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Home > 9. Operational/Synoptic

9. Our Oceans Today: Operational & Synoptic Products

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General:  Most of the exercises in MDL are concerned with climatological products and/or long-term data archives containing historical records.  Sections 8 and 9, however, concern data delivery systems (8) and operational products (9), including satellite analyses, model simulations, and warning-type products for ice and storms.  Specifically operational formats (NetCDF, GRIB, BUFR, etc.) are emphasized because they are designed for such uses.  The most recent products are preferred, often from "today," but a few systems require multiple days to assemble a useful composite (e.g. salinity, pigments).  Some products are available as both nowcasts and forecasts, so a wide range of "times" is presented.

Related Exercises in Other Groups:

• 5.14 Managing NetCDF, HDF (4/5) and GRIB Rasters with Principal Display Programs (Saga, ncBrowse,  IDV) - General discussion of 4 major formats usually considered "operational," and 3 software programs

• 8. Network Access Tools and Services - A group of related methods, selected to show you how to work with self-describing formats

• 8.7 Data Browsing/Mining in SOS Servers

  • Sensor Observations Service

Exercises in this Group:  Currents     Models & Forecasts    In Situ/At Sea   Optics/Pigments/Nutrients     Salinity     Sea Surface Height/Tides     Sea Ice     Sea Temperature    Waves     Winds/Weather     General & Ancillary

Currents

• 9.8 Visualizing Satellite-Measured Sea Surface Height & Geostrophic Current Estimates in IDV: AVISO GDET

  • 1/3-degree grids of motion vector components and scalar height

  • Download regionally subsetted NetCDF grids for h, u and v

  • Requires AVISO pre-registration

• 9.9 Visualizing Ocean Model Scalars & Vectors in IDV: HYCOM Download - Deprecated; use 9.10 instead

• 9.10 Visualizing Ocean Model Simulations (Rasters or Vectors) in IDV: HYCOM

  • 1/12-degree 2-D and 3-D grids of modeled results (motion vector components and scalars)

  • Differs from the above download method, in that the HYCOM product catalog is loaded into IDV for direct grid selection, download and analysis of products; no files are stored locally unless desired

• 9.13 Visualizing Modeled Meteorological Products in IDV: GFS

  • Direct access via a THREDDS server to 1-degree grids (2-D and 2-D)

  • The Global Forecast System (GFS) products; widely used meteorological simulations, due to known accuracy, ease of access (through a THREDDS catalog and complete OPeNDAP compatibility) and the fact that no fees, licenses or registrations are required.

• 9.23 Visualizing Operational Drifting Buoy Trajectories in IDV: GDP

  • ASCII spreadsheets

• 9.28 Accessing Global Marine Meteorological Data Products

  • Various internationally derived data products (multiple data types)

  • Not always available in IDV-compatible formats

• 9.31 Visualizing Modeled Ocean Scalars & Vectors in IDV:  RTOFS

  • 1/12-degree 2-D and 3-D grids of modeled results (motion vector components and scalars [S, T])

• 9.36 Visualization of Remotely Sensed Currents (from Winds and Sea Height) in IDV: OSCAR

  • Level 4 gridded global product based on altimeter sea height and scatterometer surface winds

• 9.38 Visualizing "From" or "Toward" Current and Wind Particle Trajectories in IDV

In Situ/At Sea - includes items from other categories

• 9.20 Visualizing Operational Subsurface Ocean Data in ODV & IDV: CORIOLIS

  • Download NetCDF profiles (Argo drifters, Ships-of-Opportunity, Voluntary Observing Ships, etc)

  • Use Ocean Data View as a bridge application to convert NetCDF to ASCII spreadsheets

  • Load spreadsheets into IDV

• 9.23 Visualizing Operational Drifting Buoy Trajectories in IDV: GDP

  • ASCII spreadsheets

• 9.37 Managing/Repackaging Recent Analyses from the Global Network of Fixed Stations: US NDBC

Models & Forecasts - includes items from other categories

• 9.3 Visualizing Modeled Wave Analysis Grids in IDV: Wave Watch III

  • Access 1.25-degree grids through THREDDS server

• 9.9 Visualizing Ocean Model Scalars & Vectors in IDV: HYCOM Download - Deprecated; use 9.10 instead

• 9.10 Visualizing Ocean Model Scalars & Vectors in IDV: HYCOM

  • 1/12-degree 2-D and 3-D grids of modeled results (motion vector components and scalars)

  • Differs from the above download method, in that the HYCOM product catalog is loaded into IDV for direct grid selection, download and analysis of products; no files are stored locally unless desired

• 9.13 Visualizing Modeled Meteorological Products in IDV: GFS

  • Direct access via a THREDDS server to 1-degree grids (2-D and 2-D)

  • The Global Forecast System (GFS) products; widely used meteorological simulations, due to known accuracy, ease of access (through a THREDDS catalog and complete OPeNDAP compatibility) and the fact that no fees, licenses or registrations are required.

