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Australian
Meteorological and Oceanographic Society |
2001 Seminar Abstracts
28 February 2001
Olympic Weather
Elly Spark
Senior Meteorologist, Bureau of Meteorology, Sydney
Julie Evans
Meteorologist, Bureau of Meteorology, Sydney
Abstract:
The Bureau of Meteorology provided all the weather services to SOCOG during
the 2000 Olympic Games. The mission was to provide the Games with outstanding
meteorological services, through the provision of tailored, venue-specific
forecasts and warnings of the highest possible quality to organizers,
participants and spectators. The Olympic venues were distributed across Sydney
from the offshore sailing course outside the Harbour to Penrith Lakes, 60km
inland at the foot of the Blue Mountains. Each venue provided a unique
forecasting challenge depending on the combination of its location, the
potential dangers to spectators and the weather sensitivities of the sports
being played. The joint presentation will include the background to the Olympic
weather service, information about the special forecast services provided, as
well as the significant weather that occurred during the Olympic period and its
impact on the running of the games.
Advanced Sounders – GIFTS
Dr John LeMarshall
Bureau of Meteorology Research
Centre (BMRC)
Abstract:
As the spatial, temporal and spectral resolution of observations taken from
space increases, there has been an improvement of the utility of the data,
particularly for applications such as weather forecasting. Here, we briefly
examine improvements to date and then discuss the benefits expected from the
coming generation of Ultra-spectral Advanced Sounders.
The first of these expected to provide operational data is the polar orbiting Advanced InfraRed Sounder (AIRS) instrument in early 2002 on NASA's EOS PM platform. Two proposals from the Bureau, related to AIRS, were accepted after NASA's Announcement of Opportunity at the inception of the EOS program. A short description of the Bureau's activity related to AIRS will be presented, including plans for data reception, calibration and validation, and data assimilation.
The first geostationary advanced sounder will be the Geostationary Imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer (GIFTS). This instrument will be launched in 2004 and Australia will play a key role in this mission. The GIFTS is expected to spend the first 18 months after launch off the East and West coasts of the USA and subsequently move to the Indian Ocean. The Bureau of Meteorology will then be responsible for data reception, product generation and subsequent distribution of the data to weather services and global NWP centres. The observation program is anticipated to extend into 2012.
The characteristics of the GIFTS
will be described and the expected benefits from its deployment will be noted.
It should be noted that this instrument of effectively 3000 channels can
produce 16,384 temperature soundings, every 10 seconds at 4 km resolution, with
an accuracy of about 1 K. In recent years, aircraft-borne instruments with
similar characteristics to the GIFTS have been flown and examples of the
application of the data from some of these instruments will be shown.
About the speaker:
John Le Marshall received his PhD degree in physics from Monash University, Melbourne, Australia, in 1973. He is a Principal Research Scientist at the Bureau of Meteorology, Melbourne. He has headed the Satellite Section in the Bureau of Meteorology, which is responsible for planning, implementation, and maintenance of satellite data reception and processing systems and for policy development. He has also headed the Satellite Meteorology Research group in BMRC. His research interests include sounding the atmosphere from space, and satellite data assimilation and application. He has published in Meteorology and Atmospheric Physics, the Australian Meteorological Magazine, and Weather and Forecasting. He was recently invited to Washington to talk at a conference marking the 40th Anniversary of the Launch of the First Weather satellite. Dr Le Marshall is currently co-chair of the international TOVS Working Group and Chairman of the Geostationary Imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer (GIFTS) Team.
Winds
and Runway Usage at Sydney Airport
Professor Jason Middleton
Department of Aviation/School of Mathematics, University
of New South Wales
Abstract:
Wind velocity data acquired over a period of several years from anemometers
at Sydney Airport were analysed to determine means and gust statistics. These
statistics were used to estimate runway availability for aircraft use, which
were then compared to actual usage. Utilising 2 second raw data and 10 minute
means to determine gust factors (peak/mean) results in a gust factor of
approximately 1.3.
Utilisation of wind and gust factor data in association with operational limitations shows that the north/south runways are available over 75% of the time, but used significantly less due to noise abatement procedures. The data set also contains some interesting phenomena, with implications for flight safety.
This work was jointly undertaken with Rod Potts (Bureau of Meteorology) and Peter Monypenny and Richard Manasseh (UNSW).
About the speaker:
Jason has been with the University of New South Wales for 20 years, where he was largely responsible for establishing the Physical Oceanography group within the School of Mathematics. Some eight years ago he established the Aviation Program at UNSW, which teaches both Flying and Operations Management students.
Coastal
Oceanography: So Where Does the Upwelled Water Come From Anyway?
Dr Peter Oke
School of Mathematics, University of New South Wales
Abstract:
Upwelling is the buzzword of coastal oceanography, representing the process by which cold, potentially nutrient-rich water is brought to the surface. Upwelling effectively feeds the light and nutrient dependent ecosystems of the coastal ocean environment, sustaining million dollar fisheries, ensuring the survival of endangered sea-birds, and is destined to keep physical oceanographers amused for decades. In this talk, observations from one of the first comprehensive coastal ocean observation programs, the 1972/73 Coastal Upwelling Experiments, are reviewed. These observations motivated oceanographers to ask simple questions like "where does the upwelled water come from anyway?" Amazingly, this question is still open for debate, over 25 years later. A computer model of the coastal ocean is presented, along with a series of model-data comparisons and a discussion of where that elusive upwelled water really comes from.
About the speaker:
Peter obtained his BSc and PhD in Mathematics/Physical Oceanography from UNSW, and then spent two years at Oregon State University. He returned to UNSW as a Postdoctoral Research Associate earlier this year.
The
Weather Channel: Now and in the Future
Dr Bruce Buckley
Abstract:
The Weather Channel broadcasts via satellite to Austar's 1.4 million
viewers across all States and Territories except WA, is Australia's only
television channel dedicated to the broadcast of weather and climate
information to the Australian public. This places the Channel in an excellent
position to work in closely with the Bureau of Meteorology, Research
Institutions and Emergency Services to deliver the best possible weather
warning services to the Australian community. What the Channel is currently
delivering, how the Channel interacts with the Australian Public, and what is
likely to be provided in coming years will be discussed.
About the speaker:
Bruce is a former manager of the Bureau of Meteorology NSW Regional Forecasting Centre, past chair of the AMOS Sydney Centre, and is currently working in the private sector media.