The Integrated Data Viewer (IDV) version 5.6 is now available. This is a major release with new features including an isentropic advection derived parameter, a 3D streamline display, new display types for the 3D grid tracer display, and a chooser for Geostationary Lightning Mapper data from ADDE servers. In addition, the release includes updates to existing features and incorporates the latest netCDF-Java library.
Isentropic Advection
For synoptic scale motions, atmospheric variables tend to be better correlated along an isentropic surface. In a 3D space, the IDV's new grid 3D isentropic advection derived parameter interpolates advection from isobaric coordinates into the isentropic space and creates 3D theta surface advection displays.
GLM ADDE Chooser
The Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) Level 2 products consist of geo-located and time-stamped events, groups, and flashes, with associated calibrated optical amplitudes. The IDV's new GLM ADDE data chooser provides access to three GLM source types: Geostationary Lightning Mapper EVENT, GROUP, and FLASH Data through the ADDE data server. The GLM data queries can be performed on the relative times, absolute times, and time driver times.
3D Streamline Display
Streamlines are a group of curves that depict the instantaneous tangent to the velocity vector of the flow and provide a snapshot of the flow field at a moment in time. In the IDV, 3D streamline displays show the direction in which a massless fluid element will travel at the specified time. The IDV's 3D streamline display type is available for the derived parameters “Grid 3D Trajectory” and “3D Flow Vector.” The initial area of the 3D streamlines can be a 2D surface or a 3D volume.
3D Trajectory Display Update
In version 5.6, the IDV's grid 3D trajectory display includes three new display types: Tracer Arrow, Tracer Sphere and Tracer Dot. The initial area of the 3D Grid Trajectory can also be set to the XZ or YZ plane, and controlled by the data index in the X or Y direction.
Vertical Profile in Pressure Axis
The IDV's new vertical profile display uses pressure as its Y axis to emphasize information
in
the lower level atmoshpere and help understand tropical convection/moisture interactions
that are
mainly concentrated in lower atmosphere. The new Conserved Sounding derived variable (from
theta, thetae and sat thetae) — and its
associated display Conserved Variable Sounding
(Pressure) have been added to the derived parameter list for gridded datasets.
Additional New Features
IDV 5.6 includes a number of other new features. See the Release Notes for information.
IDV 5.6 can be downloaded from: https://www.unidata.ucar.edu/downloads/idv/current/
