SeaConditions: a web and mobile service for safer professional and recreational activities in the Mediterranean Sea
Reliable and timely information on the environmental conditions at sea is key to the safety of professional and recreational users as well as to the optimal execution of their activities. The possibility of users obtaining environmental information in due time and with adequate accuracy in the marin...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2017-04-01
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| Series: | Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences |
| Online Access: | http://www.nat-hazards-earth-syst-sci.net/17/533/2017/nhess-17-533-2017.pdf |
| Summary: | Reliable and timely information on the environmental conditions at
sea is key to the safety of professional and recreational users as well as
to the optimal execution of their activities. The possibility of users
obtaining environmental information in due time and with adequate accuracy
in the marine and coastal environment is defined as sea situational
awareness (SSA). Without adequate information on the environmental
meteorological and oceanographic conditions, users have a limited capacity
to respond, which has led to loss of lives and to large environmental
disasters with enormous consequent damage to the economy, society and
ecosystems. Within the framework of the TESSA project, new SSA services for
the Mediterranean Sea have been developed. In this paper we present
SeaConditions, which is a web and mobile application for the provision of
meteorological and oceanographic observation and forecasting products.
<br><br>
Model forecasts and satellite products from operational services, such as
ECMWF and CMEMS, can be visualized in SeaConditions. In addition, layers of
information related to bathymetry, sea level and ocean-colour data (chl <i>a</i> and water transparency) are displayed. Ocean forecasts at high spatial
resolutions are included in the version of SeaConditions presented here.
<br><br>
SeaConditions provides a user-friendly experience with a fluid zoom
capability, facilitating the appropriate display of data with different
levels of detail. SeaConditions is a single point of access to interactive
maps from different geophysical fields, providing high-quality information
based on advanced oceanographic models.
<br><br>
The SeaConditions services are available through both web and mobile
applications. The web application is available at
<a href="www.sea-conditions.com" target="_blank">www.sea-conditions.com</a> and is accessible and compatible with present-day browsers. Interoperability with GIS software is implemented. User
feedback has been collected and taken into account in order to improve the
service. The SeaConditions iOS and Android apps have been downloaded by more than 105 000 users to date (May 2016), and more than 100 000 users have
visited the web version. |
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| ISSN: | 1561-8633 1684-9981 |