An Update on the Convective Diagnosis Oceanic Algorithm

Detection and inflight display of oceanic convective storms is needed to ensure safe and efficient routing of transoceanic aircraft across vast reaches of oceanic air space. The Convective Diagnosis Oceanic (CDO) algorithm was first devised within the Federal Aviation Administration Aviation Weather Research Program (FAA AWRP) as part of the Oceanic Weather Product Development Team (OW PDT) in the early 2000’s. At that time, the CDO used only satellite-based inputs to make a determination of where convective hazards existed. An early version of the CDO algorithm was validated using the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) low earth orbit satellite and found to have good performance at detecting hazardous convection over both oceanic and continental regions. Since these early years, the CDO algorithm has undergone modifications that have resulted in enhanced detection of convective hazards. These modifications, which include the addition of global lightning data as well as other changes, will be discussed and validation of the results shown. Looking to future algorithm enhancements with the upcoming launch of GOES-R will also be made.

The CDO is currently being run in realtime over a near-global domain and results uplinked to an electronic flight bag display for selected Lufthansa Airlines flights.  In addition, the CDO results are being used to validate numerical weather prediction results of a global, ensemble model system that provides strategic, probabilistic aviation guidance products.