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- http://vista.cira.colostate.edu/improve/
- http://views.cira.colostate.edu/fed/
- Western Regional Air Partnership www.wrapair2.org
- WRAP Technical Support System http://views.cira.colostate.edu/tssv2/
- Intermountain West Data Warehouse http://views.cira.colostate.edu/iwdw/
- WESTAR http://www.westar.org/
Air Quality
CIRA Software Engineering Group (CSEG)
The CIRA Software Engineering Group (CSEG) began as an informal, enthusiastic grassroots group in April of 2014. Since then, it has grown into an active and cross-cutting group with representation from teams at CIRA-Fort Collins, CIRA-Boulder, the National Parks Service (NPS), the CSU Department of Atmospheric Science, the CSU Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, and the CSU Center for the Environmental Management of Military Lands (CEMML). CSEG supports the Vision for CIRA by exploring and testing emerging software technologies from outside the atmospheric sciences and incorporating them into our work to support the efficiency and excellence of CIRA’s research themes.
CSEG meets monthly to discuss how new tools and techniques can inform and improve CIRA’s data management, computing, and scientific efforts. CSEG further benefits CIRA’s projects by providing opportunities to discuss common software issues, to collect feedback on ideas, and to brainstorm alternative solutions, as well as assisting in planning future computing infrastructure and collaboratively developing software for general use across CIRA teams. CSEG also offers trainings for software tools that benefit the CIRA community (e.g., CSEG has offered Git training since 2016 and manages a local-network Git repository server).
CSEG is open to all and you need not characterize yourself as a software engineer to participate — all tech junkies are welcome! If you are interested in joining this innovative and vibrant community, please contact cseg@colostate.edu for more information.
Data Assimilation (DA)
The future state of a dynamical model depends on control parameters such as initial conditions, model errors, empirical parameters of the model, and boundary conditions. Insufficient knowledge of any of the former can lead to prediction uncertainty, which implies a probabilistic nature of the problem. The chaotic nature of nonlinear dynamical systems in weather and climate, and in geosciences in general, confirms the fundamentally probabilistic character of dynamical systems. Information about the dynamical state and its uncertainty is collected from observations. Blending the information from observations with information from dynamical models requires a coordinated effort in several areas of Physics and Mathematics: Probability Theory, Estimation Theory, Control Theory, Nonlinear Dynamics, and Chaos/Information Theory. Since we are primarily interested in geosciences applications to high-dimensional dynamical systems, the computational component of the problem is also of great importance to our robejectives. Our research is encompassing all the formerly mentioned disciplines with the goal of developing a general methodology for uncertainty estimation of dynamical systems.
Data Processing Centers (DPC)
In 2018, CIRA was awarded the contract to design, build, and operate the Data Operations Center (GDOC) for NASA’s GeoCarb mission which will put an instrument on a commercial telecommunications satellite for launch in the early 2020’s. From its vantage point in geostationary orbit over the western hemisphere, GeoCarb’s high spectral resolution radiometer will observe solar radiation reflected by the Earth’s surface. The GDOC will receive data acquired by the instrument and run science applications to retrieve concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane, and carbon monoxide, and measure solar induced fluorescence, an indicator of vegetation health.
MetSat
The Meteorological Satellite (MetSat) applications team at CIRA focuses on developing cutting-edge satellite products for research-to-operational use, utilizing a variety of satellite platforms covering the full spectrum of satellite observations.
MetSat research substantially supports the RAMMB group, working with NOAA partners on GOES-R and Suomi NPP/NOAA 20 product development, research, and calibration/validation. Our work also supports tropical storm and severe weather research, and training and outreach efforts, and is integral to reporting and engaging with the larger NOAA community through RAMMB research.
MetSat research also engages outside of the RAMMB group within NOAA, partnering with NASA, the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, and other federal, state, and private organizations, and are designed to support operational forecasting, aviation, marine operations, fire weather, and numerical weather prediction model integration.
