Extended Abstract (292K)P5.30
Virtual Laboratory for Training in Satellite Meteorology
Anthony Mostek, NOAA/NWS, Boulder, CO; and J. Purdom, J. Wilson, and D. Hinsman
The Co-ordination Group for Meteorological Satellites (CGMS) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) have established the Virtual Laboratory (VL) for Training in Satellite Meteorology. The primary goal of the VL is to promote effective use of satellite meteorology in forecast offices throughout the WMO member countries. The WMO noted the importance of the coordination and overseeing needed for the VL and approved the formation of an International Satellite Data Utilization and Training Focus Group. A major function of the focus group is to help foster the VL to realize the challenges set forth by the WMO Executive Council Panel on Education and Training and in support of the WMO Strategy for Education and Training in Satellite Matters.
The implementation plan for the VL calls for the following items to be addressed: 1) the resource library: its role, how it is structured, how training materials are "peer reviewed"; 2) the VISITview teletraining program: how it works, numbers of forecasters trained in USA, how it fits into the Virtual Laboratory construct; 3) expectations for the WMO Regional Meteorological Training Centers (RMTCs) that are participating in the Virtual Laboratory especially in the area of how to help to help focus their training, and as an input to WMO; 4) coordination of WMO training activities leading to a schedule of "classes" for each year; 5) Virtual Laboratory participant roles and responsibilities; 6) archiving of training class presentations as a future training resource; 7) development of a web based training resource available for all WMO countries; and 8) how the VL should be managed.
Several major steps were taken in 2001 and 2002 in establishing the VL. The main VL web sites are now in place and ready for use by the WMO RMTCs (See www.virtuallab.bom.gov.au; www.virtuallab.cira.colostate.edu; www.virtuallab.eumetsat.de). The Asian Pacific Satellite Applications Training Seminar (APSATS) held in Melbourne in May 2002 was conducted successfully using the VL approach. During APSATS, the VISITview software was used to conduct a live satellite weather briefing between the U.S. and the participants in Melbourne. The presentation at the conference will give an update on the progress made in establishing and using the Virtual Laboratory for Training in Satellite Meteorology.
Poster Session 5, New Technology, Methods and Future Sensors
Thursday, 13 February 2003, 3:30 PM-5:30 PM
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