GEMPAK Status Report

GEMPAK

Michael James

The GEMPAK group's work supports the following Unidata funding proposal focus areas:

Advancing data services
Unidata GEMPAK continues to see regular releases (approx. 2 per year) to stay current with the latest data types. Recently new functionality was added for the decoding of international grids and display of scatterometer products.
Developing and deploying useful tools
GEMPAK/NAWIPS is being sunset and the release of GEMPAK7 will see it incorporated into AWIPS II systems at NCEP centers as an Add-On.
Enhancing user support services
Unidata maintains a support ticket address for GEMPAK/NAWIPS and the gempak mailing list gembud continues to be a useful resource for users.
Providing leadership in cyberinfrastructure
As NAWIPS/GEMPAK transitions to GEMPAK7 for incorporation into AWIPS II, Unidata is preparing for a the first non-operational, public release of AWIPS II with GEMPAK included.

6.10 source code (github) and 3 binary packages released
New support for international grid decoding by dcgrib2
Updated 1:1 92-color map for high-res NEXRAD reflectivity.
Updated table support for international grids and scatterometer BUFR files
Currently pulling ASCATD and OSCAT_HI from Waldenio at INPE via LDM
I have Jeff Weber's help with supporting NESDIS and JPL offices installing LDM to push 1-km global SST and Ocean Wind Vectors and Significant Wave Heights to Unidata for re-distribution.

We plan to continue the following activies:

Supporting GEMPAK/NAWIPS until the AWIPS II CAVE client is determined to be a suitable replacement for our community.
Maintaining GEMPAK source code and table updates.
Offering yearly GEMPAK workshops at the UPC

We plan to organize or take part in the following:

Take part in 3rd Workshop on Ocean Forecasting at the Ministry of Earth Science, Hyderabad, India, some time in 2014
Provide high-resolution national radar composites over the IDD.
Further support for scatterometer SWH and OWV and global SST fields.