MetSat group members support a wide range of projects, from small, experimental programs developing new technologies, to large research-to-operations projects integrating with the National Weather Service and other organizations. The MetSat group also proposes new missions designed to leverage emerging technologies to develop new observations and observational platforms for satellite remote sensing. Data distribution and access are a partnering priority for the MetSat group, as is coordinating with education and training partners to better disseminate the research products created by the group.
NOAA/Earth System Research Laboratories (ESRL)
Earth System Research Laboratories
In Boulder, Colorado, CIRA collaborates with all four of NOAA’s Earth System Research Labs (ESRL). At ESRL, scientists study atmospheric and other processes that affect air quality, weather, and climate. ESRL researchers monitor the atmosphere, study the physical and chemical processes that comprise the Earth system, and integrate those findings into environmental information products. This work improves critical weather and climate tools for the public and private sectors.
On April 2, 2020, NOAA designated the four divisions of the Earth System Research Laboratory in Boulder as full laboratories within the NOAA Oceanic and Atmospheric Research line office to meet recent shifts in mission-essential priorities. All laboratories retained their core research missions, and continue to collaborate closely with each other and other NOAA Research laboratories to improve understanding and ability to predict changes in Earth’s atmosphere, climate and weather.
Associated Website:
The Global Systems Laboratory
The Global Systems Laboratory (GSL) of the Earth System Research Laboratories (ESRL) conducts world-class applied research and directed development resulting in technology transfer of environmental data, models, products, and services that enhance environmental understanding with the outcome of supporting commerce, supporting NWS in protecting life and property, and promoting a scientifically literate public.
Associated Website:
Physical Sciences Laboratory
NOAA’s Physical Sciences Division (PSL) of the Earth System Research Laboratories (ESRL) conducts scientific research to observe, understand, model, predict and forecast weather, water and climate extremes and their impacts.
Associated Website:
https://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/hydromet-modeling/
https://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/hydromet-modeling/pdf/hb_russian_river_fact_sheet.pdf
https://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/hydromet-modeling/pdf/cira-magazine-tributaries.pdf
NWS/Aviation Weather Center (AWC)
The Aviation Weather Center (AWC) is part of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) under the NOAA/National Weather Service (NWS). The AWC is located in Kansas City, MO and has a long history of providing operational global aviation weather forecasts and warnings for the NWS, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), industry, and aviators around the globe. The Aviation Weather Testbed (AWT) is co-located with the AWC and supports the transition of aviation research into operations for the NWS, the FAA, and their partners. The AWC and AWT collaborate with universities, governmental forecast centers and research laboratories, FAA organizations, International Meteorological Watch Offices, and other NOAA and NWS organizations. The AWC maintains 24×7 global forecasting and warning operations, and the AWT supports aviation meteorology hazards training, applied research, and transitioning research-to-operations. The AWC and AWT are also actively engaged in supporting the FAA’s NextGen weather initiative in building a 4-Dimensional Weather Data Cube (4-D Cube) that will improve access and accuracy of weather information to support improvements to aviation services in the NextGen era. Activities within the AWT and AWC will play a significant role in the development, testing, and evaluation of NextGen development. CIRA is a collaborating partner with the AWC on a number of research projects and activities. CIRA professionals assist the AWC/AWT in supporting, developing, testing, and transitioning aviation weather research into NWS operations.
The Aviation Weather Center (AWC) Aviation Support Branch (ASB) is responsible for providing support to the research and operations processes, maintaining server and networking infrastructure, and supporting the www.aviationweather.gov website.
