Tracking Storms with GISToni Mastropieri and Jason Pollack

EM SC 100S: Section 4

“Know yourself and know your enemy, and victory is guaranteed. Know the terrain and know the weather, and you will have total victory.”

- Chinese philosopher Sun Tzu, 4th century BC

An atmospheric disturbance involving perturbations of the prevailing pressure and wind fields ◦ Examples include tornadoes, hurricanes, thunder

storm, and blizzards Influences human activity in agriculture,

transportation, construction, flood control, and the transmission of electric energy

Storm

http://www.carrottspc.com/h2o/http://producemagazine.com/2011/06/midwest-flooding-corn-prices-double-farm-fields-devastated/

People have been trying to predict the weather since the dawn of civilization

Lack of knowledge of dangerous storms caused the death toll to be larger than it would be in the present

Modern forecasting came about with an increase in mapping and communications technologies

Tracking Storms Before GIS

http://lifehacker.com/398153/top-10-modern-life-survival-skills

Forecasting

http://www.personal.psu.edu/stw141/blogs/weatherforecasting/

Output

Forecast

Initialization

Observation

Analysis

http://www.accuweather.com/video/9551451001/northeast-extended-regional-we.asp

http://www.accuweather.com/us/pa/university-park/16802/city-weather-forecast.asp

Computer intensive models Examples include:

◦ Google Earth◦ Hurricane Tracking◦ Severe Weather Warnings◦ NASA World Wind

GIS Technology and Storms

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

http://www.weather.gov/

You can help too! All volunteer based◦ Over 6,500 observers in

26 states◦ The only requirements

are enthusiasm and a desire to learn more about weather

How it’s accomplished Overall Goal

CoCoRaHS

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/lot/?n=cocorahs

http://www.cocorahs.org/Maps/ViewMap.aspx?state=usa

http://rainlog.org/usprn/html/main/posting-snow.jsp

http://www.nasa.gov/mission.pages/shuttle/behindscenes/hail_monitor.html

Labeled as the worst storm of the 2007 Atlantic season

However, due to advances in meteorology (because of GIS!), Dean’s well-predicted track helped people to prepare for its landfall

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2C8IIzFY-oM

Hurricane Dean

http://scienceblogs.com/intersection/2008/02/the_new_and_improved_hurricane_1.php

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pdf/TCR-AL042007_Dean.pdf

Meteorology and maps are a natural fit!

Allows forecasters to be able to predict the path of a storm with more accuracy

GIS has made watching the weather a more integral part of everyday life◦ People can “connect” with the

visual proof of the maps◦ Affects daily activities:

Rushing to go to the market before a huge snowstorm

Evacuations for hurricanes

GIS Advantages

http://ldctstormchaser.blogspot.com/2011/02/chicago-blizzard-more.html

http://www.lisisoft.com/tools/radar.html

What are some disadvantages that you can think of?

Excessive Reliance◦ Predicted wrong◦ How to survive without

having constant access to weather predictions

◦ Damaged economy

GIS Disadvantages

http://geology.com/news/category/north-carolina.shtml

www.shutterstock.com 64445158

Storms History of forecasting Forecasting GIS is an important part of weather tracking

◦ Includes normal layers as well as others◦ You can get involved

GIS advantages and disadvantages

Summary

Committee on Observation Earth Satellites. “Weather Forecasting.” The Earth Observation Handbook. European Space Agency, n.d. Web. 3 Oct. 2011. <http://www.eohandbook.com/ eohb05/ ceos/ part2_6.html>.

Franklin, James L. / tropical Cyclone Report - Hurricane Dean. Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center, 2008. PDF file.

Gerrity, Joseph P., et al. “Weather Forecasting and Prediction.” AccessScience. McGraw-Hill, 2008. Web. 11 Sept. 2011. <http://www.accessscience.com.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/ content/ Weather%20forecasting%20and%20prediction/ 742600>.

National Weather Service. “Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network.” National Weather Service National Forecast Office. National Weather Service, 23 Sept. 2009. Web. 7 Oct. 2011. <http://www.crh.noaa.gov/ lot/ ?n=cocorahs>.

Newton, Chester W, “Storm.” AccessScience. McGraw-Hill, 2008. Web. 11 Sept. 2011. <http://www.accessscience.com.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/ content.aspx?searchStr=storms&id=657900>.

Vasquez, Tim. Weather Forecasting Red Book. Garland, Texas: Weather Graphics Technologies, 2006. Print.

Walker, Nick. “Weather Proverbs.” The Weather Dude. USA Today, 2006. Web. 5 Oct. 2011. <http://www.wxdude.com/ proverb.html>.

References