Helsinki Testbed overview Mesoscale Atmospheric Network Workshop University

Helsinki Testbed overview Mesoscale Atmospheric Network Workshop University of Helsinki, 12 February 2007 Heikki Turtiainen

History of Helsinki Testbed 2003: First ideas in Vaisala • • • "Establish a leading testbed capability close to Vaisala Find out the business potential of mesoscale and nowcasting systems Encourage FMI and the University to form a center of excellence in EU Make sure the testbed will be open, international, high quality Testing and demonstration of new system concepts becomes possible" Autumn 2003: Idea presented to FMI, planning begins December 2003: U. S. Weather Research Program Workshop on the design and development of multifunctional mesoscale observing networks, Boulder, Colorado. "Testbed ideology" development. Spring 2004: Planning, preparing the Tekes funding application Summer 2004: Preparations for the observation network started November 2004: Tekes accepts the funding application Helsinki Testbed initiative officially launched 1. 1. 2005 ©Vaisala | date | Ref. code | Page 2

USWRP Workshop results: Testbed definition “A working relationship in quasi-operational framework among forecasters, researchers, private-sector, and government agencies aimed at solving operational and practical regional problems with a strong connection to endusers. ” ©Vaisala | date | Ref. code | Page 3

Helsinki Testbed What is a testbed? • Platform for experimentation for large development projects • Working relationship among measurement specialists, researchers, private-sector, and government agencies, with a strong connection to the end-users. • Testbeds accelerate the translation of R&D findings into practice: more effective operations, services and products, as well as economic and public safety benefits. Helsinki Testbed • Will help to develop, test and demonstrate instruments and methods for observing and forecasting mesoscale weather phenomena. • Is intended to become a meeting point for international research in the atmospheric sciences. • Is open: new instruments, projects and research groups can join in. ©Vaisala | date | Ref. code | Page 4

täsmäsääpalvelujen Research and development platform kehitys- ja kokeilualusta for precision weather services 9. 10. 2006 15: 30 ©Vaisala | date | Ref. code | Page 5

HTB phase I results special instruments FMI surface weather stations satellites road weather stations Researchers’ Interface weather radars Web demos dense weather transmitter network ©Vaisala | date | Ref. code | Page 6 Vaisala Met. Man database Central Data Warehouse (CDW) in cooperation with FMI & Vaisala

Helsinki Testbed Network From Hanko in west, to Loviisa in east, to Hämeenlinna & Lahti in North ©Vaisala | date | Ref. code | Page 7

Cell phone base station masts utilized as meteorological towers Upper Weather Transmitter h = 40. . . 100 m Middle level Weather Transmitters h = 20 -30 m Lower Weather Transmitter h=2 m GPRS communications unit ©Vaisala | date | Ref. code | Page 8

Wind Profiler with RASS Vaisala LAP-3000 wind profiler at Helsinki Malmi Airport measures • wind speed & direction up to 3000 m • temperature up to 1000 m ©Vaisala | date | Ref. code | Page 9

Radiosonde soundings Autosonde soundings from Vaisala to complement those made in Jokioinen Observatory and Tallinn. During campaigns four daily soundings at synoptic times (00, 06, 12 and 18 UTC). Automatic data delivery to CDW. ©Vaisala | date | Ref. code | Page 10

Cloud height & aerosol profile Ceilometers • 5 pcs Vaisala CL 31 ceilometers – Vaisala – Helsinki, YTV Vallila air quality station – Nurmijärvi, FMI Röykkä Observatory – Mäntsälä – Porvoo • cloud height +aerosol profile data • communications: ADSL ©Vaisala | date | Ref. code | Page 11

All-weather Precipitation gauges Weighing rain gauges • 5 pcs VRG 101 all-weather precipitation gauges – Lahti – Nummi-Pusula, Loukku – Vihti, Maasoja – Nurmijärvi, Röykkä – Helsinki, Malmi Airport • measure both liquid and solid precipitation • heated rim • Tretyakov-type wind shield • communications: GPRS Lahti 5. 12. 2005 ©Vaisala | date | Ref. code | Page 12