The primary goal of the ASB is to maintain the internal network, servers and workstations at the AWC to ensure continuity of operations. The 24×7 support is critical to AWC forecast and web operations. The ASB collaborates with the other National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) centers and the National Weather Service (NWS) to provide data and research to operations support. The branch supports the research operations at the AWC, headed by a team of Technique Development Meteorologists (TDMs). This includes support for the Testbed (AWT) as well as support for AWRP. The AWRP products include Current and Forecast Icing Products (CIP/FIP), Graphical Turbulence Guidance (GTG), National Ceiling and Visibility Analysis (NCVA), and the National Convective Weather Diagnostic/Forecast (NCWD/F). The ASB also supports the AWC website which includes Aviation Digital Display Service (ADDS), World Area Forecast System (WAFS) Internet File service (WIFS) and the International Flight Folder Program (IFFDP).
NWS/Meteorological Development Laboratory (MDL)
The primary goal in the research partnership between CIRA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Weather Service (NWS) Meteorological Development Laboratory (MDL) in Silver Spring, MD, is to keep abreast of advanced technology and apply it to CIRA and MDL in support of decision support tools and technologies. The partnership is focused upon providing technical expertise to MDL, providing a framework to foster innovation, science sharing, and development of new tools and services within the NWS with the goal of streamlining the transition of research to operations. The MDL develops and implements techniques that generate products and services that enhance the value of NWS forecast products. Prototyping of promising techniques is done to identify those best for implementation. Once developed and vigorously tested, these techniques are implemented in software on NWS operational platforms.
Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO-Training)
The Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO) Learning Office oversees employee learning, development, and training programs to support mission readiness. The focus of the Learning Office is to ensure standardized processes, application of best practices, transparency in training programs, equitable opportunity for employees, and compliance with NOAA, Department of Commerce (DOC) and Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance across OMAO. The OMAO Chief Learning Officer (CLO)/Learning Office is located at National Weather Service Training Center (NWSTC) in Kansas City, MO as part of a NOAA agreement to share resources and mutually support common training. The OMAO Learning Office is responsible for the development and implementation of OMAO learning policy; and the management and maintenance of OMAO’s LMS and training portal (a Google Site), and providing leadership training to staff. The agreement to share resources includes use of common techniques, hardware and software systems by both line offices, and collaboration on joint use projects.
Regional and Mesoscale Meteorology Branch (RAMMB)
The Regional and Mesoscale Meteorology Branch (RAMMB) of NOAA/NESDIS/Satellite Applications and Research (StAR) conducts research on the use of satellite data to improve analysis, forecasts and warnings for regional and mesoscale meteorological events. RAMMB is co-located with the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA) at Colorado State University in Fort Collins CO.
Training
Training for Continued Professional Development
To help meet satellite training competencies for National Weather and Meteorological Services in the U.S. and globally, CIRA leverages three programs and coordinates activities with NOAA and other US and International partners. The VISIT and SHyMet programs focus on training for the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) and the WMO VLab program focuses on the global community.
The primary mission of the Virtual Institute for Satellite Integration Training (VISIT) is to accelerate the transfer of research results based on atmospheric remote sensing data into NWS operations. The continuing professional development of NWS forecasters focuses on transferring the latest techniques to integrate remote sensing data, especially from satellite and radar, into the forecast process. The education approach uses distance education techniques (web-based audio/video modules and live teletraining) and is most effective when utilizing the expertise of the Science Operations Officer (SOO) and a satellite/radar focal point at the local forecast offices.
The Satellite Hydrology and Meteorology (SHyMet) Courses offer existing, new, and updated satellite training materials in a series of structured courses. The courses cover basic principles of satellite imaging and sounding, channels and products, identification of atmospheric and surface phenomena, and the integration of meteorological analysis with satellite observations and products into the weather forecasting and warning process. Advanced topics on identification of atmospheric and surface phenomena with associated case examples are also included.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Virtual Laboratory for Training and Education in Satellite Meteorology (VLab) is a global network of specialized training centres and meteorological satellite operators working together to improve the utilisation of data and products from meteorological and environmental satellites. It was established by the WMO and the Coordination Group for Meteorological Satellites (CGMS) in 2003. The activities here are sponsored by NOAA, the US satellite operator.