Extended Abstract (68K)2.4
A completely integrated, cost-effective, local data assimilation and forecasting system to support space launch range operations
Brent L. Shaw, NOAA/FSL, Boulder, CO; and S. C. Albers, J. A. McGinley, L. S. Wharton, T. L. Wilfong, C. L. Crosiar, and D. E. Harms
To support the operational weather analysis and forecasting needs of the two U.S. Air Force space launch facilities (Eastern Range at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and Patrick Air Force Base, and Western Range at Vandenberg Air Force Base), the NOAA Forecast Systems Laboratory (FSL) has developed a local data assimilation and forecast system based on the Local Analysis and Prediction System (LAPS). The system is completely integrated into the Advanced Weather Information and Processing System (AWIPS), utilizing a cost-effective, multi-processor, Intel-based Linux cluster to handle the necessary computations. This full integration with AWIPS allows the data assimilation system to take advantage of the wide array of unique local data sources ingested via the AWIPS Local Data Acquisition and Dissemination (LDAD) interface to provide high spatial and temporal resolution analyses of the atmosphere suitable for diabatic initialization of the Pennsylvania State University (PSU)/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Mesoscale Model 5 (MM5), which is used for the predictive component of LAPS. Additionally, the integration within AWIPS ensures the operational forecasters are able to effectively exploit the full-resolution gridded analyses and forecasts in conjunction with all other sources of meteorological data as a single, coherent package in the most efficient manner possible. The details of the analysis and forecast system's capabilities and configuration will be presented, along with the applicability to range safety operations.
Supplementary URL: http://laps.fsl.noaa.gov
Session 2, Local Modeling
Monday, 14 January 2002, 4:00 PM-5:15 PM
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