A versatile system for processing geostationary satellite data with run-time visualization capability
To better predict global climate change, scientists are developing climate models that require interdisciplinary and collaborative efforts in their building. The authors are currently involved in several such projects but will briefly discuss activities in support of two such complementary projects: the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program of the Department of Energy and Sequoia 2000, a joint venture of the University of California, the private sector, and government. The author`s contribution to the ARM program is to investigate the role of clouds on the top of the atmosphere and on surface radiance fields through the data analysis of surface and satellite observations and complex modeling of the interaction of radiation with clouds. One of the first ARM research activities involves the computation of the broadband shortwave surface irradiance from satellite observations. Geostationary satellite images centered over the first ARM observation site are received hourly over the Internet network and processed in real time to compute hourly and daily composite shortwave irradiance fields. The images and the results are transferred via a high-speed network to the Sequoia 2000 storage facility in Berkeley, where they are archived. These satellite-derived results are compared with the surface observations to evaluate the accuracy of the satellite estimate and the spatial representation of the surface observations. In developing the software involved in calculating the surface shortwave irradiance, the authors have produced an environment whereby they can easily modify and monitor the data processing as required. Through the principles of modular programming, they have developed software that is easily modified as new algorithms for computation are developed or input data availability changes. In addition, the software was designed so that it could be run from an interactive, icon-driven, graphical interface, TCL-TK, developed by Sequoia 2000 participants.
- Research Organization:
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG03-90ER61062
- OSTI ID:
- 266983
- Report Number(s):
- N-96-25512; NASA-SP-519; NAS-1.21:519; NIPS-96-08516; TRN: 9625529
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: Jan 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of Visualization techniques in space and atmospheric sciences; Szuszczewicz, E.P.; Bredekamp, J.H.; PB: 304 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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