• 9.14 Plotting Atlantic and Eastern Pacific Tropical  Cyclone Paths in IDV: National Hurricane Center (NHC)

  • Download point, line and polygon shapefile (SHP) formats

  • Only useful if an actual hurricane is present in the Atlantic or Pacific

  • The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) publishes current location, expected trajectory, 3-day and 5-day probability cones for tropical cyclones in the western Atlantic and the eastern Pacific

• 9.30 Visualizing Gridded Tropical Cyclone Products in IDV: National Hurricane Center (NHC)

  • Download 10-km GRIB2 files of wind and wave forecasts

  • Requires a new "projection" in IDV for best viewing

• 9.31 Visualizing Ocean Model Scalars & Vectors in IDV:  RTOFS/HYCOM

  • 1/12-degree 3-D grids of modeled results (motion vector components and scalars [S, T]

  • Access data through a THREDDS server

• 9.32 Plotting Western Pacific/Indian Ocean Typhoon Paths in Google Earth & IDV: Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC)
  • Shapefiles of past and projected trajectories
  • Satellite images, some of which can be used for map overlays

• 9.33 Image Gallery for Operational Meteorological and Oceanographic Products: NMOC

  • Multiple products at various resolutions, from many different models or observing systems

  • KML-georeferenced images and animations only; no actual data files

• 9.35 Obtaining Tide Forecasts for 7000 Global Locations: UKMO EasyTide

  • Find and use 7-forecasts from the UKMO model website

  • Capture the product URLs into active links on a regional map as an easy interface to the forecasts

• 9.39 Visualizing Mercator/PISCES Ocean Biogeochemistry Model Products in IDV

  • Browse MyOcean data catalog to find/obtain PISCES grids (NC format)

  • Explore display options in IDV

• 9.38 Visualizing "From" or "Toward" Current and Wind Particle Trajectories in IDV

  • Use U and V vector grids to map particle trajectories, either from a selected point or area, or toward a target point or area

  • Works with any IDV-compatible time-series of 2D or 3D UV grids

• 9.40 Extracting Time-Series Plots for Points in 3-D Grids with IDV: Models or Climatologies

  • Use the "data probe" function in IDV to isolate data at a specific point and time in the multi-dimensional grid

  • Display a time-series for the data at that point, using available display options

Optics/Pigments/Nutrients

• 9.4 Visualizing Satellite-Measured Optical Properties and Pigments in IDV: ColorWeb

  • Download global PNG images from extensive image catalog

  • Write XIMG auxiliary files for IDV georeferencing

  • Demonstrates general method to load geographic images into IDV

• 9.18 Visualizing Satellite-Measured Optical Properties and Pigments in IDV: Giovanni

  • Download 4-km NetCDF grids (mislabeled as NCD)

  • Giovanni system of "portals" allows easy access to many datasets, but only a portion are marine

  • Subsetting (areal) and additional data product formats (HDF, ASCII, KML) are supported

• 9.24 Visualizing Satellite-Measured Optical Properties and Pigments in IDV: GlobColour

  • FTP download of 4-km (0.042-degree) global grid in NetCDF format

  • Subset/analyze locally with IDV

• 9.21 Visualizing Satellite Images in IDV, Google Earth & SAGA:  MODIS Subsets

  • Part of the US NASA Rapid Response system for hazards and disasters

  • Georeferenced JPG and KMZ images

• 9.25 Visualizing Satellite-Measured Primary Production in IDV: OceanWatch - Deprecated; OceanWatch/CoastWatch no longer provides a global primary production product

• 9.27 Visualizing Satellite-Measured Optical Properties and Pigments in IDV: MODIS-A/THREDDS

  • THREDDS catalog access to 4-km (0.042-degree) global grid

• 9.39 Visualizing Mercator/PISCES Ocean Biogeochemistry Model Products in IDV

  • Browse MyOcean data catalog to find/obtain PISCES grids (NC format)

  • Explore display options in IDV

Salinity (Models and Measurements)

