Computational Weather Forecasting for Research and Operational Activities (and other Department of Geography interests)

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Computational Weather Forecasting for Research
and Operational Activities (and other Department
of Geography interests)

• Anna Klene
• Don Morton

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Stuff Were Doing

• Geography
• Analysis and modeling of meteorological events in
  the Northern Rockies and Alaska
• Operational and research numerical weather
  predictions for WFO MSO and FAI
• Beaufort Sea Mesoscale Meteorology Modeling Study
  for Department of Interiors Minerals Management
  Service

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Geography

• Statistics
• Field Applications
• Ulli Kamp, Anna Klene Dave Shively
• GIS
• Klene, Shively, Christiane von Reichert, Paul
  Wilson
• Remote sensing
• Ulli Kamp Anna Klene

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Geography

• Field Applications
• Remote data-loggers and weather stations
• Montana Alaska
• Distributed networks
• Live Weather Stations
• Hellgate Canyon

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Geography

• GIS
• Transportation modeling
• Land-change modeling
• Hydrologic applications
• Energy-balance approaches
• Student projects???

Spatio-temporal GIS in Migration Research
Migration Histories as Space-Time Paths
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Geography

• Remote sensing
• DEM generation
• Classification (pattern recognition machine
  learners)
• MontanaView
• Looking for contributions of raw and analyzed
  imagery outreach ?

Slope Aspect, Nanga Parbat, Pakistan
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Analysis and Modeling in Northern Rockies and
Alaska

• Met stations
• Case Studies
• MSO Great Inversion of November 2005
• Western Montana Arctic Outbreak of February
  2006
• Tanana Valley Wind event of October 2006

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The Great Inversion of November 2005

• 18 26 November 2005

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The Great Inversion of November 2005
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Conditions Elsewhere in Western Montana

• Most valleys west of Divide appear to be
  saturated, while high country looks to be above
  it all

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Some Local Observations
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Dewpoint Depression2005-11-18_18Z - 75- vs.
119-level
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Synoptic Overview
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Synoptic Overview
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Synoptic Overview
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Synoptic Overview
No graphics available for rest of event
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2006-02-15_00Z
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2006-02-16_00Z
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2006-02-17_00Z
The Ninepipe Eddy
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2006-02-16_00Z
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2006-02-16_21Z
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Tanana Valley Wind Event October 2006
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Tanana Valley Wind Event October 2006
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Operational WRF Runs

• 48-hour operational runs, 00Z and 12Z
• Postprocessed for NWS AWIPS and web products

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http//weather.arsc.edu/
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http//weather.arsc.edu/
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PASC (Deadhorse)
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Beaufort Sea Mesoscale Meteorology Modeling Study

• Department of Interiors Minerals Management
  Service funding for UAF and UM

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Data Collection and Analysis
Data Sources National Climatic Data Center MMS
(RESDAT) UAF - WERC SHEBA others
AtigunAnaktuvuk PassBarrowBarter
IslandDeadhorseFranklin BluffsGalbraith
LakeHappy ValleyIguigigKuparukNuiqsutOliktok
Prudhoe BayUmiat
Various periods of record Hourly wind data
www. ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/ncdc.html
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• SAR wind
• Canadian RADARSAT-1 European ENVISAT satellites
• Processed at UAF
• 250 m resolution
• Daily Arctic coverage

• MODIS wind
• NASA EOS satellites, available at NOAA NESDIS
• Derived by tracking water vapor and cloud
  features
• Low, middle, and high levels
• Daily coverage

SAR-derived surface wind speed with NOGAPS (Navy
Operational Global Atmospheric Prediction System)
model wind direction at 258 UTC 25 July 2006
over the Beaufort Sea coastal region.
MODIS polar wind product at 1420 UTC 06 Aug.
2006 low (below 700 hPa, yellow), middle (700 to
400 hPa, cyan), and high (above 400 hPa, magenta)
level wind vectors are displayed.
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Domain Setup Cases Selection Data
Preparation Model Configuration Resolution
Assimilation
Complex Region
Nesting design One-way nesting Two-way
nesting
Physics Options in MM5 7 cumulus
parameterizations 8 explicit moisture schemes
4 radiation schemes 7 planetary boundary layer
schemes 3 land surface schemes
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Summary

• Most of this work has huge network, data storage,
  and computational requirements
• Numerous interdisciplinary opportunities