• forecast validation
• model validation
• remote sensing
• sea surface current
• VHF radar

The aim of this thesis is to present a new remote sensing system for the estimation of sea surface currents and at the same time to show how it is possible to use remotely sensed data in order to validate sea circulation numerical models.

After a short introduction devoted to the presentation of the context in which the thesis has been developed (in particular I should thank the host institution, the NURC, Nato Underwater Research Centre, for the willingness shown to me), initially, the acquisition procedure of remotely sensed data of sea surface currents in the Gulf of La Spezia will be presented; secondly, in situ data of sea surface currents in the Gulf of La Spezia (drifters and ADCPs) will be described. Finally, remotely sensed data of sea surface currents will be validated by comparison with those measured in situ, in order to prove their reliability.

In conclusion, remotely sensed data of sea surface currents will be used so as to validate some of the sea circulation numerical models of the Gulf of La Spezia. In this way a possible methodology of model validation will be presented in detail, where different statistical parameters will be calculated, so as to identify models issues and at the same time to obtain useful informations for models improvement and correction.