The Genesis of IPWG at Colorado State University’s TAMASAG Conference Center

The WMO/CGMS Virtual for Education and Training in Satellite

Meteorology aka

The Virtual for Satellite Training and Data Utilization

Jim Purdom, CIRA&

Jeff Wilson, AuBOMCo-Chairs, VL Management Group

Virtual Laboratory for Education and Training in

Satellite Meteorology• WMO and operators of operational meteorological satellites have formed the

Virtual Laboratory for Training in Satellite Meteorology

• Virtual Laboratory - collaborative effort joining the major satellite operators across the globe with WMO “Centres of Excellence” in satellite meteorology

• “Centres of Excellence” serve as the satellite-focused training resource for WMO Members

• - Seven WMO Regional Meteorological Training Centres, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology Training Centre and Oman

- Five satellite operators are NOAA/NESDIS, EUMETSAT, China’s NSMC, IMD and JMA

• Supported by three major science groups•International TOVS Working Group (ITWG)•IPWG (International Precipitation Working Group (IPWG)•IWWG (International Winds Working Group)

Virtual Lab Mission

• The Virtual Laboratory for Satellite Training and Data Utilization (VL) has been established to maximize the exploitation of satellite data across the globe.  It is a collaborative effort joining the major operational satellite operators across the globe with WMO “centers of excellence” in satellite meteorology.  Those “centers of excellence” serve as the satellite-focused training resource for WMO Members.

EUMETSATNESDISNiameyNiger

NanjingChina

San JoseCosta Rica

Collaboration is the key to success

MelbourneAustralia

NarobiKenya

BridgetownBarbados

JMA NSMC

Virtual Laboratory December,

2000

Oman

IMD

Buenos AiresArgentina

San Jose Dos Campos

Brazil

Some of the Key Players In the VL at a WMO Expert Team Meeting

In conjunction with APSATS 2006High Profile Training Event (HPTE)

• 16-27 October 2006 : simultaneous training period involving all WMO Regions

• All CoE involved in classroom training and/or interactive on-line lectures

• 4 key on-line lectures provided globally (scheduled twice to account for time differences, some translated)

• Inter-regional on-line discussion on a “live” situation with image/product interpretation

• A Project Plan endorsed by WMO and CGMS Demonstration of VL efficiency and relevance at global scale Fostering cooperation at global and regional level (focus groups) Training opportunity for all WMO Regions

Use of the Virtual Resource Library

Goals

• Understand how to use the Virtual Resource Library as a stand alone system or as a resource using Internet for– Stand alone tutorials– Access to products– Access to

Virtual resource Library Contents

Virtual resource Library Contents

Multiple tutorialsOn 9 different topics

some with sound

Training tutorial topics on the VRL • Basic Remote Sensing and GOES Channel

Selection (1)• GOES (3)• Polar Orbiting Earth Satellites POES (7)• Remote sensing with MODIS (1)• Feature identification with MODIS (2)• Deriving Ocean surface wind speed and

direction from satellites (1)• Satellite applications in synoptic

meteorology (4)• Next Generation POES System (2)• Meteosat Second Generation (1)

A portion of the tutorial page

Clicking on the description button for

Provides information about the module and gives the user the option to start the module or to reture to either the tutorials page or the entry page to the VRL (main page), as illustrated below.

Available tutorials, 1 of 2• GOES

– Introduction to GOES– GOES 3.9 channel – Advanced Uses of GOES Imagery

• Polar Orbiting Earth Satellites POES– An Introduction to POES Data and Products– Module 1: POES Introduction and Background – Module 2: POES Microwave Products and Applications – Module 3: POES Case Studies – Module 4: POES Soundings – POES : Microwave Analysis of Tropical Cyclones (Audio)– Operational Satellite Derived Tropical Rainfall Potential (TRaP) (Audio)

• Remote sensing with MODIS– Remote Sensing of Land, Oceans, and Atmosphere with MODIS

(Audio)• Feature identification with MODIS

– MODIS Feature Identification using environmental satellites (Audio)– MODIS Feature Identification Exercises: Clouds, Snow, and Ice Using

MODIS (Audio)

Available tutorials, 2 of 2• Deriving Ocean surface wind speed and direction

from satellite– Remote Sensing of Ocean Wind Speed and Direction: An Introd

uction to Scatterometry (Audio)

• Satellite applications in synoptic meteorology– Satellite data and NWP training modules (english, spanish and

french)– Mid-latitude conceptual models SatManu– Isentropic Conceptual Models and Satellite Analysis– Blowing Snow: Baker Lake, Nunavut, Canada 04-10 February 2

003 (Audio)

• Next Generation POES System– NPOESS: The Next Generation Polar-orbiting Operational Envir

onmental Satellite Program (Audio)

