given look angle, a single CODAR station permits to detect only the component of flow traveling toward or away from its location. Radial currents from two or more sites should be combined to obtain vector surface current estimates. Moreover, when using two CODAR stations the so called “baseline problem” can affect the measurement. This occurs when both the instruments measure the same component of velocity. To avoid this problem and resolve properly the current vector, generally two radials must have an angle included by 30° and 150°.
Read more about this topic: Coastal Ocean Dynamics Applications Radar
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