Integrated Multi-Functional Observing Networks for Surface Transportation (and many other sectors)

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Integrated Multi-Functional Observing Networks
for Surface Transportation (and many other
sectors)
3rd National Surface Transportation Weather
Symposium July 25-27, 2007 Vienna, VA

• Walter Dabberdt
• Vaisala
• Boulder, CO

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Potential Participants and Partners

• NWS
• FAA
• FHWA
• FRA
• DHS
• DoD
• City emergency managers
• Flood control districts
• Air quality management districts
• Private companies
• Weather measurement companies
• Telecommunications companies
• Tower owners
• Others
• Academia

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User Sectors

• Surface Transportation
• Road masters freight companies
• Rail traffic controllers
• Airport and airline operators FAA
• Harbor masters, pilots and ships officers USCG
• Ports, inland and coastal
• Others (first and second tier)
• National Weather Service
• Private weather services
• Emergency managers
• Electric utilities and transmission companies
• Insurance
• Agriculture
• Air quality
• Construction
• Traders and brokers
• Media
• General public

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Critical Atmospheric Phenomena

• Winter storms
• Nor easters
• Snow- and ice storms
• Hurricanes
• Air pollution
• Fog, low clouds and other visibility-reducing
  phenomena
• Thunderstorms, including MCSs
• Lightning
• Flash floods
• Hail
• Straight-line winds
• Tornadoes
• Windstorms (w/o precipitation)
• Aviation hazards
• In-cloud icing
• Downbursts
• Turbulence
• Heat and cold extreme events

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General applications

• Detection/Analysis of current state of the
  near-Earth atmospheric state
• Nowcasting/very short-range forecasting (0 to
  2 hrs)
• Short-range mesoscale prediction (3 to 48 hrs)

mesoscale forecasting
Relative Forecast Accuracy
nowcasting - current capability
observations
blending region
0 4
Nominal Time -- hours
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General applications

• Analysis/description of current state of the
  earth-atmosphere regime
• Nowcasting/very short-range forecasting (0 to
  2 hrs)
• Short-range mesoscale prediction (3 to 48 hrs)

mesoscale prediction
Schematic illustration
area
nowcasting
analysis
Site of interest
time
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Candidate Measurement Systems

• Pavement condition sfc
  temperature
• sfc state

• Weather radar reflectivity velocity,
  polarization refractivity
• Wind profilers radar, sodar lidar
  aircraft
• Thermodynamic soundings RAOBS, aircraft
  lidar
• Lightning detection CG total
• Radiometers microwave -- scanning
• GPS receivers precipitable water vapor --
  column integrated maybe slant path
  and 3D
• Surface mesonets PTU V LW, SW, net
  radiation energy momentum fluxes
• Satellites Geo- POES LEO

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Commonality ....
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Benefits and Challenges of MF-MP Networks

• Benefits of MF Networks
• Share risks technical and financial
• Minimize investments per partner
• Profit (private sector)
• Cost reduction (public sector)
• Research opportunities (all sectors)
• Challenges, Obstacles and Impediments
• Competition
• IP rights
• Data rights
• Partner selection
• Partner performance
• Public-private barriers
• Curse of dimensionality managing multiple
  partners

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Observing Challenges (physical)

• Network design
• Phenomenologically driven local circulations
  processes
• Needs driven Base (or common) network vs.
  all-inclusive network
• How to optimize? Is it possible?
• Scientific/measurement challenges
• PBL structure
• MH
• O3 and PM
• Water vapor
• QPE

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3D Mesoscale Networks

• Research
• EPiCC -- Canada
• Urban micronet P. Klein (U.Oklahoma)
• Helsinki Testbed
• DHS Manhattan and WDC
• Planning Studies
• NRC BASC MF Mesoscale Observations Panel
  (ongoing)
• OFCM Urban Network Study (ongoing)
• AMS Wx Climate Enterprise Commission Annual
  Partnership Topic (ongoing)
• New and Emerging 3D Networks
• Japan
• Beijing 2008 Olympics and beyond
• Shanghai MHEWS

Note existing 2D mesonets are not included
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Example of an Emerging 3D MF-MP System Shanghai
Multi-Hazard Forecast and Prediction System
Flooding Food safety Heat-health Road maintenance
safety Chemical dispersion Air
quality Smoke Storm surge Energy
Earthquakes Tsunamis
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City-Scale Early Detection Monitoring System
(conceptual)
The conceptual design for comprehensive
observations of urban atmospheric boundary
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Microscale Meteorological Observation
System(conceptual) -------- In the World
EXPO 2010 Site
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How to move forward? Some Questions

• Role of Government?
• IP rights?
• Risk sharing?
• Cost sharing?
• Revenue sharing?
• Chisholm Network a prototypical concept?

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How to move forward?
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A possible prototype network?
The Chisholm Network

1000km
1500km
Major Cities Included Dallas-Ft. Worth Houston
Austin Oklahoma City Amarillo Lubbock San
Antonio Corpus Christi Shreveport Tulsa New
Orleans Mobile Little Rock Jackson ........
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end...
Contact walter.dabberdt_at_vaisala.com