International experts gather in Azores for inaugural Internal Waves Service Workshop

Last week, the Azores hosted a significant scientific event as experts from around the world convened for the inaugural Internal Waves Service (IWS) Workshop on April 3-4, 2025. Organised by the AIR Centre with support from FLAD and the Câmara Municipal de Angra do Heroísmo, the two-day event marked a milestone in the development of a revolutionary global platform that uses Sentinel-1 satellite imagery to detect oceanic internal waves. These powerful underwater phenomena have significant implications for maritime safety, underwater navigation, offshore platforms, and sediment transport across continental shelves. The workshop opened with an AIR Centre presentation by executive director Miguel Miranda on science-based cooperation driven towards citizens. This introduction set the stage for an intensive program focused on advancing the monitoring and understanding of internal waves in oceans worldwide. The AIR Centre team - João Pinelo, Adriana Ferreira, João Gonçalves, and Iúri Diogo - showcased the progress of the IWS platform. The service provides near real-time mapping of internal wave events using a complete data pipeline including a machine learning model that analyses thousands of Sentinel-1 satellite images per day, creating valuable global maps of the phenomena. The program dived into technical sessions on internal wave mechanisms, SAR oceanography applications, AI-based detection methods, ocean simulation models, satellite missions for ocean surface dynamics and the climatic impacts of waves. During these two days, participants had the opportunity to engage in collaborative discussions about the future of the IWS, mapping the next steps. The event not only showcased technological achievements but also strengthened the international network of researchers dedicated to advancing our understanding of these powerful oceanic phenomena.