# Presentation: 542899

## Retrieval, Analysis and Visualization 	   of Multiple Heterogeneous Radar          Data Using Intelligent Agents

- Kurt D. Hondl
- DOC/NOAA/OAR
- National Severe Storms Laboratory
- HPCC 2005 - COL/CE/06

## Objective

- Develop data ingest, algorithm processing and visualization strategies to handle disparate radar data
- Radars include
- Weather Surveillance Radar 88 Doppler (WSR-88D)
- FAA Terminal Doppler Weather Radar (TDWR)
- Other FAA radars may also provide data
- Dual Polarized WSR-88D research radar (KOUN)
- National Weather Radar Testbed - Phased Array Radar (PAR)
- Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere (CASA)
- NetRad
- Shared Mobile Atmospheric Research & Teaching Radars (SMART-R)
- Canadian Radars

## Issues with Heterogeneous      Radar Networks 

- Differences include
- Wavelength
- Differences in attenuation
- Scanning Strategy
- Update rates for various radar systems & VCPs
- Beamwidth
- Data Quality
- Calibration and sensitivity
- Storm Motion and Evolution
- Different volume update periods for different systems

## Intelligent Agents

- What are “Intelligent Agents”
- Intelligent Agents are software elements that work without the assistance of users by making choices. Choices are based on rules that software developers have identified and built into the software.
- In our context, we treat each range gate observation from each radar as a separate object or agent.  Each agent moves with the storm motion and collaborates with other agents when it is time to “merge” into the 3D grid.  The agents then expire when their information has been superseded by new data.

## Status

- Demonstrated use of Intelligent Agents
- Combining of WSR-88D network data in 3D
- Handles time-to-space correction
- Handles beam blockage
- Handles missing (thresholded) data vs unobserved data
- Multiple methods of combining WSR-88D data
- Testing on a national scale
- Ingesting the various radar data formats
- Developing ingest methods to handle non-sequential data
- NWRT Phased Array Radar
- Reading data radial-by-radial

## Remaining Work

- Develop intelligent agents for non-  WSR-88D radars
- Perform quality control
- Handle differences and discrepancies
- Implement agents into WDSS-II 3D reflectivity merger
- Test and evaluate heterogeneous network compared to WSR-88D network

## Slide 7

## Easy-to-Use Interface for Radar Data Quality Control and Error Estimation

- Qin Xu
- DOC/NOAA/OAR
- National Severe Storms Laboratory
- HPCC 2005 - COL/CE/07

## Easy-to-Use Interface for Radar DataQuality Control and Error Estimation 

**    ****Objective: **Develop an easy-to-use interface created by using GTK (GIMP Toolkit) and OpenGL (Open Graphics Language). **Unique features of this interface**: Build upon the infrastructures of CRAFT and ESDIM (Environmental Services Data and Information Management Program) and the Management System for Realtime Radar Wind Retrievals (product of FY03 HPCC). Leverage real-time radar data processing capabilities at NSSL and NCEP to track data quality problems and to estimate wind observation errors compared with model predictions.

## Status

-     Received award notification on March 21, 2005.
-     Started to work on the overall design in April, and so far, completed the design and implementation of real-time data link to operational RUC model outputs via NSSL WDSS-II. Some new data thinning strategies have been developed and tested to meet the required real-time computational efficiency. Background data are sampled from operational RUC model outputs and will used for the covariance estimation.

## Slide 11

## Real-time Distribution of WDSS-II Algorithm Information

- Dr. Russell Schneider
- DOC/NWS/Storm Prediction Center
- HPCC 2005

- COL/CE/08

## Objectives

- Increase the size of the WDSS-II domain made possible using HPCC-2004 project
- Create a custom collection algorithm to combine information from multiple algorithms
- Create database of algorithm detections to aid real-time forecast verification based on algorithm “reports”.

## (1) Increasing size of domain

- SPC Received Pioneer grant from Dept. of Commerce to purchase 7 additional servers.
- National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) donated a few more machines and storage space.
- Benchmarked requirements for required domain size and created requisition order.
- Working on procurement of servers.

## (2) Custom collection algorithm

- Created custom collection algorithm.
- User creates a XML file that specifies:
- Which algorithms to combine
- How to combine them (max? min? fuzzy average of several fields?)
- Threshold value
- Optionally, polygons on the earth’s surface
-  Could correspond to threat areas to aid algorithm “report” verification
- Collection algorithm can be fed new polygons at any time.

## (3) Database of algorithm detections

- Once procured machines arrive:
- Run algorithms on larger domain.
- Experiment with various collection algorithm settings.
- When primary SPC contributor returns from sick leave:
- Ingest threat area forecasts and convert them into polygons.
- Run collection algorithm in real-time with appropriate settings.
- Develop statistics for comparisons.
- Create database of forecasts and algorithm detections.

## JADE– A Web-based Development and Testing Environment for Remotely Developed QPE Applications

- PI: Steve Vasiloff
- DOC/NOAA/OAR
- National Severe Storms Laboratory
- HPCC 2005 - DIS/CE/09

## Status

- A new server has been purchased to facilitate JADE on the NSSL high-performance computing (HPC) cluster
- Staff have been identified to develop the JADE design and infrastructure to accommodate the linkages and tool kits specified within JADE
- Initial JADE design is underway
- Collaboration and leveraging has started with UCAR/Unidata and the Unidata/Center for Analysis and Prediction of Storms Linked Environments for Atmospheric Discovery project

## Urban Flash Flood Monitoring System -- Prototype Development

- PI: Ken Howard
- DOC/NOAA/OAR
- National Severe Storms Laboratory
- HPCC 2005 - DIS/CE/10

## Status

- Hardware required for ingesting WSR-88D and TDWR and the processing of the high-resolution quantitative precipitation estimates is currently under procurement
- Software applications for ingesting and quality control of the radar data streams have been completed and tested
- Software applications for QPE generation are under initial development
- Background GIS data sets are being compiled for prototype site locations
- Due to various delays, milestone dates have been revised forward by 6 months

## Accessing Real Time Canadian Radar Data

- PI: Kevin Kelleher
- DOC/NOAA/OAR
- National Severe Storms Laboratory
- HPCC 2005 - TTR/CE/12

## Status

- Completed a read program for a test data set for the Canadian high resolution data
- Eight radars are sending realtime data to NCDC, who then send it to NSSL via FTP
- Have recently contacted two technical radar experts within the Canadian Met office to obtain various radar characteristics (VCPs, gate spacing, elevation angles, rpm, etc)
- Initial deployment of the real time ingest for the Canadian radar data is expected to take place in July 2005