MESPAC’s Post

𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧-𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐮 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐲𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 for monitoring and knowing our ocean, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞? Some of the key challenges include: ⚠️ 𝐔𝐧𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬: Data recording gaps are common and uncontrollable. Even the most advanced instruments are not immune to failure. 🚨 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐬: Faults, intermittencies, and even quality control processes designed to eliminate corrupt data can inadvertently cause significant data loss. 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 and 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐚 is the foundation of 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐬. The stakes are high when this data informs critical decisions. Pitfalls in measurement campaigns not only slow down offshore engineering efforts but, in the worst cases, lead to unreliable and incomplete information. I have personally faced situations where 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝟒𝟎% of the data I was meant to record was 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭, making it extremely challenging to statistically analyze wave conditions. This lack of data forced me to rely on numerical models to fill the gaps, settling for an imperfect solution that introduces additional uncertainty into the analysis. A 𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 of 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 - spanning at least a decade - enables statistical analyses of 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, allowing us to safely design marine and port structures. Only through comprehensive, year-round measurement campaigns can we capture and analyze the natural seasonal variability that shapes our seas over time. In offshore engineering, the only thing more unpredictable than the ocean is the risk of obtain incomplete data.