Visually Accurate Multi-Field Weather Visualization
Proceedings of the 14th IEEE Visualization 2003 (VIS'03)
Wind Field Retrieval and Display for Doppler Radar Data
ISVC '08 Proceedings of the 4th International Symposium on Advances in Visual Computing
| Hi-index | 0.01 |
Visualization transforms numeric data into a visual form that enables users to conceptualize and understand the information. Three-dimensional (3D) visualization is the ability to display, analyze, manipulate and interact with 3D data in 3 space. New visualization tools, 3D in nature, are being designed to display meteorological datasets for use in operational forecasting.Forecast Systems Laboratory (FSL) has been supporting the development of 3D visualization software and applications since 1990. Until recently, the emphasis has been on research application. Using commercial visualization software called the Application Visualization System (AVS5), both analysis and forecast 3D data were displayed and investigated. The software was used for visual analysis and scanning of data for the presence of desired features. For example, plotting of the station observations with forecast-generated data allows visual comparison of the two. Figure 1 shows 3D images of weather parameters from the Local Analysis and Prediction System (LAPS) analysis output, which is created automatically on an hourly basis for the World Wide Web.Operational meteorologists who issue forecasts and warnings for the nation from the various Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs; see http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/wrhq/nwspage.html for a display of WFOs across the nation) currently utilize two-dimensional displays of analyses and numerical model output, combined with images from satellites and radar. They do this on a system developed at FSL call the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS). Visualization has been used successfully in the research context for some time. The next logical step was to determine if 3D visualization can offer added value in an operational setting. This required developing a 3D visualization workstation application, conducting a forecast exercise using the system and evaluating feedback from the exercise. An experimental workstation application, Display 3D (D3D), was developed at FSL to investigate the complexities and 3D structure of atmospheric parameters, and potential value added of 3D displays in an operational forecast setting. The D3D system was designed to be used with the two-dimensional AWIPS operational system known as D2D.The scope of this article covers the development of the D3D application, plus a brief description of the D3D real-time exercise (RT98).