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Introduction
International
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ObjectivesThe International Division's mission is to oversee internal development of systems intended primarily for global or international application and to facilitate international cooperative agreements and technology transfer programs. Support is provided for four major activities:
• The Joint Forecast Systems Project • The FX-Net Project • The Mount Washington Observatory Project The GLOBE Program The Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Program is an international environmental research program that links the efforts of students, teachers, and scientists. The GLOBE Program was initiated in 1994, and since then it has grown to more than 6,500 participating GLOBE schools located in more than 80 partner countries. International Division staff are responsible for the development and maintenance of the main GLOBE Web server, the real-time data acquisition, and the central GLOBE database. The Joint Forecast Systems Project As the focal point for cooperative agreements and technology transfer programs, the International Division facilitates planning and communication between foreign scientists and engineers and FSL's technical staff. Through these projects, forecasting agencies in other countries receive the technical and scientific assistance they need, and FSL benefits from a broadened perspective on forecasting in diverse meteorological environments. The longest standing cooperative project is the Joint Forecast Systems Project (JFSP) with the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) of Taiwan. Since 1990 this collaborative effort has enabled visiting scientists from the CWB to participate in the development of new FSL software and hardware products. After testing and evaluation, these products are made available to the CWB to be customized to suit the forecasting needs in Taiwan. As part of the technology transfer process, FSL also provides training for the CWB forecasters to familiarize them with the new products. Current JFSP activities involve modernizing the CWB facilities and improving the forecasting of mesoscale storms and flash floods, events that cause serious problems in Taiwan. Figures 55a and b show CWB's new building and a WSR-88D radar site.
Figure 57. a) Central Weather Bureau's new building
Figure 57. b) Central Weather Bureau's WSR-88D radar site at Wu-Fen-Shan. The FX-Net Project The goal of the FX-Net project is to develop a network-based meteorological workstation that will draw heavily from the FSL-developed WFO-Advanced workstation. FX-Net is designed as an inexpensive and simple forecast workstation system for use in a variety of forecast, training, education, and research applications that do not require the full capabilities of a WFO- Advanced-type system. Although designed primarily for Web use, FX-Net also will accommodate local network, dial-up, and dedicated line use. It will have the look and feel of the WFO-Advanced workstation, but with resolution and complexity reduced somewhat to allow for rapid Internet response and for use with less expensive user workstations. FX-Net is being developed as a Java application, thus able to utilize a wide variety of user platforms. The present system requirement is a minimum configuration of a 400 MHz processor with 128 MB memory. With the advent of wireless Internet connectivity and powerful laptop computers, FX-Net can be accessed even in remote areas. One example is that forecasters could be called upon to provide an on-site analysis in a remote area where a fire is out of control. FX-Net would enable the forecasters near the site to access AWIPS products available far away at a National Weather Service forecast office. The Mount Washington Observatory Project
The underpinning of the Mount Washington Observatory (MWO) project is a
cooperative agreement between FSL and the MWO organization. Congress
appropriated a $3.8 million grant to MWO to demonstrate and make available to
visitors and schools nationwide innovative approaches using weather to link
the disciplines of science, math, geography, and history. This educational
outreach program will include the Weather Discovery Center (WDC), which will
be located in North Conway, New Hampshire. FSL's involvement with the MWO is
focused on two distinct aspects of this project: administering the NOAA grant
and sharing technology. Besides overseeing the progress of the development
activities, FSL is preparing to create the NOAA display, which will be
featured in the Weather Discover Center. The center will showcase a series of
multimedia presentations, interactive educational displays, and historical
weather related exhibits from the New England area. An adjunct to the center
activities will be a traveling weather educational outreach program that will
schedule visits to schools and science centers in the New England area. To
complement the on-the-road outreach plan is a similar Web-based outreach
program with a site that will offer teacher lesson plans, information about
atmospheric science, and links to other weather education sites on the Web.
Some of the exhibits located in the WDC also will be offered in a virtual
interactive form on the Web.
