April nd IBTrACS Workshop 1 Operational Procedures How can we build consistent, homogeneous, well- documented climate quality data?

2

April nd IBTrACS Workshop  The IBTrACS team should… ◦ Document BT procedures  Work with agencies through a survey ◦ Provide all parameters as provided by original agency ◦ Distribute official and unofficial datasets of other TC related data ◦ Archive all ancillary data ◦ Get involved with the IWTC 1 st IBTrACS Workshop: recommendations

April nd IBTrACS Workshop  Best tracking agencies should … ◦ Report more parameters and use WMO format ◦ Document current and historic BT practices ◦ Standardize definitions of winds and wind conversions ◦ Rescue and archive documents relevant to BT data ◦ “Best track” throughout life cycle (through ET) ◦ Encourage best track data discussions at IWTC 1 st IBTrACS Workshop: recommendations

April nd IBTrACS Workshop 5 Climate Quality Data The TC community goal for best track data

April nd IBTrACS Workshop  historical perspective  trend analysis  process evaluation  model development and calibration  These data have particular characteristics: ◦ High quality ◦ Homogeneity ◦ Continuity ◦ availability of full documentation with respect to their technical characteristics Climate quality data

April nd IBTrACS Workshop  Climate change  No time constraints in production  Allows time for assessment and correction  Uses past and future data to analyze record  Understand and minimize errors Climate Data Records  Predict weather  Tight time constraint  Real-time analysis, diagnostics, forecasting  Use past data to inform present decisions Environmental Data Records

April nd IBTrACS Workshop  Is best track data “climate quality data”? ◦ Post-event analyzed operational data Question Goal  To make best track data “climate quality data” as it is being produced o Avoid the task of re-analysis in future

April nd IBTrACS Workshop  An attempt to record historical operational changes and “best tracking” practices  Questions include: ◦ Are best track positions smoothed? If so, how? ◦ Which year did your agency first begin acquiring SSM/I (other microwave imagery)? ◦ What other changes to in situ, radiosondes or remote sensing data affected forecast and best tracking capability? ◦ How was the cyclone maximum sustained wind speed determined? IBTrACS Community Survey

April nd IBTrACS Workshop 10 Data Sources What are the impacts of changes in technology on the historical TC record?

April nd IBTrACS Workshop  Survey responses from: ◦ Meteo-France La Réunion ◦ Australian Bureau of Meteorology ◦ National Hurricane Center ◦ US Navy  Year technology became useful  Year changes in procedures were implemented  Other milestones Timeline Please add your expert knowledge to the timeline!

April nd IBTrACS Workshop  Date ranges?  Types of aircraft?  Flight level to ground transformations?  Instrumentation?  Technological improvements? Reconnaissance  Documented for the U.S.  A single research flight for Australian BoM  No aircraft data for La Réunion

April nd IBTrACS Workshop  Date ranges?  Types of observing systems?  Marine buoy and automated offshore stations?  Mesonets? Surface Data & Radar  Documented for the U.S.  Still incomplete coverage of tropical shorelines for Australian BoM  Basically no surface or radar for La Réunion

April nd IBTrACS Workshop  Satellite data acquisition date ranges?  Types of imagery available?  History of Dvorak implementation?  Other pattern recognition algorithms? Remote Sensing  Documented for the U.S.  Dvorak implemented differently – BoM Perth/Brisbane/Western Region  Dvorak implemented much later

April nd IBTrACS Workshop 15 TC Intensity How do operational decisions affect the historical record?

16

April nd IBTrACS Workshop 17 Tracking Procedures How do discrepancies in the types of systems recorded affect climate analyses?

April nd IBTrACS Workshop  Tropical cyclone center fixing procedures?  Subtropical systems?  Post-tropical systems? Procedures often inconsistent or change with administrations Position

April nd IBTrACS Workshop 19 Training How do different training approaches affect the data being recorded?

April nd IBTrACS Workshop 20 New instruments New science New procedures GPS Dropsondes TC Structure Best track of wind NHC (2004)

April nd IBTrACS Workshop 21 Best Track Procedure How do different approaches to post season reanalysis introduce differences in the climatology?

April nd IBTrACS Workshop  Who? ◦ forecaster? other analyst? committee?  What? ◦ systematic review? casual? no review?  When? ◦ after season? after storm?  Time dedicated?  days? weeks? months?  How? ◦ flexibility to deviate from original forecast?  complete? bounded? ◦ track smoothing? interpolation?  Review? ◦ internal? external?  Re-analysis  procedure for approving changes Document - Compare -Standardize?

April nd IBTrACS Workshop  An attempt to record historical operational changes and “best tracking” practices  Included in your folder  Write on timeline  Online at  IBTrACS Community Survey