BMT ARGOSS is a consulting and information services company monitoring, analysing and forecasting environmental conditions with a focus on providing meteorological and oceanographic solutions to the offshore, coastal and harbour sectors, and urban management authorities.
Founded by a group of enthusiastic specialists in 1995 and located in the Geomatics Business Park in Marknesse the Netherlands the company under leadership of Han Wensink has grown steadily developing innovative applications. In 2008 ARGOSS joined the BMT Group and started operating as BMT ARGOSS in October 2008. Joining BMT is already proving to be a successful and mutually beneficial step.
| From the outset the company has specialised in using earth observation data from satellites in combination with in-situ data and has established true expertise and experience in processing radar, optical and acoustics measurements, numerical modelling, algorithm development, calibration & validation and assimilation of measurements into models. The company recognised at an early stage the value of making satellite based information available to its customers. For instance, in regions where no reliable wave buoy records are available, wind and wave climate estimates were derived from ship’s observations or from predictions by numerical wave models. Improvement was needed and with the idea to establish global databases and models and make them available through the Internet work started to acquire satellite data and develop models in 1995. With the support of NIVR and ESA alongside own investment the first web portal “waveclimate.com” was launched in 1996. Today, BMT ARGOSS operates four portals to support customers providing services 24 hours a day 365 days per year. www.waveclimate.com targets the offshore and coastal engineering sector to assess downtime and workability conditions. www.routeclimate.com is used by the insurance sector and shipping industry to support voyage planning and design. www.tidalinfo.com provides information on depth reduction and the planning of operations that are critically dependent on currents and sea level. Lastly, www.coastalwaterquality.com which is mainly used by the governmental, environmental, and coastal engineering sectors to determine allowable limits and warn of impending levels that may be critical to operations. E.g. coastal fisheries. |
Alongside the portals BMT ARGOSS performs consultancy work, operates managed services, does R&D work using own funds or studies together with universities and national institutes, and leads/participates in national and European projects. It is this mix of work which attracts and stimulates the BMT staff comprising highly qualified physicists, mathematicians, coastal engineers, meteorologists and information technology engineers.
MetOcean Information and Forecasting Service
BMT ARGOSS is experienced in the assessment of the wave and wind climate for both downtime assessment and extremes. Applying a diverse range of satellite and in-situ data sources and using global and regional atmospheric models, wave models and flow models a fully automated 120 hours forecast for weather, waves, and sea level can be provided for any location in the world. This is the benefit of having more than 20 years of quality checked satellite data and access to real time satellite data which allows BMT ARGOSS to guarantee best quality forecasts for any location in the world.
| To meet both an internal and external demand for high resolution data in the North Sea area BMT ARGOSS have set up a new regional model at a fine resolution of approximately 10 by 10 kilometres. The model extends to the Northern North Sea and also covers the Baltic Sea and the Irish Sea. Just like the global wave model and other regional models developed by BMT ARGOSS the continental shelf model is based on the NCEP WaveWatch III code. WaveWatch III is 3rd generation wave model that has proven its accuracy and efficiency over the years. Using validated historic wind data a hindcast simulation was performed, providing a time series that covers the period from 1992 to 2008. To meet the high quality standards we set for the environmental databases in-house satellite measurement databases of wind and wave measurements are used to validate and calibrate the model at every grid point. A final check against buoy measurements at various sites is used as well. |
Coastal Water Quality Services
| BMT ARGOSS conducts water quality studies to support decision making and reporting. Areas of specific expertise are: • Modelling of the atmosphere and atmospheric correction; • Modelling of suspended matter; • Consultancy for water quality interpretation, advice, and reporting. E.g. Algae bloom; • Maps for total suspended matter and chlorophyll showing concentration near the surface, integrated over the water depth, concentration at a given position as a function of season and/or tidal phase. |
Coastal Charting
BMT ARGOSS has performed considerable research on the use of radar and optical imagery for charting the depth of shallow tidal seas. The results are several specific services for e.g. sand wave detection, rapid updating of charts, and charting of the inter-tidal zone.
This is complimented by support to analysing and optimising surveys employing acoustic methods. BMT ARGOSS have developed methods to assess the accuracy of the depth charts and an advanced tool for interpolation of sounding data.
Weather and Air Quality Prediction Services
There is an ever-increasing interest in air quality (air pollution) for both monitoring (health and environment warnings) and legislative reasons. The pollutants are principally the products of combustion and may not only prove a problem in the immediate vicinity of these sources but can travel long distances, chemically reacting in the atmosphere to produce secondary pollutants such as acid rain or ozone.
| In the ESA PROMOTE project BMT ARGOSS uses the high resolution atmospheric WRF models to support an air quality project carried out for the province of Zeeland in the Netherlands combining WRF with the atmospheric chemistry model Chimere. In addition to this ongoing project, for which both forecast and historic simulation information is required, several other projects have been performed using the WRF model. These projects have been carried out to support for example current modelling studies, wind energy studies and air quality studies. Recently BMT ARGOSS provided a simulation of wind, precipitation and solar radiation for an area situated in Queensland in Australia. |
This project follows several other projects where atmospheric data was required. The data is used to drive hydrological models that are developed and operated by a sister company BMT WBM. Data from the WRF model was used for atmospheric information running models at high resolutions as fine as 1 km. The results reap the benefits of a number of years of investment and R&D projects providing accurate and cost efficient simulation and analysis capabilities.
Managed Services
Combining the resources of BMT and leading remote sensing companies BMT ARGOSS is making inroads to providing full solution managed services for remote sensing consultancy and data provision.
Recently a BMT ARGOSS led consortium won a five year framework contract with Agip KCO to build up capacity and capabilities in providing geo-ice-metocean services using satellite data for the Caspian Sea area.
| Under the contract BMT ARGOSS will deliver remote sensing data, services and specialists for a wide range of operational aspects including ice charting, oil spill / seepage monitoring and health safety and environmental monitoring and reporting. Additionally, support will be provided to Agip KCO to develop and improve capabilities focusing on applications, infrastructure and data delivery. |
For questions or further information please contact Leslie Gale, Business Manager leslie.gale@bmtargoss.com or by phone (+31 (0) 527 242 299).