1. GIS APPLICATIONS IN AGROMETEOROLOGY
Utilization of GIS Technology for Operational
Agrometeorological Applications
Raymond P. Motha
Chief Meteorologist
U.S. Dept. of Agriculture
Office of the Chief Economist
World Agricultural Outlook Board
Washington D.C., U.S.A.
World Agricultural Outlook Board

2. GIS APPLICATIONS IN AGROMETEOROLOGY
Introduction
Several analytical techniques are used to monitor crop weather worldwide
time series analyses
analog comparisons
static maps
Until recently, many maps were static and depicted just one variable, making it difficult to:
overlay data sets
visualize and evaluate relationships
easily assess crop weather conditions
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have helped overcome these hurdles
World Agricultural Outlook Board

3. GIS APPLICATIONS IN AGROMETEOROLOGY
GIS Described
Simple GIS
GIS defined: method for organizing, displaying, and analyzing spatial data and their relationships using computers and compatible technologies
GIS incorporates quantitative data directly into the system, helping users:
overlay multiple data sets
create precise maps
perform spatial analyses
Numerous organizations use GIS to study, monitor, and model processes
Robust GIS
World Agricultural Outlook Board

4. GIS APPLICATIONS IN AGROMETEOROLOGY
GIS Users
USDA Forest Service
GIS used to map wildfire burn severity and to
focus efforts to minimize flooding and erosion
World Agricultural Outlook Board

5. GIS APPLICATIONS IN AGROMETEOROLOGY
GIS Users
USDA National Agricultural
Statistics Service
GIS used to map crop areas
annually for selected states
World Agricultural Outlook Board

6. GIS APPLICATIONS IN AGROMETEOROLOGY
GIS Users
USDA Farm Service Agency
GIS used to delineate field boundaries,
map land use, and calculate acreages
World Agricultural Outlook Board

7. GIS APPLICATIONS IN AGROMETEOROLOGY
GIS Users
USDA Natural Resources Conservation
Service/Oregon State University
GIS used to map various climatic parameters
World Agricultural Outlook Board

8. GIS APPLICATIONS IN AGROMETEOROLOGY
GIS Users
National Weather Service
GIS used to track tropical cyclones
World Agricultural Outlook Board

9. GIS APPLICATIONS IN AGROMETEOROLOGY
GIS Users
Federal Emergency Management Agency
GIS used to map flooding associated
with a landfalling hurricane
World Agricultural Outlook Board

10. GIS APPLICATIONS IN AGROMETEOROLOGY
WAOB GIS
Software
ArcView 3.x
ArcGIS 9.x
Hardware
7 Pentium IV desktop computers
Processing speed 2.4 to 2.8 GHz
512 MB RAM
Windows 2000/XP operating system
PCs connected via local area network
Oracle 9i database
World Agricultural Outlook Board

11. GIS APPLICATIONS IN AGROMETEOROLOGY
Data
U.S. National Weather Service
synoptic/cooperative observer data
WMO data important
NWS/WMO data archived in DBMS
Data describing extreme weather
tropical cyclone wind/coordinate data
mesonetwork temp./precip. data
USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) crop production, yield, and area data
NASS weekly crop progress/condition data
World Agricultural Outlook Board

12. GIS APPLICATIONS IN AGROMETEOROLOGY
USDA Agrometeorological GIS Applications
WAOB GIS regularly used to create a variety of agricultural weather analyses
Products grouped into three categories:
Manual, single-parameter applications
Automated, single-parameter applications
Manual, multiple-parameter applications
World Agricultural Outlook Board

13. GIS APPLICATIONS IN AGROMETEOROLOGY
Manual, Single-Parameter Applications
Refer to those WAOB products that map one agricultural or meteorological parameter and are generally labor-intensive to create
Created by manually converting raw data into GIS-compatible formats and then using a GUI to import and display these data in the GIS
GUI also used to add text and legends to the crop and weather maps, and thus create the finished products
World Agricultural Outlook Board

14. GIS APPLICATIONS IN AGROMETEOROLOGY
Crop Production Data – Internet
U.S. Corn
World Agricultural Outlook Board

15. GIS APPLICATIONS IN AGROMETEOROLOGY
Crop Production Data – Excel
U.S. Corn
World Agricultural Outlook Board

16. GIS APPLICATIONS IN AGROMETEOROLOGY
Crop Production Data – ArcView
U.S. Corn
World Agricultural Outlook Board

17. GIS APPLICATIONS IN AGROMETEOROLOGY
Crop Maps – United States
U.S. Corn
World Agricultural Outlook Board

18. GIS APPLICATIONS IN AGROMETEOROLOGY
Weather Analyses – Text File
Text file, comma-delimited WMO data
Note latitude/longitude data in addition to weather data
World Agricultural Outlook Board

19. GIS APPLICATIONS IN AGROMETEOROLOGY
Weather Analyses – GIS Table
World Agricultural Outlook Board

20. GIS APPLICATIONS IN AGROMETEOROLOGY
Weather Analyses – Data Plotted
World Agricultural Outlook Board

21. GIS APPLICATIONS IN AGROMETEOROLOGY
Weather Analyses – Data Contoured
World Agricultural Outlook Board

22. GIS APPLICATIONS IN AGROMETEOROLOGY
Automated, Single-Parameter Applications
Similar to manual, single-parameter applications in that one agricultural or meteorological parameter is displayed and analyzed on each map, however, the process for creating these products has been automated
Product creation process can be time consuming and tedious if a large number of products are desired and these products are created manually
Automation significantly reduces the time and labor required to produce these products
World Agricultural Outlook Board

