GEMPAK 6.0 Development
Unidata has obtained GEMPAK 5.4.3 (NCEP's current working distribution), and we are working with NCEP toward consolidating a common GEMPAK 6.0 release for Spring 2000. By obtaining the current version from NCEP, we will be able to move forward with reconciling Unidata contributions while NCEP is still working on meeting targets required for their release.
New features of GEMPAK 6.0 wil be:
- NMAP- an integrated display and product generation GUI environment
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Features include:
- Drawing tools
- Contour editing and graph to grid contouring
- Restore file based product generation
- Direct model comparison
- Multiple loop frames
- Cloud height determination
- Time matching and windowing
- Postscript printing of images, also available in NMAP
- Display of Redbook graphics images available on the NOAAPORT IDD datastream
- Additional decoders for SCD and in-situ pirep bulletins
GEMPAK 6.0 will support building with the GNU g77/gcc environment.
Radar Coded Message display
In November, I added GPRCM for the display of Radar Coded Message products. GPRCM allows the display and compositing of RCM messages, along with annotations of cell movement, TVS and meso cyclone signatures, and other included remarks. The user may also overlay these products on other GEMPAK products including satellite and NIDS imagery. For examples of products, see: RCM examples.
GARP 2.1
Garp 2.1 is now available to Unidata sites. This latest version of Garp contains several Y2K updates as well as updates to the FDF processing.
GEMPAK and Y2K
Several patches to the Unidata distribution of GEMPAK were made in order to assure Y2K compatibility. Most changes necessary were provided in the patch 12 distribution made available in July, 1999. Along with Garp 2.1, a few remaining updates were made in December with patch 14. The current GEMPAK distribution available from Unidata contains all of these patches.
GEMPAK and ACARS
ACARS data from FSL is available to Unidata sites via the LDM by direct connection from FSL to universities. The ACARS data files are distributed in NetCDF format. A general ACARS/NetCDF decoder "dcacars" will decode the acars point observations into a standard GEMPAK ship format file. The surface-ship format file is used to accommodate the transient nature of aircraft report locations.
Standard surface programs will display and list the individual ACARS observations from GEMPAK files. To display the ACARS data in the form of a vertical profile (Skew-T/Stuve/Log/linear) plot, a version of SNPROF called ACARSPROF is available. ACARSPROF will allow the user to plot a sounding profile from a single plane, or to aggregate the observations in the area of a selected location and plot a composite sounding.
NSHARP
NSHARP is an interactive Skew-T/Hodograph program for GEMPAK. The program is capable of plotting soundings from radiosonde data, model data, ASCII files, and ACARS observations. NSHARP is based on a port of the well known SHARP software with additions for Unidata data streams including ACARS data, and an interactive data selection interface. Printing capability is provided with a postscript interface.
GEMPAK summer package workshop
The GEMPAK package workshop was held July 28-30, 1999 and included 15 participants. The course was taught using Gempak 5.4 patch level 12 on 8 Pentium machines running Solaris X86 operating system.
GEMPAK and the Unidata NOAAport transition
During December, Unidata transitioned the IDD from FOS to the new NOAAport data streams. Prior to the transition, Unidata tested the proposed data stream for compatibility with existing applications. The available GEMPAK decoders were evaluated for suitability with NOAAport. Due to the configuration of the current ingestion system which makes the NOAAport data products look like the previous FOS products, sites were able to continue to use their packages without upgrades or reconfiguration. In addition to providing most products previously available on FOS, the NOAAport data stream provides additional model data sets, as well as some new forecast products. The design of GEMPAK permits the use of the new model data sets without requiring any additional configuration, and thus the transition has been very smooth. I have provided updated information via the GEMPAK web pages for LDM pqact.conf entries which can be used to route the additional data products for GEMPAK use. NWS product headers continue to change, independent of the FOS->NOAAport transition. Maintaining up to date information for NWX has required the most effort, since the current LDM routing based on WMO headers is less stable than the AFOS identifiers included within the forecast bulletins.
More recent NOAAport developments at UPC underway allow for all 4 NOAAport data channels to be ingested into the LDM. The additional data channels include both GOES-E and GOES-W satellite products in GINI format. Gempak is fully capable of displaying the satellite data directly from NOAAport in GINI format.
GEMPAK distribution now supports building under Linux/X86
The first release of GEMPAK for PC operating systems consisted of binary only distributions. The reason for the binary method of distributing GEMPAK for Linux and Solaris X86 was initially based on changes needed to build the distribution made since the original release of GEMPAK 5.4. Moreover, the requirement for Linux users to obtain MOTIF libraries as well as utilize the f2c Fortran conversion interface provided certain barriers for easy installation. Since the original release, I have incorporated the necessary modifications into the GEMPAK source distribution as well as updated all of the Makefiles used during the building process to support the "make" program provided with Linux, which does not have many of the features used by all of the other supported UPC platforms. As a result, the current patch level 8 distribution can now be built by users which desire a full source distribution.
DCSHEF
DCSHEF is a new decoder for hydrologic and meteorological data distributed over FOS and NOAAPORT in the SHEF (Standard Hydrologic Exchange Format) data format. This data provides many cooperative observations for meteorological data as well as river and dam information such as stream flow, discharge rates, water temperature, and flood information, as well as forest service, agriculture, and USGS measurements such as snowpack and evaporation potential.
NCEP grid access (CONDUIT)
Unidata has pursued a relationship with NCEP and the USWRP to provide greater access to model data now available via the IDD CONDUIT effort. I have updated the capabilities of DCGRIB to handle additional grib data that may be obtained through the IDD as a result of this effort. NCEP is currently sending MRF, AVN, ETA, RUC2, and Ensemble data sets which consist of additional levels, forecast times, parameters, and provide greater temporal and/or spatial resolution that the counterparts available via FOS/NOAAport.
Ongoing Additions
COMET case studies available via CODIAC
COMET case studies are compatible with the GEMPAK/NAWIPS environment, and are being made available via the CODIAC system.
GEMPAK workshop and tutorial online
All the handouts/displays for the GEMPAK workshop are been made available through the GEMPAK web page tutorial. Included in the presentation are numerous sample exercises and output samples. This format of presentation allows workshop participants to be able to review or utilize any of the material at their home institution. The tutorial will be updated for GEMPAK 6.0 when released.
The GEMPAK tutorial can be found at:
http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/gempak/tutorial