• 9.10 Visualizing Ocean Model Simulations (Rasters or Vectors) in IDV: HYCOM

  • 1/12-degree 2-D and 3-D grids of modeled results (motion vector components and scalars)

  • Differs from the above download method, in that the HYCOM product catalog is loaded into IDV for direct grid selection, download and analysis of products; no files are stored locally unless desired

• 9.20 Visualizing Operational Subsurface Ocean Data in ODV & IDV: CORIOLIS

  • Download NetCDF profiles (Argo drifters, Ships-of-Opportunity, Voluntary Observing Ships, etc)

  • Use Ocean Data View as a bridge application to convert NetCDF to ASCII spreadsheets

  • Load spreadsheets into IDV

• 9.22 Visualizing Satellite-Measured Sea Surface Salinity in IDV: AQUARIUS/THREDDS

  • Live Access Server access and downloads (NetCDF) of Ver. 3 products

  • THREDDS catalog access to 1-degree global gridf, via IDV

  • Avoids the new NASA line of HDF products for the same data

• 9.26 Visualizing Satellite-Measured Sea Surface Salinity in IDV: MIRAS via CoastWatch

  • Browse and obtain MIRAS surface salinity maps, for management and display in Integrated Data Viewer

  • Subsetting and grid smoothing are described

• 9.31 Visualizing Ocean Model Scalars & Vectors in IDV:  RTOFS/HYCOM

  • 1/12-degree 3-D grids of modeled results (motion vector components and scalars [S, T])

  • Access data through a THREDDS server

Sea Surface Height/Tides

• 9.8 Visualizing Satellite-Measured Sea Surface Height & Geostrophic Current Estimates in IDV: AVISO GDET

  • 1/3-degree grids of motion vector components and scalar height

  • Download regionally subsetted NetCDF grids for h, u and v

  • Requires AVISO pre-registration

• 9.35 Obtaining Tide Forecasts for 7000 Global Locations: UKMO EasyTide

  • Find and use 7-forecasts from the UKMO model website

  • Capture the product URLs into active links on a regional map as an easy interface to the forecasts

Sea Ice

• 9.7 Visualizing Satellite-Measured Sea Ice in IDV: Norwegian Meteorological Institute

  • THREDDS access to NetCDF grids

  • Ice concentration, ice edge and ice type analyses

  • Very rough resolution estimate would be 1/10 degree

Sea Temperature

• 9.2 Visualizing Historical and NRT Satellite-Measured Surface Temperatures in IDV: GHRSST FTP

  • Completely revised; now covers only the FTP downloads part of GHRSST

  • Refined IDV methods to identify data grids and products

  • 9.34 now covers MUR products from GHRSST

  • 9.42 will cover G1SST products from GHRSST

• 9.13 Visualizing Modeled Meteorological Products in IDV: GFS

  • Direct access to SST and winds data via an OPENDAP server to 1-degree grids (2-D and 2-D)

  • The Global Forecast System (GFS) products; widely used meteorological simulations, due to known accuracy, ease of access and the fact that no fees, licenses or registrations are required.

• 9.20 Visualizing Operational Subsurface Ocean Data in ODV & IDV: CORIOLIS

  • Download NetCDF profiles (Argo drifters, Ships-of-Opportunity, Voluntary Observing Ships, etc)

  • Use Ocean Data View as a bridge application to convert NetCDF to ASCII spreadsheets

  • Load spreadsheets into IDV

• 9.31 Visualizing Ocean Model Scalars & Vectors in IDV:  RTOFS/HYCOM

  • 1/12-degree 3-D grids of modeled results (motion vector components and scalars [S, T])

  • Access data through a THREDDS server

• 9.33 Image Gallery for Operational Meteorological and Oceanographic Products: NMOC

  • Multiple products at various resolutions, from many different models or observing systems

  • KML-georeferenced images and animations only; no actual data files

• 9.34 Visualizing Satellite-Measured Surface Temperature Fields in IDV:  JPL/MUR

  • Direct OPENDAP connection to archive

  • Daily products, 1 day old at very high resolution

  • Probably the best operational SST product available today

• 9.37 Managing/Repackaging Recent Analyses from the Global Network of Fixed Stations: US NDBC

• 9.42 Visualizing Operational Surface Temperatures "Blended" from Multiple Sources, in IDV: JPL/G1SST

