GSD Theme Fact Sheets

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GSD Overview

NOAA's Global Systems Division (GSD) of the Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL) provides the National Weather Service (NWS) and the nation with environmental observing, prediction, computer, visualization, and information systems. These systems deliver forecasts and predictions of weather, including severe weather events within the next few minutes to weeks away.

Research Highlights:

  • Weather Forecast Modeling: GSD is a leader in developing local-to-global scale weather prediction forecast models. The FIM and the HRRR, advanced weather models, both rely heavily on high-performance computer systems developed, operated and managed by GSD.
  • Decision Support Systems: GSD develops state-of -the-art forecast and decision-support systems to improve collaboration and decision-making between forecasters, emergency managers, and the public. MADIS and AWIPS are tools developed by GSD.
  • Outreach Technology: GSD builds technology that educates current and future generations about our changing Earth. SOS® has installations all over the world.
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Research to Operations

NOAA's Global Systems Division (GSD) of the Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL) provides the National Weather Service (NWS) and the Nation with environmental observing, prediction, computer, visualization, and information systems. These systems deliver forecasts and predictions of weather, including severe weather events within the next few minutes to weeks away.

Research to Operations Highlights:

  • Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS): Forecasters at more than 130 NWS forecast offices use AWIPS to produce, analyze and disseminate weather forecasts and time-sensitive, highimpact warnings.
  • Meteorological Assimilation Data Ingest System (MADIS): Providing observations to NOAA and the greater meteorological community to create a more usable, complete, accurate, timely, and higher density observational infrastructure for use in local weather warnings and products, and numerical weather prediction.
  • High Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR): The HRRR is the only hourly updated, radar-initialized, storm-resolving model running over the US.
  • Rapid Refresh (RAP): NOAA's high resolution hourly updating weather model and data assimilation system that provides weather forecasts for North America.
  • Local Analysis and Prediction System (LAPS): A numerical weather prediction tool that provides detailed descriptions and customizable 3D analyses of current and imminent local high-impact weather.
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Data Visualization and Education

The Earth System Research Laboratory’s Global Systems Division (ESRL/GSD) develops visual display systems for both the public and scientists to explore and understand climate, weather, ocean, and coastal data. These systems organize vast amounts of data into ways that help us learn about and understand our diverse and complex world.

Data Visualization and Education Research Highlights:

  • Science On a Sphere® (SOS): A revolutionary system that communicates climate, weather, ocean, and other Earth sciences to all ages.
  • SOS Explorer™ Powered by TerraViz™: Climate, weather, ocean, and other Earth sciences education for the next generation.
  • NOAA Earth Information System™ (NEIS) Powered by TerraViz™: A prototype display system framework that ingests and synchronizes NOAA data from different sources in 4D time and space. NEIS™ displays the data through GSD’s multi-platform tool, TerraViz™.
  • TerraViz™: The visualization tool for NEIS™ and SOS Explorer™, which harnesses the power of 3D graphics card technology to render and display data.
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High Impact Weather Prediction Project

HIWPP: The High Impact Weather Prediction Project (HIWPP, pronounced "High-Whip") is addressing the severe weather needs of the nation and the world by developing the best possible one- to two-week forecasts from advanced global models.

HIWPP Status as of Feb 15, 2015

  • Testing of Current Generation Hydrostatic Models
  • Testing of Next Generation Non-Hydrostatic Models
  • NEIS Advanced Visualization Tool
  • Open Data Initiative
  • High Performance Computing - Moving to next generation systems

 

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GSD Modeling

Weather and climate modeling for the future is researched in GSD in the following areas:

  • Global-Scale Modeling
  • Regional-Scale Modeling
  • Weather and Air Chemistry Modeling
  • Coupled Ocean - Atmosphere Models
  • Local Models
  • High-Impact Weather Prediction Project (HIWPP)

 

 

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High Performance/ Fine Grain Computing and GPUs

High performance computing is required to manage and process the increasing amounts of complex data and equations necessary to improve the accuracy and timeliness of predictions.

  • GSD supports top-level scientific research with continuous high-performance computing in a state-of-the-art center.
  • GSD is at the forefront of a new generation of high-performance computing
    architecture called "Massively Parallel Fine Grain" (MPFG).
  • Today, GSD rigorously develops and tests Graphical Processing Units (GPUs) to use in high-performance supercomputing platforms that support NOAA and the nation's scientific and modeling needs.