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At least 163 records · Page 9

Computer-generated imagery for 4-D meteorological data

The University of Wisconsin-Madison Space Science and Engineering Center is developing animated stereo display terminals for use with McIDAS (Man-computer Interactive Data Access System). This paper describes image-generation techniques which have been developed to take maximum advantage of these terminals, integrating large quantities of four-dimensional meteorological data from balloon and satellite soundings, satellite images, Doppler and volumetric radar, and conventional surface observations. The images have been designed to use perspective, shading, hidden-surface removal, and transparency to augment the animation and stereo-display geometry. They create an illusion of a moving three-dimensional model of the atmosphere. This paper describes the design of these images and a number of rules of thumb for generating four-dimensional meteorological displays.

Hibbard, William L.↗

Near-real-time TOMS, telecommunications and meteorological support for the 1987 Airborne Antarctic Ozone Experiment

The goal of the 1987 Airborne Antarctic Ozone Experiment was to improve the understanding of the mechanisms involved in the formation of the Antarctic ozone hole. Total ozone data taken by the Nimbus-7 Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) played a central role in the successful outcome of the experiment. During the experiment, the near-real-time TOMS total ozone observations were supplied within hours of real time to the operations center in Punta Arenas, Chile. The final report summarizes the role which Research and Data Systems (RDS) Corporation played in the support of the experiment. The RDS provided telecommunications to support the science and operations efforts for the Airborne Antarctic Ozone Experiment, and supplied near real-time weather information to ensure flight and crew safety; designed and installed the telecommunications network to link NASA-GSFC, the United Kingdom Meteorological Office (UKMO), Palmer Station, the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) to the operation at Punta Arenas; engineered and installed stations and other stand-alone systems to collect data from designated low-orbiting polar satellites and beacons; provided analyses of Nimbus-7 TOMS data and backup data products to Punta Arenas; and provided synoptic meteorological data analysis and reduction.

Ardanuy, P.↗

Meteorological and Environmental Inputs to Aviation Systems

Reports on aviation meteorology, most of them informal, are presented by representatives of the National Weather Service, the Bracknell (England) Meteorological Office, the NOAA Wave Propagation Lab., the Fleet Numerical Oceanography Center, and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. Additional presentations are included on aircraft/lidar turbulence comparison, lightning detection and locating systems, objective detection and forecasting of clear air turbulence, comparative verification between the Generalized Exponential Markov (GEM) Model and official aviation terminal forecasts, the evaluation of the Prototype Regional Observation and Forecast System (PROFS) mesoscale weather products, and the FAA/MIT Lincoln Lab. Doppler Weather Radar Program.

Camp, Dennis W.↗

Meteorological atlas of the Southern Hemisphere lower stratosphere for August and September 1987

Southern Hemisphere meteorological data for the months of August and September 1987 in the lower stratosphere are shown. National Meteorological Center (NMC) data, Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) data, and Goddard Laboratory for Atmospheres (GLA) data are used to display polar stereographic projections of 200 to 100 mb vertical mean temperatures, 100 mb zonal mean geopotential height perturbations, total ozone, Ertel's potential vorticity (Epv), and 50 to 30 mb vertical mean temperatures. In addition, latitude height cross sections at 65 W of potential temperature, Epv, geostrophic isotachs, and temperature are also shown. Finally, a longitude height cross section at 65 S of temperature and geostrophic wind vectors is also shown.

Newman, P. A.↗

Meteorological satellite products support for project COHMEX

The first year effort focussed on real-time support and satellite data collection during the field phase of COHMEX. Work efforts following the field phase of COHMEX concentrated on post-processing of the real-time data sets, and generation of enhanced, research-quality satellite data sets for selected COHMEX core days. These satellite-derived data sets will augment the special COHMEX conventional data base with high horizontal and temporal resolution information. The data sets will be examined for their usefulness in delineating important elements in the meteorological environment leading to convective activity. In addition, a limited research effort was conducted using the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) 4-d data assimilation system in conjunction with evaluating VISSR Atmospheric Sounder (VAS) and His-resolution Interferometer Sounder (HIS) data. The need to address the characteristics of the data types, and the problems they introduce into 4-d assimilation procedures is evident. The HIS instrument was flown aboard an ER-2 aircraft on several occasions during COHMEX. One of the flights was chosen for further study. Processed VAS soundings and COHMEX radiosonde data were also collected for this day. The case study included an evaluation of the HIS and VAS data and an impact study of the data on the assimilation system analysis.

