Building a Digital Twin of the Ocean for Sea Level on the Galician Coast
In my doctoral research at the University of Vigo, I am building a Digital Twin of the Ocean focused on the integration and analysis of sea-level data along the Galician coast. The project brings together ocean data science, remote sensing and digital technologies, with an emphasis on modular architecture, visualization and coastal monitoring applications.
Digital Twins of the Ocean are emerging as infrastructures capable of connecting observations, models and analytical tools to represent marine systems in a dynamic and meaningful way. Rather than treating ocean data as isolated products, this approach seeks to organize them within a shared environment that supports analysis, interpretation and decision-making.
Why sea level?
Sea level is a key physical variable for understanding coastal vulnerability. It provides context for interpreting extreme events, shoreline exposure, flooding risk, port operations and the environmental conditions affecting sensitive coastal areas.
Yet this information is often scattered across different sources, formats and temporal resolutions. My work therefore explores how to bring together satellite observations, in-situ tide gauges and ocean model products within a common digital infrastructure.
Data sources
The current framework draws on three main types of information:
- satellite altimetry, including observations from the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission;
- in-situ tide-gauge records from the REDMAR network, operated by Puertos del Estado;
- ocean model products from the Copernicus Marine IBI system.
Each source contributes a distinct perspective. Tide gauges provide local, high-frequency observations. Satellite altimetry extends spatial coverage. Ocean models supply continuous fields that help bridge the gaps between discrete measurements.
The importance of validating coastal data
Before incorporating satellite observations into a Digital Twin, it is necessary to understand when and where they can be reliably interpreted. Coastal altimetry remains challenging due to the influence of local morphology, land contamination, signal degradation and the variability inherent to shallow nearshore environments.
Part of my current work therefore focuses on comparing SWOT observations with tide-gauge records along the Galician coast. The aim is not only to calculate agreement metrics, but to identify which coastal configurations are suited to direct integration and which require a more contextual interpretation.
Toward coastal applications
A sea-level Digital Twin can be more than a technical platform. If properly designed and validated, it can support:
- coastal monitoring;
- interpretation of anomalous or extreme sea-level events;
- assessment of vulnerability and shoreline exposure;
- visualization of multi-source ocean data;
- communication with managers, researchers and other users;
- future applications in environmental management and conservation.
This is especially relevant in morphologically complex regions like Galicia, where exposed Atlantic coastlines, semi-enclosed rías, ports and sensitive coastal and marine environments coexist within a relatively small area.
Where the project is heading
The architecture is taking shape around a data access layer, interactive visualization components and tighter connectivity between sources. The long-term goal is not simply to build a system that works technically, but to develop something genuinely useful — an infrastructure that helps researchers, managers and coastal users understand sea-level variability in a clearer, more accessible and more actionable way.
The difference between a system that merely aggregates data and one that actually supports decisions is, precisely, where the most interesting design questions lie.