READY
The Real-time Environmental Applications and Display sYstem
ABSTRACT. A world wide web based system called the
Real-time Environmental Applications and
Display sYstem (READY) has been
developed for accessing and displaying meteorological
data and running trajectory and dispersion model products on the
National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA)
Air Resources
Laboratory (ARL) web server. This system brings
together dispersion models, graphical display programs
and textual forecast programs generated over many years
at ARL into a form that is easy to use by anyone, but its primary
focus is for atmospheric scientists.
To go directly to READY, click HERE
One of the many functions of ARL is to
provide meteorological services and related research to NOAA and to
other Federal agencies, in order to predict the consequences of
atmospheric releases of radioactivity and other potentially harmful
materials. For example, ARL personnel involved with the Department
of Energy's (DOE) Atmospheric Studies in Complex Terrain (ASCOT)
program provide guidance for evaluation of terrain effects on
dispersion; DOE's Hazardous Materials Release Facility, which is
coupled with ARL's UF6 modeling program, provides dense gas
dispersion data; ARL's
volcanic ash program provides critical
information on plume transport and dispersion to the aviation
industry; ARL's involvement in the Kuwait oil fires provided real-
time application of ARL's emergency response capabilities; and ARL
Headquarters provides on-site support to the Operations Center of
the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
(NRC) during emergency exercises
and events occurring at its regulated facilities. In addition, ARL
is a Regional Specialized Meteorological Center
(RSMC) for
transport and dispersion products through the
World Meteorological
Organization (WMO). ARL, along with the
Canadian Meteorological Centre
(CMC), the other RSMC for this region, will
provide meteorological guidance and dispersion predictions in the
event of an atmospheric release of radioactive or hazardous
materials crossing international boundaries in North and Central
America.
ARL Headquarters in Silver Spring, MD, has a unique working
arrangement with its partner organization, the
National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) of the
National Weather Service (NWS).
This arrangement allows ARL to access meteorological observations
and forecast model fields that have been specifically selected for use in
atmospheric dispersion models, such as the HYSPLIT model.
Close collaboration with NCEP has given ARL the ability to access gridded
meteorological data as
soon as the forecast model completes its execution at NCEP.
In addition, the
Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS)
mesoscale model is run operationally at ARL to produce a high-
resolution meteorological dataset. This dataset is used as a tool
for qualitative evaluation of more local meteorological conditions
or as input into a more quantitative transport and dispersion model
calculation.
ARL also has established a direct communications line between it's
own computers
and the NWS
Telecommunications Gateway (NWSTG) computers. This connection
provides ARL with all regularly transmitted text and gridded
data from the Family of Services (FOS) offered by NWS. These data
include observations and forecasts issued by the NWS. The commuications line also
will give ARL the ability to transmit its own dispersion products over
the NWSTG in the future.
READY was initially developed to pool together the many computer resources
available at ARL for displaying meteorological data and atmospheric transport
model products. READY, originally developed for the PC, has now been made
available to anyone with a web browser. Users can access many of the products
available to ARL personnel for analyzing forecast meteorological data. In addition
users can run the HYSPLIT (version 4) transport and dispersion model, which
makes READY, via the web, unique.
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