Argus Coastal Monitoring

The use of video cameras to measure medium-term coastal processes was pioneered by Oregon State University in the late 1980s.

Since the 1990s, OSU has collaborated with other universities and research institutes around the world to create a global network of Argus monitoring stations.

Argus imagery can be used to determine shorelines, bathymetries, wave period and direction, and long-shore surface currents.

Argus imagery can also be integrated with other data sources (e.g., offshore buoys for wave amplitude) and numerical models to provide near-term predictions.

One application under development is identifying dangers from rip channels to improved swimmer safety.