Velden, Christopher S.↗

Meteorological Sensor Calibration Facility

The meteorological sensor calibration facility is designed to test and assess radiosonde measurement quality through actual flights in the atmosphere. United States radiosonde temperature measurements are deficient in that they require correction for errors introduced by long- and short-wave radiation. The effect of not applying corrections results in a large bias between day time and night time measurements. This day/night bias has serious implications for users of radiosonde data, of which NASA is one. The derivation of corrections for the U.S. radiosonde is quite important. Determination of corrections depends on solving the heat transfer equation of the thermistor using laboratory measurements of the emissivity and absorptivity of the thermistor coating. The U.S. radiosonde observations from the World Meteorological Organization International Radiosonde Intercomparison were used as the data base to test whether the day/night height bias can be removed. Twenty-five noon time and 26 night time observations were used. Corrected temperatures were used to calculate new geopotentials. Day/night bias in the geopotentials decreased significantly when corrections were introduced. Some testing of thermal lag attendant with the standard carbon hygristor took place. Two radiosondes with small bead thermistors imbedded in the hygristor were flown. Detailed analysis was not accomplished; however, cursory examination of the data showed that the hygristor is at a higher temperature than the external thermistor indicates.

Schmidlin, F. J.↗

Meteorological atlas of the Northern Hemisphere lower stratosphere for January and February 1989 during the Airborne Arctic Stratospheric Expedition

Northern Hemisphere meteorological data for the months of January and February 1989 in the lower stratosphere are shown. National Meteorological Center (NMC) data, and Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) data are used to display polar stereographic projections of 100-mb temperatures, 50-mb temperatures, 50-mb geopotential heights, total ozone, and Ertel's potential vorticity (Epv) on both 400 K and 460 K isentropic surfaces. In addition, latitude/height cross sections at 10 E of balanced wind isotachs, wind vectors, potential temperature, and temperature are also shown. Horizontal traces of NASA ER-2 and DC-8 flight tracks are also included. Vertical profiles of NMC temperatures following flight paths of both aircraft are shown. In addition, vertical profiles of wind speed are contoured following the ER-2 for estimating the lateral penetration into the polar vortex, while vertical profiles of Ertel's potential vorticity are included for estimating the vertical penetration of the DC-8 into the stratosphere.

Newman, Paul A.↗

Meteorological effects on long-range outdoor sound propagation

Measurements of sound propagation over distances up to 1000 m were carried out with an impulse sound source offering reproducible, short time signals. Temperature and wind speed at several heights were monitored simultaneously; the meteorological data are used to determine the sound speed gradients according to the Monin-Obukhov similarity theory. The sound speed profile is compared to a corresponding prediction, gained through the measured travel time difference between direct and ground reflected pulse (which depends on the sound speed gradient). Positive sound speed gradients cause bending of the sound rays towards the ground yielding enhanced sound pressure levels. The measured meteorological effects on sound propagation are discussed and illustrated by ray tracing methods.

Klug, Helmut↗

Calibration of the ER-2 meteorological measurement system

The Meteorological Measurement System (MMS) on the high altitude ER-2 aircraft was developed specifically for atmospheric research. The MMS provides accurate measurements of pressure, temperature, wind vector, position (longitude, latitude, altitude), pitch, roll, heading, angle of attack, angle of sideslip, true airspeed, aircraft eastward velocity, northward velocity, vertical acceleration, and time, at a sample rate of 5/s. MMS data products are presented in the form of either 5 or 1 Hz time series. The 1 Hz data stream, generally used by ER-2 investigators, is obtained from the 5 Hz data stream by filtering and desampling. The method of measurement of the meteorological parameters is given and the results of their analyses are discussed.

Bowen, Stuart W.↗

Geostationary Meteorological Satellite-5 (GMS-5)

The Geostationary Meteorological Satellite (GMS-5), which is being developed by the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA), is the fifth geostationary, spin stabilized, weather satellite. Its purposes are to observe cataclysmic events such as hurricanes, typhoons, and regional weather phenomena; to relay meteorological data from surface collection points to the Data Processing Center in Japan; and to transmit processing imaging data for facsimile reproduction. The satellite will be launched from the Tanegashima Space Center (TaSC) in Japan by a type H-II launch vehicle. The Deep Space Network (DSN) will support the transfer and drift orbit mission phases. The coverage will consist of the 26-m antennas as prime and the 34-m antenna at Madrid as backup support for launch through drift orbit. Maximum support will consist of two 8-hour tracks per station for a seven day period, plus 23 days of contingency support from all complexes. Information is given in tabular form for DSN support, frequency assignments, telemetry, command and tracking station responsibility.

Horii, M.↗

The ER-2 meteorological measurement system

The objectives of ER-2 Meteorological Measurement System (MMS) are: (1) to measure the meteorological parameters (pressure, temperature, and the three dimensional wind vector) accurately; (2) to provide high resolution data on atmospheric state variables and aircraft flight track to ER-2 investigators on a timely basis; and (3) to conduct collaborative research in atmospheric dynamics and chemistry. A summary of progress and results are presented.

