Storm Tracker – a Web-Based Tool for Working with the Automated Tracking of Thunderstorm Clusters Bob Rabin NOAA / NSSL / CIMSS Tom Whittaker Space Science & Engineering Center / CIMSS University of Wisconsin-Madison

Goals of the Project ● Make the results of on-going research at NSSL available to others ● Provide a web-based portal and appropriate tools ● Augment use of GOES data with other sources – Radar – RUC analysis – Lightning ● Explore using THREDDS cataloging for data access and VisAD data model for manipulation

Research community needs ● Rapid access to archived data ● Simplified conversion of data formats ● Tailoring the manipulation and visualization of multidimensional data to specific needs ● For example: integrating and overlaying data from multiple sources in Lagrangian reference systems. ● Remote access to “slices” of data

Proposed solution ● Expand on the ideas of radar tracking algorithms – Operate on larger storms (e.g., MCS, tropical) ● Include multi-sensor data – Radars – Satellite – Lightning – Model analyses & forecasts ● Build a prototype that operates on realtime and archived data – Background collection and staging of data – User interactive selection, displays, manipulation

Considerations in Gathering of Data ● At NSSL, acquire and stage: – GOES data (McIDAS) – Radar data images (McIDAS) – Lightning data ● From NCDC, acquire and stage: – RUC data (via NOMADS/THREDDS catalog) ● Stage data by: – Common projection for 'background' images – VisAD Data model for co-locating RUC in space and time ● Server needs to serve many clients simultaneously

Data Flow GOES Radar RUC model analysis THREDDS Lightning Tracking Algorithm Web Server

Example session…

Measuring “success” ● Successful implementation of the Web-based storm analysis application with ability to access real-time or archived data sets from NCDC and other sites via the commodity Internet plus Abilene (Internet2) ● Demonstration of the successful use of THREDDS and NOMADS leading to the development of future applications using this technology ● Use of the system for storm research at NOAA labs and universities, and by the SPC and other forecast centers

What’s next? ● Early reviews by forecasters at NSSL are promising – Need more feedback to evolve tools ● Switch to using 20km RUC – Higher resolution would be better ● Add low-level / boundary wind vector display to time-sections ● Seek additional funding…