1

Sandy Supplemental Project:New AWIPS Data for NWS in Alaska

Carl Dierking, Tom Heinrichs, Gwen Bryson, Jay Cable,

Scott Macfarlane, Jessie Cherry, Eric StevensUniversity of Alaska, Fairbanks

05/13/2015

2

Outline

• Existing products and data distribution• Sandy Supplemental hardware/software

upgrades• New product priorities• Challenges• Summary

05/13/2015

Existing GINA Direct ReadoutData Flow

05/13/2015 3

RBG, Hybrid, QPE, & SFR Products,

Training & Assessment

Fog/Low Stratus & Ash Products, CSPP

Processing Pkg

Direct Readout Data& Processing

VIIRS Single Channel Products

Puffin Feeder GeoTiffs, Image

Archive

LDM

DNB enhancementsTraining &

Assessment

Operational Use & Feedback

405/13/2015

• UAF (Big Dog) 3.6 m X-band antenna

• Processing Seven Sensors:

VIIRS, MODIS, AVHRR, CRiS, ATMS, OMPS

•Raw data archive

• VIIRS (DNB,I1,I2,I3,I4,I5)• GeoTIFF RGBs on Puffin Server

GINA Products

• SPoRT (VIIRS/MODIS RGBs, NESDIS QPE, SFR)

• CIMSS (Fog/Low Stratus, Vol Ash)• GMU (River Flood)• CCNY (River Ice)

GINA CI Partner Products

GINA/UAF

Current NWS Alaska Product List

505/13/2015

1. Mitigate the risk of a data gap between Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (SNPP) and Joint Polar Satellite System-1 (JPSS-1)

2. Deliver near real-time data (NRT) from JPSS satellites to the National Weather Service (NWS)

3. Advance from best-effort downlink, processing, and distribution toward 24/7 operations

Sandy Supplemental Objectives

6

New Product Priorities• Increase data frequency with additional sensors

(Objective 1: mitigate risk of data gap)• Decrease product latency with new processing

hardware/software (Objective 2: deliver near real-time JPSS data)

• Exploit AWIPS2 “truecolor” plugin capabilities and EPDT work to produce composite products (i.e. RGBs) on the client side. (focus on single channel data delivery)

• Increase color resolution when possible

05/13/2015

7

Common Sensor Channels

05/13/2015

Band μm Res Band μm Res Band μm Res Band μm Res

I1 .64 375 1 .65 250 1 .64 1100

I2 .86 375 2 .86 250 2 .86 1100

I3 1.61 375 6 1.64 500 3a 1.61 1100

I4 3.74 375 20 3.75 1000 3b 3.74 1100

I5 11.45 375 31/32

11.0/12.0

1000 4/5 10.8/11.8

1100 HRD 11.6 550

DNB .7 750 HRD .75 550

VIIRS MODIS AVHRR (POES/MetOp) DMSP/OLS

8

Cumulative Pass Frequency

05/13/2015

9

New Product Priorities• Increase data frequency with additional sensors

(Objective 1: mitigate risk of data gap)• Decrease product latency with new processing

hardware/software (Objective 2: deliver near real-time JPSS data)

• Exploit AWIPS2 “truecolor” plugin capabilities and EPDT work to produce composite products (i.e. RGBs) on the client side. (focus on single channel data delivery)

• Increase color resolution when possible

05/13/2015

1005/13/2015

• New 3.0 m X,S,L band antenna at FCDAS• Fewer pass conflicts• Backup antenna at GINA

• New computer processors • Software upgrades• Concurrent with NWS communication upgrades

Fairbanks Cmd & Data Acquisition StnGINA/UAF X-band “Big Dog”

Todd Paris - UAF

Hardware/Software Upgrades

11

NWS Communications Upgrades

05/13/2015

To accommodate increased Satellite data volume, NWS communication line upgrades become operational May-Jun 2015.