23. GIS APPLICATIONS IN AGROMETEOROLOGY
Avenue Scripts
Object-oriented programming language, enables users to automate various tasks associated with mapping
Examples of automation:
loading data
spatial analysis (e.g., contouring)
defining map scale/extent
annotation
creating a map legend
exporting/printing a map
World Agricultural Outlook Board

24. GIS APPLICATIONS IN AGROMETEOROLOGY
Daily Plot Maps
Green number = precipitation
Red number = maximum temperature
Blue number = minimum temperature
Empty, partially filled, and completely filled green circles symbolize precipitation amounts
World Agricultural Outlook Board

25. GIS APPLICATIONS IN AGROMETEOROLOGY
Color Contour Maps
World Agricultural Outlook Board

26. GIS APPLICATIONS IN AGROMETEOROLOGY
Crop Progress & Condition Maps
World Agricultural Outlook Board

27. GIS APPLICATIONS IN AGROMETEOROLOGY
Manual, Multiple-Parameter Applications
Refer to those WAOB products that map two or more agrometeorological parameters and are generally labor-intensive to create
Demonstrate the significant overlay capabilities of GIS, specifically the ability to visualize – and quantify – the percent of agriculture affected by various types of weather
Often typify the special crop weather assessments prepared by WAOB meteorologists in response to extreme or severe weather
World Agricultural Outlook Board

28. GIS APPLICATIONS IN AGROMETEOROLOGY
Crop Weather Analyses – Hurricane Frances
World Agricultural Outlook Board

29. GIS APPLICATIONS IN AGROMETEOROLOGY
Crop Weather Analyses – Hurricane Ivan
World Agricultural Outlook Board

30. GIS APPLICATIONS IN AGROMETEOROLOGY
Crop Weather Analyses – Freeze Product
World Agricultural Outlook Board

31. GIS APPLICATIONS IN AGROMETEOROLOGY
Crop Weather Analyses – Drought Forecast Product
World Agricultural Outlook Board

32. GIS APPLICATIONS IN AGROMETEOROLOGY
U.S. Drought Monitor – Background
In 1999, government and university scientists began working together to produce the U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM), a weekly product designed to provide a single snapshot of the spatial extent and intensity of drought in U.S.
Drought experts from four agencies are responsible for coordinating USDM production each week
On a rotating basis, an individual from one of these agencies serves as product author for the week, and typically authors the product for 2 weeks.
World Agricultural Outlook Board

33. GIS APPLICATIONS IN AGROMETEOROLOGY
U.S. Drought Monitor - Methodology
Each Monday, author consults data from numerous sources
quantitative observational networks
model output
satellite and radar imagery
subjective reports
Author uses these data to prepare a first draft of the USDM for that week
Draft distributed via list-server to approximately 150 people, including fellow authors and climate and water experts from around the country.
1st draft
2nd draft
3rd draft
FINAL
1st draft
2nd draft
3rd draft
FINAL
1st draft
2nd draft
3rd draft
FINAL
1st draft
2nd draft
3rd draft
FINAL
World Agricultural Outlook Board

34. GIS APPLICATIONS IN AGROMETEOROLOGY
U.S. Drought Monitor - Methodology
Members of drought list provide author feedback, used to refine USDM
Through iterative process, author prepares and distributes 2-3 drafts of the USDM during Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of each week to obtain the best product possible.
Final product and an accompanying text summary posted every Thursday at 0830 LT on the USDM web site: (
World Agricultural Outlook Board

35. GIS APPLICATIONS IN AGROMETEOROLOGY
U.S. Drought Monitor - Software
Originally prepared using CorelDraw
unable to overlay indices
quantitative analysis not possible
USDM authors switched to ArcGIS
Authors obtained professional training
draw drought areas
annotate map
print/export product
Initial difficulties using GIS blamed on
author inexperience
deadlines limiting troubleshooting time
World Agricultural Outlook Board

36. GIS APPLICATIONS IN AGROMETEOROLOGY
U.S. Drought Monitor - Applications
World Agricultural Outlook Board

37. GIS APPLICATIONS IN AGROMETEOROLOGY
North American Drought Monitor
USDM authors began collaborating with drought experts from Canada and Mexico to create NADM
Produced monthly
More frequent updates desirable, but differences in drought monitoring programs and policies prevent this
Input integrated from 3 countries
U.S. – from U.S. Drought Monitor
Mexico – drawn by USDM after consultation with Mexican experts
Canada – drawn by Canadian experts
Products remains experimental
World Agricultural Outlook Board

38. GIS APPLICATIONS IN AGROMETEOROLOGY
Conclusion
Numerous organizations have recognized the benefits of using GIS to display, manage, and statistically evaluate spatial data and the relationships among multiple data sets
GIS nice because not discipline specific
Can use GIS to map and analyze any data set that has a spatial component
economic
landmark
population
transportation
agrometeorological data!
World Agricultural Outlook Board

39. WEEKLY WEATHER AND CROP BULLETIN
Thank You !
World Agricultural Outlook Board