The main task undertaken during Fiscal Year 1998 in support of the GLOBE Program was the development of a new GLOBE Web server user interface. Hundreds of existing Web pages underwent an overhaul in order to match the guidelines for the new user interface, which is especially user friendly and simplifies the complex navigation through the entire site. Figures 56 and 57 show examples of updated GLOBE Web pages. The FSL GLOBE team also accomplished a large database task: creating one centralized GLOBE database by merging the existing five different databases into one Oracle database located at FSL. This new database combines the GLOBE data records collected by students with GLOBE school information, GLOBE teacher training information, workshop schedules, and many other types of administrative information. Another major effort was the development of an operational GLOBE mirror server located in Cologne, Germany; this server is a fully functional data acquisition and Web server. The German database and the FSL database replicate the server's data at least hourly in order to ensure identical records. In addition, a GLOBE systems group located at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is also replicating the FSL database. This team is responsible for the development of visualization based on GLOBE student data, and therefore needs access to the latest data records. Figure 58. GLOBE Web page showing the updated site of the GLOBE Bulletin. Many new interactive Web tools were developed for students, teachers, and GLOBE administration. The tools allow students and teachers to post scientific reports, to interact with scientists via Web Chats (Figure 57), and to create partnerships with other schools through work on additional scientific tasks. The GLOBE administrative staff were supported with new pages that allow easy screening for participation and data records. In order to support the international character of the GLOBE Program, many new foreign language pages were installed on the GLOBE Web server. A large percentage of the pages was translated into German; more French and Spanish pages were developed, and Russian and Chinese pages are slated for later development. Figure 59. The updated GLOBE Special Events Web page that lists upcoming Web Chats and other events. The Joint Forecast Systems Project
In meeting the goals of the Joint Forecast Systems project to improve
forecasting capabilities at the Taiwan Central Weather Bureau, many major
tasks were completed, including the following:
• Data assimilation • Operational use of the Scalable Modeling System • Development of a Web-based workstation • AWIPS Forecast Preparation System. Local Data Acquisition and Dissemination System (LDAD) – FSL delivered an LDAD demonstration package for CWB to evaluate, in conjunction with CWB's development of its own dissemination system to support outside organizations. The Java-based LDAD system will enhance the dissemination of CWB data to government agencies, the public, and other CWB dissemination systems such as weather radio. To assure that all concerned Taiwan organizations are informed about their dissemination project, CWB has been involved in the Natural Hazards Mitigation activities of the Taiwan National Science Council. The proven LDAD system can help provide area and local level agencies with an emergency management support system that can effectively disseminate critical weather information to decisionmakers. Data Assimilation – Another area of collaboration is the continued work of implementing FSL's three-dimensional variational (3DVAR) analysis scheme into CWB's regional model. This scheme will add the ability to realize the huge potential and uses of new observation systems (especially ingest of remote sensed data), and it also has a built-in quality control feature. The 3DVAR scheme is undergoing testing and evaluation against CWB's current optimal interpolation scheme, and should be fully operational within the next year or so. Operational Use of the Scalable Modeling System (SMS) – FSL used the SMS tool to parallelize the second-generation Global Forecast System (GFS) for CWB in 1998. The International Division is supporting the procurement activities relating to CWB's next-generation high-performance computer; vendors will run their benchmark tests using the SMS version of the GFS model on different platforms. Last year FSL upgraded the benchmark version of the GFS, with the Parallel Preprocessor, to an operational version, which ensures that it satisfies necessary real-time operational criteria and performance requirements. FSL is also providing training to CWB Numerical Weather Prediction and High Performance Computing staff so they can apply SMS techniques to their own applications. Development of a Web-based Workstation (FX-Net) – The Central Weather Bureau is evaluating a Web-based workstation, FX-Net, for future operational use at remote observation stations. As discussed more later, much progress was made on the development of FX-Net during the past year. A client-server application was developed that provides network access to a modified WFO-Advanced workstation. Basic system capabilities, such as animation, toggle, zoom, and network optimization, were also completed. Other sophisticated functions are being developed, such as the volume browser capability of WFO-Advanced, enhancements to the network capabilities of the system, and investigation of more sophisticated graphical user interface options. The enhanced version