What is coastDat?

Lighthouse "Grosser Vogelsand"

First of all, coastDat is NOT an observational data base. It does not contain any in-situ or other measurements. Instead coastDat comprises a compilaton of coastal analyses (that is hindcasts and reconstructions) and scenarios for the future obtained from numerical models. The objective is to provide a consistent meteorological-marine data set that best represents past conditions in order to complement the existing but limited observations. Based on model results coastDat may thus provide information over long time spans, at high spatial and temporal detail, and at places and for variables for which no observations have been taken. As an addition step, coastDat also provides consistent coastal scenarios for the near future allowing for an assessment of expected future changes relative to changes obsereved over the past few decades.