1. IDV Perspective: Climatology of the 2005 Hurricane Season
Shelley O. Holmberg
University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC
Brian J. Etherton
W. Jeff Weber
Unidata Program Center, Boulder, CO

2. Acknowledgements
Project: Interactive Multimedia Prototype for Creating Case Studies in the Community - the 2005 Atlantic Hurricane Season
Sponsor: Unidata/University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR)
Thanks to: Greg Byrd, Bruce Muller, and Pat Parrish at the Cooperative Program for Operational Meteorology, Education, and Training (COMET) and Richard Cianflone

3. Setting Context Integrated Data Viewer (IDV) Distinctive because…
Interactive framework to visualize/analyze Earth Science data
Distinctive because…
3-dimensional renderings
Supports more data formats than other data visualization programs
Platform independent (Java-based)
Platform independent to

4. IDV Example

5. IDV Example

6. IDV Example

7. IDV Example

8. IDV Example

9. IDV Example

10. IDV Example

11. IDV Example

12. IDV Example

13. IDV System Requirements
Supported Operating Systems
Windows
Linux
MacOS-X
Solaris
RAM (Random Access Memory) requirements
512MB minimum

14. Supported Data Sources
Data Types:
Gridded data
Satellite imagery
Radar data
Point observations
Balloon soundings
NOAA Profiler Network winds
GIS data
Quicktime movies
Supported Formats:
netCDF
GRIB
ADDE
Vis5D
Access Methods:
Local files
HTTP
ADDE and TDS servers
ADDE = Abstract Data Distribution Environment
TDS (THREDDS) = Thematic Realtime Environmental Distributed Data Services
Unidata Program Center, IDV Users Guide, Version 2.0, July 7, 2006.

15. The Module
Purpose of “2005 Atlantic Tropical Cyclone Season” module (hereafter 2005 module)
Educational module to showcase the climatological factors present in 2005 to force the most active season on record

16. Methods: 2005 module sources
National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Nomad3 Reanalyses
On-line GrADS-DODS Server 1.2.9
Resolution: 2.5o x 2.5o
National Climate Data Center (NCDC) NOMADS reanalysis
On-line GrADS Server 1.3
Resolution: 2.0o x 2.0o
NCEP for atmospheric reanalysis
NCDC for oceanic reanalysis
NOMADS = NOAA Operational Model Archive and Distribution System

17. Methods: Making the 2005 module
Formatting based on “ingredients” favorable for Tropical Cyclone formation
Pre-existing disturbances
26oC sea surface temperatures at least 50m deep
Low shear
Thermodynamic Instability
Moist mid-troposphere
Vorticity
Use IDV to illustrate all are more favorable in 2005 than climate averages
Climate averages are (sst), (olr), and (everything else) dependent on data availability

18. 2005 Module: Dashboard

19. 2005 Module: Dashboard

20. 2005 Module: Dashboard

21. 2005 Module: June Relative Vorticity

22. 2005 Module: July Relative Vorticity

23. 2005 Module: August Relative Vorticity

24. 2005 Module: September Relative Vorticity

25. 2005 Module: October Relative Vorticity

26. 2005 Module: November Relative Vorticity

27. 2005 Module: December Relative Vorticity

28. 2005 Module: Text Notes

29. 2005 Module: Text Notes

30. Future Modules Series of at least three educational modules
“2005 Atlantic Tropical Cyclone Season” module - climatological focus
“Hurricane Katrina” module - societal impacts focus
“Hurricane Wilma” module - meteorological aspects focus
… to showcase broad spectrum of IDV capabilities
Other bundles will utilize more diverse data sources that are supported by IDV

31. Classroom Applicability
Target age group: upper-level undergraduates
Encourages better understanding and recognition of atmospheric processes
Use of real data beneficial:
more sophisticated presentation of concepts
better prepares students entering the atmospheric science career field