will be used in the normal operational environment for training purposes. AWIPS Forecast Preparation System (AFPS) – The United States NWS is consolidating the Interactive Computer Worded Forecast (ICWF), developed at the Techniques Development Laboratory, and the AFPS, developed at FSL and being integrated into the WFO-Advanced, into a single Interactive Forecast Preparation System . Major components of the IFPS include model interpretation, grid editing, matrix editing, product generation, and a watch/warning/advisory interface. In the consolidated system, the AFPS Graphical Forecast Editor (GFE) replaces the ICWF grid-modification tool, which provides maps and graphs on which forecasters can "draw" the weather for all forecast elements. FSL also developed new product generation capabilities, and will continue to support CWB as staff there customize the Interactive Forecast Preparation System, including consolidating their forecast preparation systems to satisfy operational requirements of the Weather Forecast Center. The FX-Net Project In accomplishing the goals of the FX-Net project, which will provide access to the interactive functionality of the WFO-Advanced workstation via the Internet, much progress was made. The risk reduction prototype version of FX- Net was completed, as well as the analysis and design of the robust operational version. Many risk areas were evaluated, including the use of Wavelet image compression, the FX-Net server interface to AWIPS version 4.2, the use of newly available user interface tools, and client access to advanced features such as the AWIPS product maker. The system was tested over the Internet with modest bandwidth connections. The architecture of the system was constrained mainly by bandwidth limitations and the need to leverage existing workstation code. To address these issues, data compression techniques and multithreaded client-side processing and communication are being studied. Other important considerations involved mirroring of the user interface, portability of the client Java code, and making necessary adaptations to the existing WFO-Advanced software. The Mount Washington Observatory Project One of the most demanding aspects of this project was developing a plan by which both visitors to the Mount Washington Observatory and virtual students can be educated about the unique nature of the weather of this region. To meet the needs of the regional visitor, the MWO proposed the creation of a Weather Discover Center (WDC) in North Conway, New Hampshire. The challenge is devising a method for delivering the exhibit information displayed at the center to schools and science centers across the country. FSL is collaborating with WDC staff in creating a Web-based program that will offer examples of the information, technology, and exhibits at the center to schools and science centers.
FSL representatives have played a key role throughout the planning process and
are currently involved in the development of WDC programs. A central exhibit
in the center will show how meteorologists use remotely gathered data to
render their weather prediction. This exhibit is a unique opportunity to
display, to the general public, tools and applications used in weather
forecasting that have been developed at FSL, and to also provide these
products on the educational outreach Web site.
During Fiscal Year 1999 the development tasks described above will continue, that is, refinements to the new Web server interface and the Oracle database. Many more Web pages will be translated into Spanish and French, and the Russian and Chinese languages will be developed on additional pages. New domestic mirror servers will be developed at two NASA locations, and the development of new international mirror server sites will be supported. As usual, International Division staff stand ready to support changes to the system concept as technology and the GLOBE Program continue to evolve. The Joint Forecast Systems Project The near future projection for the Joint Forecast Systems Project is to continue working on tasks such as LDAD, data assimilation, SMS, the Web-based workstation (FX-Net), and AFPS. There will be additional support provided to CWB staff as they prepare their activities plan for 2001–2005. The FX-Net Project The design of the operational version of FX-Net will continue to be refined. An operational real-time system will be installed at Plymouth State College that will support an undergraduate meteorology curriculum. As development continues, future enhancements could include access to case study data and support of multiple local radar datasets. The Mount Washington Observatory Project The completion date for the Mount Washington Observatory building renovation phase and the first round of exhibits is scheduled for sometime in June 1999. The plan is to capture a percentage of the 8.2 million tourists who visit the Mount Washington region annually. The Web site is expected to be partially implemented by May 1999, and should be fully operational for the 1999-2000 school year. The section of the Weather Discover Center that will be dedicated to the NOAA exhibit, called the "Weather Wall," will display forecasting products developed by FSL. The Web site will describe and display case study animations of weather events, examples of exhibits located in the Weather Discovery Center, and weather related educational challenges for students to solve. Additional information on each of these projects can be found here (Figure 60). |
