Data Distribution Research

The Data Distribution theme area involves research focusing on identifying effective and efficient methods of quickly distributing and displaying very large sets of environmental and model data using data networks, using web map services, data compression algorithms, and other techniques. CIRA is engaged in a number of notable activities under this thematic research area at both the Fort Collins campus and the NOAA Earth System Research Lab in Boulder.

In Fort Collins, CIRA maintains the Data Processing Center (DPC) for NASA's CloudSat satellite mission. Launched in 2006, CloudSat carries a nadir-looking 94 GHz cloud profiling radar that gathers information about the microphysical properties and vertical structure of clouds for climate and weather research. CloudSat flies in formation with the A-Train constellation of satellites which allows collocated and nearly-simultaneous observations of the atmosphere by the suite of instruments on each platform. The DPC is responsible for acquiring CloudSat data from the U. S. Air Force and selected data sets from the other missions to generate multi-sensor data products and distributing them to the scientific community. Success in this endeavor has allowed the DPC to take on other data distribution projects.

In addition to observing, assimilation, modeling, and high-performance/advanced computing capabilities, information systems are necessary and required to deliver environmental products ranging from local to global predictions of short-range, high impact weather and air quality events to longer-term intra-seasonal climate forecasts.

This research challenge includes identifying and developing new web visualization capability amidst the diversity of the types of data, information resources, and multiple standards that exist and the need for integrating these separate infrastructures to enable collaborative research across the various disciplines. Alongside ESRL/GSD scientists, approximately 25 CIRA researchers are striving to develop various state-of-the-art information systems and advanced workstation concepts, including an initial network-enabled Weather Information Database (WIDB) that will synthesize important NWS data repositories into a seamless virtual weather database that will support the 'Common Weather Picture'. The WIDB will be based on standard services and formats that will enable effective and efficient populating of the WIDB, exposure of information, and access to users. Our researchers are also developing the capability for NWS IT infrastructure to effectively and efficiently interface with FAA IT infrastructure.

Another major effort in support of the NWS and FAA involves the development of a 4-dimensional Weather Cube to house standardized weather information for integration into air traffic decision-support tools to improve the quality of weather products for the aviation community. In addition to our collaboration with ESRL/GSD, CIRA has recently begun collaborating with the NWS Aviation Weather Center (AWC) in Kansas City with an on-site research team to support the NextGen weather initiative via the Aviation Weather Testbed (AWT) in building the 4-D Cube, in addition to transitioning experimental FAA Aviation Weather Research Program algorithms to the AWC operational environment.

A third research thrust is to improve weather information for fire weather prediction; one component is the development and enhancement of an interactive, integrated GIS, weather, and fire information platform that would be available to fire incident commanders and fire fighters in the field.

RELATED PROJECTS

Projects in the Data Distribution research theme fall roughly under four categories related to Information Management systems, Monitoring and Warning systems, Forecast Evaluation Tools, and Data Ingest/Display and Storage.

  1. Information Management Systems:  
  2. Monitoring and Warning Systems:  
  3. Forecast Evaluation Tools:  
  4. Data Ingest/Display and Storage:  

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

  • CIRA CloudSat Data Processing Center
    In its data distribution role, the DPC provides product documentation, online search and ordering tools, access mechanisms, and online support to help users acquire and use CloudSat data. As of 1 January 2013 the DPC has distributed over 19,000,000 product files with a total volume of 1.2 petabytes to users in 59 countries.
  • GSD/Information & Technology Services (ITS) Data Systems Group
    CIRA researchers, who form the core of the GSD's ITS Data Systems Group, provide lab-wide resource for the acquisition and processing of meteorological data sets in support of their research, development and technology transfer mission.
  • NWS NextGen and FAA Common Support Services.Weather (CSS-Wx)
    The basic tenets for NextGen aviation weather incorporates a common weather picture via the 4-D Weather Cube, networked-enabled operations that will enable flexible and efficient access to weather information, and integration of weather information into automated and human-related decision support tools.
  • Aviation Weather Testbed (AWT)
    The AWT at the Aviation Weather Center in Kansas City, MO provides the infrastructure and facilities for CIRA researchers to develop, test, and evaluate new and emerging scientific techniques, products, and services as part of a research-to-operations process for the NWS to support the FAA and other aviation interests.
  • FX-Net and Fire Weather Support
    FX-Net is a network-based meteorological workstation that provides access to the basic display capability of an AWIPS workstation via the Internet. FX-Net is intended to be an inexpensive PC workstation system for use in a variety of forecast, training, education, and research applications where the full capabilities of a WFO-Advanced type system are not required.
  • Forecast Impact and Quality Assessment
    An interdisciplinary team of meteorologists, physicists, mathematicians, and engineers provide objective quality assessment measures, network-enabled verification services for automated decision support and verification system unification, and independent comprehensive analyses to interpret and communicate the accuracy of weather forecasts for improving services to the aviation community.
  • FX-Collaborate
    FX-Collaborate is an exploratory development to prototype and evaluate advanced workstation concepts. The FXC workstation features some of the basic capabilities of an AWIPS workstation and provides enhanced capabilities such as real-time collaboration, a comprehensive drawing tool, Web access, (limited) telephony, an integrated slide presentation, and Internet access to multiple data servers.
  • Meteorological Assimilation Data Ingest System (MADIS)
    This project provides value-added, quality-controlled observations from GSD's Central Facility for the purpose of supporting meteorological research. Included in MADIS is software to make it easy to read the observations.
  • NWS Virtual Laboratory (VLab)
    CIRA is collaborating and providing the Technical Lead on the development effort at the NWS Meteorological Development Lab on two projects--the NWS Virtual Lab and the NWS Virtual Lab Portal (formerly identified as the Innovation Web Portal). The Virtual Laboratory (VLab) is a service and IT framework that enables NWS researchers and their partners to share ideas, collaborate, engage in software development, and conduct applied research.