QAVIS Technology: Measuring Wave Processes in Coastal Zones Based on the Analysis of Internet Video Broadcast

This paper discusses the possibility of the new QAVIS software technology to measure or estimate wind wave and swell signals in the coastal zones of the oceans. The developed technology is based on the analysis of video streams from coastal Internet cameras. QAVIS processes data from screen graphic memory. This allows processing streaming video in real-time indefinitely. The QAVIS accuracy of wave processes measurements inferior to that of professional oceanographic instruments, but is sufficient for many applications. A brief description of the technology is presented, and examples of the analysis of synchronous continuous 34-day observations of wind waves and swell in the United States, Mexico, and Costa Rica coastal zones are given. The QAVIS-derived results are compared with satellite SAR images and seismic data.