GSD Science Fact Sheets
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Earth System Research Laboratory Global Systems Division Fact Sheet
The Global Systems Division (GSD) of the Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL) is a leader in the applied research, directed development, and technology transfer of environmental data, models, products, and services. This work enhances environmental understanding with the outcome of supporting commerce, protecting life and property, and promoting a scientifically literate public (Public version).
What does GSD do for the Nation?
The Global Systems Division (GSD), part of NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL), leads the design, development, testing, and delivery of accurate and reliable weather forecast system solutions (Legislative version).
High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR)
The HRRR weather prediction system merges weather prediction science and high performance computing technology with a breakthrough technique for using radar data to achieve a new standard for up-to-the-minute weather forecasting.
Rapid Refresh (RAP)
An hourly updated weather forecast model/assimilation system that replaced the Rapid Updated Cycle (RUC) at NCEP as NOAA's hourly updated model in May 2012
Non-hydrostatic Icosahedral Model (NIM)
The NIM is a next-generation global non-hydrostatic atmospheric model being developed to improve all aspects of NOAA's global mission. Specifically, it is designed to improve weather prediction for all latitudes including tropical regions.
Forecast Impact and Quality Assessment Section (FIQAS)
The Forecast Impact and Quality Assessment Section (FIQAS) uses innovative and rigorous research to provide operational agencies with information and technologies to improve the accuracy, quality, and utility of weather information for critical decision points, thus improving services to the public.
Ground-Based Meteorology (GPS-Met)
Ground-Based Global Positioning System Meteorology (GPS-Met) measures water vapor in the troposphere, monitors total electron content (TEC) of the ionosphere, and provides low-cost, high-accuracy data under all weather conditions.
FX-Net
FX-Net is a Java application that provides access to the basic display capability of an AWIPS weather forecasting workstation via the Internet. The AWIPS workstation user interface is emulated very closely. New data compression techniques are used along with multithreaded client-side processing and communication.
Gridded FX-Net
The Gridded FX-Net System combines state-of-the-art data delivery technology, while leveraging existing technology, to deliver high-resolution, gridded model data and bit-map imagery, while minimizing bandwidth consumption and maximizing data throughput.
NOAA Earth Information Services
NOAA Earth Information Services (NEIS) is a framework of layered services designed to help NOAA's mission areas by facilitating the discovery, access, integration, and understanding of all NOAA data (past, present, and future).
Flow-Following Finite Volume Icosahedral Model (FIM)
A new computational design for a global icosahedral model has been developed at the Global Systems Division of NOAA's Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL): "Flow-Following – Finite Volume Icosahedral Model", known as the FIM.
Design of Cost-Effective Future Observing Systems (GEOSS)
An important part of GEOSS is aimed at monitoring atmospheric, oceanic, and land surface conditions in support of weather and climate prediction. Designing improved and cost-effective future observing systems is a challenge as these systems often serve multiple users.
Next Generation of High-Performance Computing - GPUs
New regional and global models are being developed that will require over 200,000 computer-processing units (CPUs) in order to improve prediction of hurricanes, and other severe weather events. NOAA researchers are exploring cutting-edge, high-performance computer architectures to handle these enormous computational demands.
Local Analysis and Prediction System (LAPS)
The Local Analysis and Prediction System (LAPS) is a Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) tool that provides a detailed description of the current and imminent local high impact weather conditions.
MADIS - The Meteorological Assimilation Data Ingest System
The goal of MADIS is to provide a more usable, complete, accurate, timely and higher density observational infrastructure for use in local weather warnings and products, numerical weather prediction, and use by the greater meteorolgy community.
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GSD's 2016 Research Highlights
High Resoulution Rapid Refresh (HRRR), Next Generation Global Prediction System (NGGPS), Integrated Support for Impacted Air Traffic Environments (INSITE), and SOS Explorer™: 3D Earth science on your laptop
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GSD Server Virtualization
The Earth System Research Laboratory/Global Systems Division (GSD) has a robust Server Virtualization program which began in 2011.
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Fire Weather Research
GSD works to advance fire weather research using data, modeling, decision support systems, and joint research, planning, and execution. This provides many benefits, improving fire fighter operations.
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Hazard Services Project
One component of the National Weather Service's (NWS) AWIPS II extended effort is the Hazard Services Project. Hazard Services will integrate National Weather Service Hazard Tools in one common interface and process, preserving efficiency of existing applications, and minimizing training
GSD and NextGen
Global Systems Division (GSD) develops weather forecasts, verification tools, and information technology services for the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) in order to increase the efficiency of the nation's airspace and maintain high levels of safety.
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NOAA's Science On a Sphere® (SOS)
NOAA's Science On a Sphere® uses high-speed computers, projectors, and advanced imaging techniques to create the illusion of a planet, the Sun, a moon, or any other celestial body rotating in space and to show weather and other geophysical data.
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SOS Q & A
SOS is a globe that shows dynamic animated images of the atmosphere, oceans, and land of a planet. Many displays are possible, limited only by the imagination.
SOS Users Collaborative Network
There are currently exhibits featuring SOS at museums and science centers throughout the United States, and the number of these exhibits continues to grow. More than 25 million people per year view SOS.
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Education and Learning using SOS
The NOAA Office of Education and the Institute for Learning Innovation conducted a cross-site summative evaluation of Science On a Sphere®.
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Global Locations of SOS
Installations of NOAA's Science On a Sphere are not limited to the U.S. This list contains all of the locations of installations all over the world.
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SOS Explorer™
A desktop-based version of SOS®, SOS Explorer™, helps bring the SOS® experience into classrooms and homes. SOS Explorer™ builds upon SOS exhibits with many of the same datasets, but allows users to explore the data in ways that are not possible in an exhibit setting.
High-Performance Supercomputers and Facilities
To improve accuracy and timeliness of predictions, there is an ever increasing volume of complex data and equations that need to be processed. ESRL/GSD is one of NOAA’s three locations that host R&D high performance computing systems which are shared by the entire NOAA user community.
TerraViz - Data Visualization System
Terraviz allows fluid interation across time and space, providing a tool for exploring NOAA's vast collection of information.
Global Observing Systems Analysis (GOSA)
GOSA's mission is to maximize and optimize the uses of current and future global observations to improve numerical weather prediction forecast skill in NOAA's models.
