Introduction of MICAPS 3.1—A New Chinese Forecaster's Interactive System

A high-speed technologically-advanced processing, display, and telecommunication network called the Meteorological Information Comprehensive Analysis and Process System (MICAPS) is the centerpiece of National-wide Weather Service operations in China. The new version MICAPS ( Version 3 ) is an interactive computer system that integrates all meteorological, satellite, and radar data into one computer workstation. It has interactive capability to allows forecasters to view, analyze, combine, and manipulate graphical and alphanumeric weather data. Thus, MICAPS 3.1 provides a effective means for forecasters to prepare and issue forecasts.

It is now the standard graphics workbench of Chinese forecasters. MICAPS3.1 is the latest version and was released in Dec. 2007. The main functions of MICAPS3.1 include: 1. visualizes all types of meteorological information. 2. Data access by 3 ways of opening a data file or drag and drop data file on MICAPS main window directly, selecting parameters such as element, time, etc., opening a compositive graphics file. 3. Displaying graphics of iso-line, element plotting, streamline, sounding maps, typhoon tracks and so on. 4. Analysis function include: zoom in and zoom out, step forward and backward, step upward and downward, animation etc. 5. Providing tools of iso-line editing and point forecast editing. 6. Providing some tools of data analysis, such as area statistics, objective analysis such as cressman and barnes method, realtime vorticity and divergence calculating, etc. 7. Enables forecasters to create analysis and forecast charts. 8. Printing and saving the meteorological graphics.

The special features of MICAPS3.1 include: 1. the system architecture is a kernel system which provides common functions and plus several DLLs which provide the functions for special fields. 2. Compositive graphics can provide quick and flexible data access. 3. Personalization and flexible feature setting of graphics and data access. 4. Strong functions for additional development.

MICAPS 3.1 has the nowcasting version to monitoring and forecasting the severe weather within 2 hours including issuing warning, also we have developed the typhoon version for the typhoon tracking and intensity forecasting operationally.