Graphical Interaction on Gridded Fields: Integration in an operational forecaster's workstation

The operational forecaster's workstation, METLAB, developed by 3SI, has been the fundamental presentation system for the meteorologist to prepare forecasts for aviation, shipping, and general public at the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) since 1995.

During 1999, KNMI started a major project to integrate Graphical Interaction (GI) functionality into the forecaster workstation, in order to give users the opportunity to modify gridded-model output, especially in cases where numerical models appear to produce inaccurate solutions. Through GI, the newly-modified model output is used as the basis for end-user products and forecasts. The stated goal is to improve general forecast accuracy by allowing meteorologists the opportunity to influence and correct obvious model deficiencies.

The project is delivered in two phases. The first phase of the project (delivered April 2000) integrated a tool, known as On-Screen Field Modification (OSFM), developed by the UK Met Office, to make synoptic-scale GI changes. Forecasters make adjustments to the location and strength of the synoptic-scale features, which are recomputed three-dimensionally and returned to METLAB as new model fields.

The second phase of the project is delivered during late 2000 and includes GI tools for mesoscale adjustment of the synoptic-scale features. This is a mesoscale "fine tuning" of grid values and areas of influence, including the automatic production of products based on a thresholding of gridded values and the manipulation of objects and frames.

An overview of the GI concepts, the implemetation, and first experiences from forecasters will be presented.