2011 - Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences ...

Offline access to the NGDC Natural Hazards database is
available with TsuDig, a standalone GIS software package
(based on uDig open source software). TsuDig allows
searching and plotting historic data from the NGDC Natural
Hazards database, as well as dynamic computation of
tsunami travel times. TsuDig is currently being distributed
on CD-ROM by the UNESCO International Tsunami Information
Center (ITIC).
SWPC-03InformationTechnology
andDataSystems
FEDERAL LEAD: STEVEN HILL
CIRES LEAD: DAVID STONE
NOAA Goal 3: Weather and Water
Project Goal: Determine the necessary research data systems
and infrastructure required to successfully implement the empirical
and physical scientific models of the space environment,
such as those envisioned in SWPC-01 and SWPC-02 with fast and
efficient access to appropriate data sources.
Milestone 1. Support ongoing development of the Geostationary
Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) NOP
series ground data system (GDS). Continue to enhance the
GOES-NOP data processing systems and support GOES-N
and GOES-O operationally used products. Provide analysis
and technical support to algorithm development, instrument
checkout and data verification for GOES-P as it completes
post-launch testing. Facilitate planning for the transition of
GOES-NOP GDS operations to the National Environmental
Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS).
Successfully led and project managed a 13-person team
of developers, administrators and scientists through both
a six-month Post-Launch Test (PLT) and validation period,
and through the deployment of the GOES P-series GDS to
the Space Weather Prediction Center’s (SWPC) National
Critical Systems (NCS) operational environment. The
NCS deployment required the team to enhance, test and
document many different facets of the GDS’s functionality
within an unprecedentedly short time schedule. The
deployment’s scope additionally included integrating a
Network-Attached Storage (NAS) system for the storage
of Solar X-ray Imager (SXI) image files. The fact that the
team was comprised of individuals from several different
project teams required detailed, cross-branch coordination
of deployment activities. In the end, the deployment
occurred on schedule and with no disruptions to the lab,
other operational projects or to the GOES GDS.
Expanded the GOES-NOP Preprocessor (PP) in support
of operational and science requirements through a disciplined
change control process that saw the completion of
more than 78 documented change requests—150 percent
more than the previous year. The Preprocessor is capable
of subscribing to and ingesting high bandwidth telemetry
into its component magnetometer, particle, extreme ultraviolet,
X-ray sensor and SXI instrument raw data. It uses
database-configurable logic to convert this data into space
weather products for distribution to NOAA, NASA and
the United States Air Force.
Milestone 2. Assist Space Weather Prediction Center
(SPWC) efforts to modernize data processing and distribu-
tion systems that are currently hosted on legacy systems.
Provide development, transition and mentoring support
for contracts to outsource modernization efforts. Implement
specific portions of the modernization that will not
be outsourced. Improve legacy replacement systems that
now exist and support new modernization projects as
they are identified.
Technically lead the transition of the Wang-Sheeley-Arge
(WSA)-Enlil model to operational status at the SWPC.
This effort included modifying the overall system design;
developing GUI-based (graphical user interface) tools for the
analysis of Large Angle Spectrometric Coronagraph (LAS-
CO) and Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO)
coronagraph data; and making these tools suitable for use by
forecasters in an operational context. The team also provided
in-depth database support, including developing the fully
normalized physical data models and required schema, and
implementing the full set of database interface objects (stored
procedures, views and user-defined functions) to support
Enlil functions.
Provided technical oversight to contractors tasked to
finish porting and modernizing software that processes
International Space Environment Services (ISES) and Air
Force coded messages utilized by SWPC to exchange space
weather data. The project was completed and deployed
ahead of schedule, and the legacy systems were decommissioned
as planned.
Technically assisted NESDIS Center for Satellite Applications
and Research (STAR) in their effort to port and assume
operational responsibility for the software that processes
telemetry from the Atmospheric Composition Explorer
(ACE) satellite.
Helped decommission the Costello Solar wind model and
replaced it with a new WingKp Solar wind model.
Prototyped the new GOES-R Solar Ultraviolet Imager
(SUVI) Thematic Maps Generation requirements as specified
by the GOES-R algorithm development team.
Supported the transition of the Real-Time Ground Magnetometer
(RTGM) processing code to the latest relational
database available in the lab (Microsoft SQL Server 2008).
SWPC-04SpaceEnvironmentDataAlgorithmand
ProductDevelopment
FEDERAL LEAD: STEVEN HILL
CIRES LEAD: MARY SHOULDIS
NOAA Goal 3: Weather and Water
Project Goal: Explore new techniques for analyzing and modeling
Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)
space environment data, and develop and validate new algorithms
and products.
Milestone 1. Development of the algorithm and software
tool for specifying satellite anomaly hazards from
Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)
energetic particle data shall be completed and put into
operational test mode during the work plan timeframe.
Research and development of five algorithms for phase
two of the GOES-R Series project shall be completed in
this time period. Research and development of the six
phase three algorithms will be started and shall progress
through preliminary design and into critical design in this
time period.
CIRES Annual Report 2011 91