Optimal lowest astronomical tide estimation using maximum likelihood estimator with multiple ocean models hybridization

Developing an accurate Lowest Astronomical Tide (LAT) in a continuous form is essential for many maritime applications as it can be employed to develop an accurate continuous vertical control datum for hydrographic surveys applications and to produce accurate dynamic electronic navigation charts for safe maritime navigation by mariners. The LAT can be developed in a continuous (surface) using an estimated LAT surface model from the hydrodynamic ocean model along with coastal discrete LAT point values derived from tide gauges data sets to provide the corrected LAT surface model. In this paper, an accurate LAT surface model was developed for the Red Sea case study using a Maximum Likelihood Estimator (MLE) with multiple hydrodynamic ocean models hybridization, namely, WebTide, FES2014, DTU10, and EOT11a models. It was found that the developed optimal hybrid LAT model using MLE with multiple hydrodynamic ocean models hybridization ranges from 0.1 m to 1.63 m, associated with about 2.4 cm of uncertainty at a 95% confidence level in the Red Sea case study area. To validate the accuracy of the developed model, the comparison was made between the optimal hybrid LAT model developed from multiple hydrodynamic ocean models hybridization using the MLE method with the individual LAT models estimated from individual WebTide, FES2014, DTU10, or EOT11a ocean models based on the associated uncertainties estimated at a 95% confidence level. It was found that the optimal hybrid LAT model accuracy is superior to the individual LAT models estimated from individual ocean models with an improvement of about 50% in average, based on the estimated uncertainties. The importance of developing optimal LAT surface model using the MLE method with multiple hydrodynamic ocean models hybridization in this paper with few centimeters level of uncertainty can lead to accurate continuous vertical datum estimation that is essential for many maritime applications.