– Imaging with NPOESS VIIRS: A Convergence of Technologies and Experience (Audio)

•  Meteosat Second Generation– METEOSAT Second Generation Channels and Applications (Ppt

format)

Virtual resource Library Contents

PowerPoint lectures with learning and action

guide as well as supporting paper, some have accompanying

lab exercise

PowerPoint lectures with learning and action guide as well as supporting paper, some have accompanying

lab exercise

• Climatology (satellite based)• Fires (natural hazards)• GOES and Polar Satellite Introduction• Meteosat Second Generation material from EUMETSAT • Mesoscale Convection• Multispectral and hyperspectral imagery• Multispectral remote sensing and applications• Severe Weather (Convective)• Sounding the atmosphere from satellites• Tropical Weather (including Dvorak technique)• VISIT and how to use it• Virtual Lab resources• Volcanoes (natural hazards)

Clicking on a topic, such as “Mesoscale Convection” gives access to the

• PowerPoint lecture with accompanying notes with each slide (in notes section of PowerPoint lecture)

• Learning and actions guide which tells the session goals and resources for the topic

• If available, a paper on the topic

Learning and action guide example: Mesoscale Convection

• Session Goals– You should be able to:– Understand conceptual models of convective development – Recognize the intrinsic linking between vertical forcing and instability in

convective development and evolution– Recognize the underlying importance of differential heating and vorticity

generation in the development and evolution of convection– Understand the importance of precipitation and storm outflow to the generating

and sustaining convective development and evolution– Recognize the importance of surface heating and the various factors that

influence it in the development of instability and the atmosphere’s ability to support convection

– Increase the forecasters skill in incorporating satellite data in nowcasting• Resources

– PowerPoint Lecture with selected notes– Paper “Purdom_Paper Mausm_pix.doc” earlier sections address general

convective development and outflow boundaries– Tutorials (on electronic notebook or available over Internet)

• Advanced uses of GOES imagery– http://www.cira.colostate.edu/ramm/advimgry/advimgap.htm

• Detecting Low-level Thunderstorm Outflow Boundaries At Night Using GOES– http://www.cira.colostate.edu/ramm/visit/lto.html

– Possible use of MCIDAS and Hydra to investigate convection and its development

Virtual resource Library Contents

Analysis and Training tools, hydra is available on DVD, most

require InternetConnection

Tools on VRL or in the process of being added

• VisitView Builder- Used to prepare and deliver material for internet training

• McIDAS - Used to display and manipulate digital satellite data

• Envi FreeLook - Used to create 3 channel color combinations

• SATAID - Used to access and display digital satellite data

• Hydra - Used to investigate multispectral data• AHABS - Used to perform principal component

analysis on digital satellite imagery

Virtual resource Library Contents

Requires InternetConnection – Links to Virtual

Laboratory Sponsors and Resource Libraries There is also information

On live training eventsAnd Online courses

And Quizzes

Virtual resource Library Contents

Four textCovering Applications and theory,

Analysis of imagery, Role of Satellites in WMO, and

Agency Plans

General Texts on VRL• Applications With Meteorological Satellites

– WMO Technical Document 1078 by Dr. W. Paul Menzel (2001), with 2005 update version.

• Analysis And Use Of Satellite Imagery– JMA publication of 6 chapters outlining the use of

satellite imagery (English)• The Role of Satellites in WMO Programmes in

the 2010s– Published in 2003

• Reports By The International Satellite Agencies– Will be converted to Internet Links, current version on VRL

is from 2003

Applications With Meteorological Satellites

Analysis and Use of Satellite Imagery

Virtual resource Library Contents

Atmosphere, Land and Ocean Products from

different sources with description on VRL. Access to product

requires Internetconnection

Below Is An Example Of An Atmosphere Product

From the link on the previous slide, animation example of blended TPW from 22 – 27 October 2005

Below Are Examples of a Land and an Ocean Product

Virtual resource Library Contents

Some digital dataare on DVD. Also provided are Internet links for digital

MODIS and GOESdata

Virtual resource Library Contents

Precipitation

Soundings from ATOVS

Requires Internet.Links to the IPWG (precipitation)and ITWG (sounding) web siteswhere algorithms and additional

Information may be downloaded

Virtual resource Library Contents

Requires Internet. Go to WMO homepage

http//www.WMO.chand access WMOSpace Programme

NeedsUpdating to

WMO homepage

Conclusion

• The Virtual Resource Library (VRL) is a powerful tool for both receiving and providing training.

• Certain portions of the VRL can provide access to near real-time products that may be useful for operational applications.

• Use your Virtual Lab (VL) focus groups to further discuss products, applications and training.

• Coordinate with your respective Center of Excellence for improvements to the VL and VRL