GNOME

GNOME (General NOAA Operational Modeling Environment) is the oil spill trajectory model used by OR&R Emergency Response Division (ERD) responders during an oil spill. ERD trajectory modelers use GNOME in Diagnostic Mode to set up custom scenarios quickly. In Standard Mode, anyone can use GNOME (with a Location File) to:

• predict how wind, currents, and other processes might move and spread oil spilled on the water.

• learn how predicted oil trajectories are affected by inexactness ("uncertainty") in current and wind observations and forecasts.

• see how spilled oil is predicted to change chemically and physically ("weather") during the time that it remains on the water surface.

To use GNOME, you describe a spill scenario by entering information into the program; GNOME then creates and displays an oil spill "movie" showing the predicted trajectory of the oil spilled in your scenario. Along with GNOME, most users also will want to download the Location Files for their regions of interest. Location Files contain prepackaged tide and current data and make it easier to work with GNOME.

GNOME was developed by the Emergency Response Division (ERD) (formerly the Hazardous Materials Response Division [HAZMAT]) of NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R). The latest version is GNOME 1.3.0.

Note: GNOME does not run on Macintosh computers with Intel microprocessors. The GNOME team is researching this problem and hopes to identify a solution.

For more information

The GNOME Wizard Direct comments or questions about GNOME to the GNOME Wizard.

Related FAQs

GNOME: General Questions Answers to general questions about GNOME.

GNOME: Location Files Answers to frequently-asked questions about getting Location Files and making Diagnostic Save Files.

GNOME: Diagnostic Mode Answers to frequently-asked questions about running GNOME in Diagnostic Mode.

Other pages in this series

News from the GNOME Wizard Find out about the latest GNOME developments, and new and upcoming GNOME products.

Downloading, Installing, and Running GNOME Download a Windows or Macintosh version of GNOME and view instructions for installing and running it.

GNOME User's Manual and Tour Learn the basic steps in working with GNOME.  Download the GNOME Manual and the GNOME Factsheet.

GNOME Location Files and Associated Resources Files you can use to model spill scenarios set in particular areas (such as Prince William Sound, Alaska, or Long Island Sound, New York) and example problems you can work to build your understanding of GNOME.

GNOME's Trajectory Predictions View some oil spill movies (requires QuickTime).

GNOME and Deepwater Incidents Information to help responders prepare for deepwater incidents. Includes a Data Preparation Sheet for deepwater spill incidents, as well as information about the modifications that GNOME has undergone to make it more useful for deepwater planning and spills.

GNOME Toolkit Tools for displaying GNOME trajectories in ArcView 3.x and ArcMap 9.x. Learn about and subscribe to the GNOME Listserver.

GNOME References Papers related to GNOME methodologies and uses.