Assessing the Potential of Affordable Environmental Observatories for Extreme Event Detection in Coastal and Estuarine Regions

Cost-effective environmental observatories are increasingly used to improve the monitoring granularity of coastal and estuarine systems. This work presents the analysis of data collected by environmental observatories based on the InterBox system that is designed to measure key atmospheric and oceanographic variables in riverine, coastal and estuarine environments. The study evaluates the quality and consistency of the recorded time series and explores their potential for the identification and characterization of extreme events.

The analysis focuses on variables including sea level, atmospheric pressure, air humidity and air temperature, which are particularly sensitive to extreme phenomena including storms, storm surges, and rapid atmospheric disturbances such as meteo-tsunamis. Basic statistical methods and threshold-based approaches are applied to identify anomalous signals associated with extreme events, and selected case studies are discussed to assess the system’s performance.

The results demonstrate that cost-effective observatories, when properly calibrated and quality-controlled, can provide reliable information for detecting extreme environmental conditions in coastal and estuarine zones. In particular, InterBox-based systems proved to be a valuable complement to traditional monitoring networks in areas with limited infrastructure, offering a reliable and affordable option for early warning systems while supporting citizen science initiatives.