Chan, K. Roland↗

Theoretical modelling and meteorological analysis for the AASE mission

Providing real time constituent data analysis and potential vorticity computations in support of the Airborne Arctic Stratospheric Experiment (AASE) is discussed. National Meteorological Center (NMC) meteorological data and potential vorticity computations derived from NMC data are projected onto aircraft coordinates and provided to the investigators in real time. Balloon and satellite constituent data are composited into modified Lagrangian mean coordinates. Various measurements are intercompared, trends deduced and reconstructions of constituent fields performed.

Schoeberl, Mark R.↗

PEM-West trajectory climatology and photochemical model sensitivity study prepared using retrospective meteorological data

Trajectory and photochemical model calculations based on retrospective meteorological data for the operations areas of the NASA Pacific Exploratory Mission (PEM)-West mission are summarized. The trajectory climatology discussed here is intended to provide guidance for flight planning and initial data interpretation during the field phase of the expedition by indicating the most probable path air parcels are likely to take to reach various points in the area. The photochemical model calculations which are discussed indicate the sensitivity of the chemical environment to various initial chemical concentrations and to conditions along the trajectory. In the post-expedition analysis these calculations will be used to provide a climatological context for the meteorological conditions which are encountered in the field.

Merrill, John T.↗

Measurements of Declination at the Helsinki Magnetic-meteorological Observatory 1844-1853

A project was started with the goal of putting into computer readable form all the old unpublished magnetic data at the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI), the successor of the Helsinki magnetic-meteorological observatory. Altogether there are available about 2.5 million visual observations of D, H and Z made during the time interval 1844-1905. The first 10 year period (1844-1853) of declination data now converted to electronic form, includes observations made at every tenth minute. The total number of observations is 489,152. We present some examples of declination observations in forms of tables and graphs showing hourly, daily, monthly, and annual means. Secular variations of the declination in 1844-1853 have been extremely linear, showing a steady eastward increase of 8 prime/year that is more than two times larger than the present annual rate of secular change in Finland. The standard deviation of the daily and monthly residuals, after removing the secular variation trend for the whole time period, is about 1 prime, demonstrating the high stability and reliability of the observations. For this reason the data may be suitable for deriving a 3-hour activity index K and daily Ak numbers, giving new information for extending the existing long series of activity characters backwards in time.

Nevanlinna, Heikki↗

Comparisons of the NASA ER-2 meteorological measurement system with radar tracking and radiosonde data

Measurements of aircraft longitude, latitude, and velocity, and measurements of atmospheric pressure, temperature, and horizontal wind from the meteorological measurement system (MMS) on board the NASA ER-2 aircraft were compared with independent measurements of these quantities from radiosondes and radar tracking of both the ER-2 and radiosonde balloons. In general, the comparisons were good and within the expected measurement accuracy and natural variability of the meteorological parameters. Radar tracking of the ER-2 resolved the velocity and position drift of the inertial navigation system (INS). The rms errors in the horizontal velocity components of the ER-2, due to INS errors, were found to be 0.5 m/s. The magnitude of the drift in longitude and latitude depends on the sign and magnitude of the corresponding component velocity drift and can be a few hundredths of a degree. The radar altitudes of the ER-2 and radiosondes were used as the basis for comparing measurements of atmospheric pressure, temperature, and horizontal wind from these two platforms. The uncertainty in the MMS horizontal wind measurement is estimated to be +/- 2.5 m/s. The accuracy of the MMS pressure and temperature measurements were inferred to be +/- 0.3 hPa and +/- 0.3 K.

Gaines, Steven E.↗

Tropospheric chemistry over the lower Great Plains of the United States. I - Meteorology

In order to extrapolate from individual observations to general trends a technique is developed to identify weather patterns conducive to convection in the southern or lower Great Plains in early summer. This technique is applied to meteorological and chemical data from a series of research flights conducted in June 1985. A set of selection criteria is applied to surface and upper air meteorological data from central Oklahoma to distinguish the two meridional phases characteristic of this region (polar and maritime).

Ryan, William F.↗

Some principles governing the establishment of meteorological stations along air routes

The organization of a meteorological service for an air route involves the solution of two distinct problems: distribution and grouping of meteorological stations and communications. Experience gained in the establishment of two lines, Paris-Warsaw and Constantinople-Bucharest enables us to establish certain principles, which may be of interest to note here.

Aujames, P↗

Meteorological-physical Limitations of Icing in the Atmosphere

The icing hazard can, in most cases, be avoided by correct execution of the flights according to meteorological viewpoints and by meteorologically correct navigation (horizontal and, above all, vertical). The zones of icing hazard are usually narrowly confined. Their location can be ascertained with, in most cases, sufficient accuracy before take-off.

Findeisen, W↗