  • Direct OPENDAP connection, easy subsetting

  • Daily products, 1 day old at very high resolution

Waves

• 9.3 Visualizing Modeled Wave Analysis Grids in IDV: Wave Watch III

  • Access 1.25-degree grids through THREDDS server

• 9.5 Visualizing Operational Satellite-Measured Wave Analyses (Mapped L2) in IDV: GlobWave

  • Along-track point data in NetCDF Format, downloaded from FTP site

  • Requires registration with the scalar grids source site, but this is easy and expeditious

  • Download multiple passes to get a good overview of global conditions

• 9.16 Visualizing Satellite-Measured Wind Speed & Waves in IDV:  AVISO GDET

  • FTP download of NetCDF grids at 1-degree resolution

  • Typical visualizations in IDV

  • Requires AVISO pre-registration

• 9.33 Image Gallery for Operational Meteorological and Oceanographic Products: NMOC

  • Multiple products at various resolutions, from many different models or observing systems

  • KML-georeferenced images and animations only; no actual data files

Winds/Weather

• 9.13 Visualizing Modeled Meteorological Products in IDV: GFS

  • Direct access to SST and winds data via an OPENDAP server to 1-degree grids (2-D and 2-D)

  • The Global Forecast System (GFS) products; widely used meteorological simulations, due to known accuracy, ease of access and the fact that no fees, licenses or registrations are required.

• 9.14 Plotting Atlantic and Eastern Pacific Tropical  Cyclone Paths in IDV: National Hurricane Center (NHC)

  • Download point, line and polygon shapefile (SHP) formats

  • Only useful if an actual hurricane is present in the Atlantic or Pacific

  • The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) publishes current location, expected trajectory, 3-day and 5-day probability cones for tropical cyclones in the western Atlantic and the eastern Pacific

• 9.16 Visualizing Satellite-Measured Wind Speed & Waves in IDV:  AVISO GDET

  • FTP download of NetCDF grids at 1-degree resolution

  • Typical visualizations in IDV

  • Requires AVISO pre-registration

• 9.17 Visualizing Satellite-Measured Winds in IDV:  ASCAT

  • Direct access to 1/4-degree grids via THREDDS server

  • Display near-real-time wind vectors from U, V components

• 9.19 Visualizing Winds and Precipitation from NOGAPS Model in IDV: USGODAE

  • Access 1/2-degree gobal grids

  • Visualize or download (NetCDF) via Live Access Server (LAS)

  • Direct access via THREDDS

• 9.28 Accessing Global Marine Meteorological Data Products

  • Various internationally derived data products (multiple data types)

  • Not always available in IDV-compatible formats

• 9.29 Visualizing Cumulative Recent TRMM Precipitation in IDV: Giovanni

  • Subset and download NetCDF grids (mislabeled NCD) from publisher's GUI

  • Resolution is 1/4-degree, but this is difficult to find

• 9.30 Visualizing Gridded Tropical Cyclone Products in IDV: National Hurricane Center (NHC)

  • Download 10-km GRIB2 files of wind and wave forecasts

  • Requires a new "projection" in IDV for best viewing

• 9.32 Plotting Western Pacific/Indian Ocean Typhoon Paths in Google Earth & IDV: Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC)
  • Shapefiles of past and projected trajectories
  • Satellite images, some of which can be used for map overlays

• 9.33 Image Gallery for Operational Meteorological and Oceanographic Products: NMOC

  • Multiple products at various resolutions, from many different models or observing systems

  • KML-georeferenced images and animations only; no actual data files

• 9.37 Managing/Repackaging Recent Analyses from the Global Network of Fixed Stations: US NDBC

• 9.41 Visualizing Satellite-Measured Winds in IDV:  RapidScat

  • NetCDF swaths (L2) of global wind speeds (10-m)

  • Requires use of 3-D globe to handle 0º-to-360º "problem"

General & Ancillary

• 9.1 Integrated Data Viewer (IDV) Preliminary Setup

• 9.12 Converting Rasters and Vectors to Google Earth Images, using IDV

  • Any format that can be displayed in IDV

  • Manipulate the data in IDV, then show your selection and display in Google Earth

• 9.21 Visualizing Satellite Images in IDV, Google Earth & SAGA:  MODIS Subsets

  • Part of the US NASA Rapid Response system for hazards and disasters

  • Georeferenced JPG and KMZ images

• 9.40 Extracting Time-Series Plots for Points in 3-D Grids with IDV: Models or Climatologies

  • Use the "data probe" function in IDV to isolate data at a specific point and time in the multi-dimensional grid

  • Display a time-series for the data at that point, using available display options