New developments in the Praia da Vitória Coastal Bay and Harbor Early Warning System

Abstract

The disruption of port operations, whether due to technical issues or external factors, can have a significant impact on the port’s overall competitiveness and economic viability. The HIDRALERTA Early Warning System is operational on a daily basis, issuing emergency alerts concerning wave overtopping, ship navigation, and operational constraints for seven ports and coastal zones in mainland Portugal, as well as three additional ports in the Azores Islands. The system is designed to enhance port resilience by mitigating potential risks through improved planning and swift emergency responses. The system employs a suite of numerical models that utilise forecasts of regional wind and sea-wave characteristics offshore, along with astronomical tidal data, as inputs. These numerical models generate estimates of wave and wind characteristics at both regional and local scales. Furthermore, the system computes the ship’s response to these wave and wind forces using a hydrodynamic 3D model and a motion equation solver. Currently. the HIDRALERTA system is being extended to incorporate new methodologies. This paper presents a case study to demonstrate the aforementioned developments at the port of Praia da Vitória, situated on Terceira Island, and its adjacent coastal bay. A notable advancement is the use of artificial neural network tools to enhance wave predictions at certain locations where extensive historical data are available.