Monitoring storms by merged data sources for the Malta shelf area in 2019

Abstract

The merging of met-ocean datasets from diverse sources offers the possibility of making more complete assessments by considering more than one aspect of the same process or situation, and hence rendering a more robust and consistent approach. This is especially the case in studies of extreme events where the reliability of observing systems or numerical simulations to measure and replicate harsh atmospheric and sea conditions are pushed to their extreme limits of performance. Such augmented assessments thus rely on data from model ensembles and complementing observing platforms, including from satellite platforms, to measure the same meteo-marine event from different points of view and realisations. This approach is used to anticipate the occurrence of such extreme events, to monitor their evolution in real time, and to post-assess in more detail their dynamics and impact in the Malta shelf area, coastal sea, and nearshore zones.