The Plan To Access Real-Time and Retrospective NWP Operational Model Data Sets Using NOMADS

Jordan C. Alpert
NCEP/Environmental Modeling Center

To address the well documented need for climate, atmosphere and ocean information, the National Climate Data Center (NCDC) along with the National Center's for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) have initiated the NOAA Operational Model Archive and Distribution System (NOMADS). NOMADS is a collaboration between the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL); the George Mason University (GMU); the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR); NCDC; NCEP; the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL); Unidata, the Center for Ocean-Land-Atmosphere studies (COLA); and others. The objective of NOMADS is to preserve and provide retrospective access to GCM's and reference quality long-term observational, and high volume three dimensional data, NCEP NWP Operational model run history, re-start and re-analysis information, as well as other NCDC available products and data. This paper describes the NOMADS collaborative effort and the National Centers for Environmental Prediction role and specifies the plan for providing a rerun/retrospective model service to the scientific community, public and NWP centers.

Metadata file descriptions using the extensible markup language (XML) is agreed upon by NOMADS participants for representing, storing, retrieving and interoperating in a distributed environment. In addition server side utilities are integrated for sub-seting, re-gridding and repackaging datasets for direct file transfer using direct and web based file transfer protocol (ftp). NOMADS utilizes server software such as the Distributed Oceanographic Data System (DODS), Live Access Server (LAS) and Distributed Metadata Server (DIMES) which develop and display data sets from the distributed data base. However, the need for granularity of data base searches can become inefficient for large data set transfer requests as well as user requirements of the data sets in their original form. Direct ftp retrieval of original data sets without format change is provided including server side tools and utilities while on the client side, users display results according to their own preference.

BIO - Dr. Jordan C. Alpert Dr. Jordan C. Alpert received his Ph. D. in Atmospheric Sciences from the University of Michigan in 1978. After a two year Post Doctoral Appointment at the University of Miami, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. Dr. Alpert was invited to the Goddard Space Flight Center/NASA in Greenbelt in 1980 to aid in forming a new branch, the Global NWP Modeling with Chemistry" branch to construct Global NWP models of anthropogenic pollution and constituent transport predictions, especially for Ozone. Between 1980 and 1985 Jordan worked on some of the first analyses of the antarctic Ozone hole using satellite data and co-authored a antarctic Ozone hole paper published in Nature. In 1985, Dr. Alpert moved to the National Meteorological Center's Development Division (forerunner of NCEP/EMC), where he implemented the Global Medium Range Forecast model gravity wave drag in 1987. In 1991 Dr. Alpert was made chief of the EMC System Development Group to provide IT solutions and services to EMC scientists and staff. Dr. Alpert introduced web based solutions to EMC for cost effective displays of NWP model results as well as the dissemination of model data. He set up the frame work for distributed access to NCEP data sets including timely 3 dimensional animated model data on the web sites. He continues to work on modeling issues such as mountain interaction and adaptive regression for NCEP's models. Dr. Alpert is the focal point for NCEP data archiving and is participating in the NOAA operational model archive and distribution system (NOMADS) project.

Auditorium - Paper Wednesday - 9:20 - 9:40 A.M.