• Significant bandwidth increase between Region Office and Fairbanks, Juneau, and Anchorage WFOs

• Enables faster and more reliable delivery of satellite products via LDM

• Includes high-speed network presence at NESDIS FCDAS satellite reception facility

1205/13/2015

200 Mbps

50 Mbps

50 Mbps

100 Mbps

50 Mbps

500 Mbps

13

New Product Priorities• Increase data frequency with additional sensors

(Objective 1: mitigate risk of data gap)• Decrease product latency with new processing

hardware/software (Objective 2: deliver near real-time JPSS data)

• Exploit AWIPS2 “truecolor” plugin capabilities and SPoRT EPDT work to produce composite products (i.e. RGBs) on the client side. (focus on single channel data delivery)

• Increase color resolution when possible

05/13/2015

14

Limitations of 8 Bit Color

05/13/2015

SPoRT 24 Hr Microphysics RGB

1505/13/2015

Low cloud/fog Low cloud/fog

8 bit image of 24 bit GeoColor Product

8 bit AWIPS II GeoColor Product

Color limitation artifact showing low clouds/fog where none exists

15

Artifacts in 8 bit AWIPS I/II GeoColor Product Due to Color Sampling

16

“truecolor” plugin: VIIRS Falsecolor RGB

05/13/2015

AWIPS2 “client-side” composite – three 8-bit single channels (R=I3 G=I2 B=I1)

RED: 68.0 (27%)GREEN: 226.0 (89%)BLUE: 217.0 (85%)

Sampling displays composite contribution

Made possibly by work of SPoRT Experimental Products Development Team (EPDT)

17

“truecolor” plugin: VIIRS Snow/Cloud RGB

05/13/2015

AWIPS2 “client-side” composite – three 8-bit single channels (R=I1 G=I3 B=I5)

Composite DialogControls color contributions

Made possibly by work of SPoRT Experimental Products Development Team (EPDT)

18

VIIRS Full Color Resolution

05/13/2015

AWIPS2 “client-side” composite – three 24-bit single channels (R=I3 G=I2 B=I1)

19

• 3.0 m X,L,S-band antenna

• New Processing: VIIRS, MODIS, AVHRR (POES & MetOP), OLS (DMSP)

05/13/2015

• 3.6 m X-band antenna• Processing:

VIIRS, MODIS, AVHRR, CRiS, ATMS, OMPS

•Raw data archive

• DNB• VIIRS netCDF4 (I1-5,M1-16)• MODIS • AVHRR (POES & MetOp)• OLS• GeoTIFF RGB on Puffin Server

GINA Products

• SPoRT (VIIRS/MODIS RGB, NESDIS QPE, SFR)

• CIMSS (Fog/Low Stratus, Vol Ash)• GMU (River Flood)• CCNY (River Ice)

GINA Partner ProductsGINA/UAF

FCDAS

Expanded NWS Alaska Product List

20

Challenge: AWIPS Time-matching

05/13/2015

For irregularly timed Polar data: AWIPS users could benefit from a mode that steps through multiple sensor imagery in a single time sequence (or) a mode that always places most recent image on top layer.

2105/13/2015

• Himawari data distribution impacts on Bandwidth are still not fully known

• Himawari, GOES-R, JPSS hardware/software demands will be intensive.

• Management of a surge in new products could distract NWS forecaster “situational awareness”.

Challenge: Himawari/GOES-R

22

Advantage: Resolution & Paralax Correction

05/13/2015

2305/13/2015

• Most popular experimental product for Alaskan NWS forecasters

• Most useful in the winter when “night” season is long in Alaska. (Also good time for Aurora Borealis viewing.)

Advantage: VIIRS DNB

24

Improvements for Data Archive AccessPuffin Feeder

05/13/2015

• Faster and simpler interface• More modular for easier maintenance • Android app available• Continued support of NWS import into GIS platform

25

Summary: New GINA Products• Add additional sensor products (MODIS, AVHRR, DMSP, MetOP)

• Provide VIIRS in full 24 bit color, netCDF4 format

• Focus on single channels used for client-side multi-channel products (RGB):– Provide guidance (best practices) on preparation– Provide training on utilization– Assess value and make adjustments as needed

• Continue to supply Direct Readout data to partners

• Continue to development and distribution of derived products05/13/2015

26

Thank You!

05/13/2015