Ecological Weather Stations PAR Ecological weather stations • weather transmitter + CO 2 -sensor + photosynthetically active radiation sensor (PAR) • network of 10 stations CO 2 WXT RS 485 Data collection and telemetry ©Vaisala | date | Ref. code | Page 13

Live Data § Weather radar & temperature § Helsinki Testbed on Google Earth § Weather cameras at outdoor sport resorts § Kytäjä golf course § Saariselkä (Lapland) More info: http: //testbed. fmi. fi ©Vaisala | date | Ref. code | Page 14

Significance of Helsinki Testbed for new business development Mesoscale Atmospheric Network Workshop University of Helsinki, 12 February 2007 Heikki Turtiainen

U. S. National Center for Atmospheric Research: Vision for Global Weather Services in 2025 • By 2025 the data problem for weather prediction will be solved. • Observational errors as we know them today will have been eliminated. • Global weather prediction models with 1 km horizontal resolution will have reached theoretical limits of predictability theory. Richard A. Anthes, 1999 GWS 2025 -Anthes, 1999 ©Vaisala | date | Ref. code | Page 16

U. S. National Center for Atmospheric Research: Vision for Global Weather Services in 2025 GWS 2025 -Summary • Numerical predictions in the 0 -2 day time frame will be essentially perfect. • One week forecasts will be as accurate as 2 -3 day forecasts are today. • Weather information will be hundreds of times more useful to society than today and at less cost person. Richard A. Anthes, 1999 ©Vaisala | date | Ref. code | Page 17

Trends in Weather Services Dense, integrated observation networks • Instrument miniatyrization and integration • Sensor networks – M 2 M wireless communication • New remote sensing instruments Forecasting performance • Increasing computing power • Mesoscale models - nowcasting Data distribution Internet • Internet • Mobile terminals Real time weather data will be available any place, any time. Ubiquitous weather services will become reality. ©Vaisala | date | Ref. code | Page 18

Forecasts and Alarms for Severe weather ©Vaisala | date | Ref. code | Page 19

Traffic Weather - Roads ©Vaisala | date | Ref. code | Page 20

U. S. average of fires, chemical releases Emergency response: 3. 3 million acres burn per year ©Vaisala | date | Ref. code | Page 21

Air quality / chemical release / homeland security ©Vaisala | date | Ref. code | Page 22

Outdoor events ©Vaisala | date | Ref. code | Page 23

Helsinki Testbed phase II (2007 -2009) § Focus in Precision Weather Applications § Automatic generation and delivery of forecasts and warnings § From Forecasting and Now. Casting to Ubiquitous Weather Services = Ubi. Casting ©Vaisala | date | Ref. code | Page 24

Helsinki Testbed now Web Database demos Researchers’ interface Observations ©Vaisala | date | Ref. code | Page 25 ”Customers”

Helsinki Testbed development: mesoscale analysis Database Analysis field LAPS Observations ©Vaisala | date | Ref. code | Page 26

Local weather analysis and forecast models ©Vaisala | date | Ref. code | Page

Helsinki Testbed development: mesoscale forecast Database Analysis field Observations ©Vaisala | date | Ref. code | Page 28 Forecast

Helsinki Testbed development: mesoscale forecast service Application specific data Database Analysis Forecast Application field Observations ©Vaisala | date | Ref. code | Page 29 Customers

Precision Weather Services Application specific observations Application specific data Database Analysis Forecast Application field Forecast Application Observations Customers ©Vaisala | date | Ref. code | Page 30

Precision Weather Services Application specific observations Application specific data Database Analysis Forecast Customers Application field interface Application Forecast interface Application interface Observations Vaisala FMI Service provider Pilot customers ©Vaisala | date | Ref. code | Page 31

Future Precision Weather Services Observation network Customer terminals Additional data Observations database Application Server Internet PRODUCTS Forecasts Forecast Service ©Vaisala | date | Ref. code | Page 32

Potential applications Air quality / dispersion models § Forecasting air quality service for citizens § Air quality / dispersion model service for industry Traffic § Commuting weather service for cities § Mesoscale road wether service Energy § Optimization of energy production based on local forecasts § Utilization of nowcasting in heating and air conditioning of buildings Marine § Precision weather service for harbours § Sailing weather ©Vaisala | date | Ref. code | Page 33