Observing Weather and Climate from the Ground Up A Nationwide Network of Networks (2009) / Chapter Skim
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6 How to Get from Here to There: Steps to Ensure Progress
6 How to Get from Here to There: Steps to Ensure Progress
Pages 138-148
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From page 138... ...
The former is largely separable from the latter, since considerable benefit may be achieved from improved functionality with existing observational assets. In this chapter we identify a minimum set of essential core services and facilities that must be established in order to realize the dream of a NoN.
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From page 139... ...
Congress, national organizations of governors and mayors, and key professional societies should attend. • Forums to further discuss and recommend implementations of the mesoscale observing system should be organized by professional societies and associations such as the American Meteorological Society, National Council of Industrial Meteorologists, American Geophysical Union, Commercial Weather Services Association, National Weather Association, American Institute for Chemical Engineering, American Society for Civil Engineering, and American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
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From page 140... ...
for archival of selected data, as deemed appropriate by NCDC, • development and provision of software tools and internet connectivity for data searches, information mining, and bulk data transmissions, • development and provision of a limited set of end-user applications software, which would enable selection of default network data configurations for major applications as well as tools for creation of custom network data configurations, and • provision of a data quality control service with objective, statistically based error-checking for all major categories of data, including manual intervention and feedback to providers. The premise for these services is to • have expert assistance in establishing and maintaining standards for the data provided, • know which additional data are available and suitable to one's own application, • have compatibility with and ease of access to selected observations and analyses, • ensure the archival of selected data commensurate with their useful lifetimes, and • gain ease of access to the products and services of other providers.
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From page 141... ...
They are inclined to respond when end users or automated quality-checking software detect questionable data. The United States needs a program that informs the providers of mesoscale observations why metadata are so vital for quality-checking for use in multiple applications.
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From page 142... ...
. • The World Meteorological Organization lists 20 principles in GCOS Climate Monitoring Principles. • Siting criteria for observations in urban areas are available in WMO (2006)
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From page 143... ...
AUGMENTING EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE The previous section discussed ways in which the use and value of current data can be enhanced in the absence of new or improved observing systems. This section examines the augmentation of existing observational and computational infrastructure, including the establishment of new observing systems, diagnostic tools, and experimental facilities.
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From page 144... ...
The main purpose of an observational testbed is to demonstrate that a particular collection of new observations improves regional weather predictions and all of the decisionsupport systems that affect life, property, and economic well-being. Testbeds enable the acquisition of knowledge on how best to sample atmospheric properties and phenomena, oftentimes resulting in improved knowledge of the observed phenomena and their statistical properties.
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From page 145... ...
, which deploys special observational assets in a quasi-operational environment to improve the prediction of winter storms that cause flooding along the West Coast. That testbeds already exist is reason to include them in this section on "Augmenting Existing Infrastructure." Yet testbeds will evolve to serve broader needs.
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From page 146... ...
A credible OSSE requires "calibration" from known observing systems, extensive computational resources similar to those used in operational numerical weather prediction, and careful execution.
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From page 147... ...
Specific examples will more effectively make this point than generalizations: • Search by application: "Show me highway pavement, temperature, and visibility conditions in north central Illinois." • Search by application: "Show me regional chemical weather fields east of 85ºW." • Get information in the vertical: "Get me the best estimate of the current vertical profiles of temperature, moisture, and wind over Chicago's O'Hare Airport." • Search for information that is sensor-, time-, and location-specific: "Show me precipitation data from tipping bucket rain gauges in Missouri between 1800 UTC 6 Aug and 0600 UTC 07 Aug 2007." • Search for information from a specific network: "Show me all temperature data from the AWS (WeatherBug) surface network at 1200 UTC 06 Apr 2007."
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From page 148... ...
IDENTIFYING A CENTRALIZED AUTHORITY Recommendation: To ensure progress, a centralized authority should be identified to provide or to enable essential core services for the net work of networks. Initially, the focus of such activities should be on markedly improved use and value of data from existing observing systems.
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