Volume 10, October 2015 - WMO Aircraft Observations & AMDAR - News and Events

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 WMO AMDAR Observing System Newsletter

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Volume 10, October 2015

Calendar Contents

1 Message from the Editor of the WMO AMDAR Observing System Newsletter 2 Status of Aircraft-based Observations & AMDAR 3 Upcoming ABO Programme Joint Meeting and AMDAR Workshop 4 AMDAR Module Update 5 The WMO Regional Workshop on AMDAR in Nairobi, Kenya 6 New Report on Impact & Benefits of Aircraft-based Observations 7 New WMO AMDAR Study and Document on Future Communications and Technology Impact 8 AMDAR in the Southwest Pacific 9 Status of the U.S. MDCRS Program 10 Update on Water Vapor Measurement 11 AMDAR Observation Usage at the NWS Raleigh, NC Weather Forecast Office 12 WMO AMDAR Observing System Contacts

Message from the Editor of the WMO AMDAR Observing System Newsletter Dear Reader, Welcome to the 10th edition of the WMO AMDAR Observing System Newsletter. In my capacity as editor, I would like to take the opportunity to look back on the past three plus years and highlight the newsletter’s history. Since its premier edition in February 2012, the newsletter has become an important source of AMDAR-related news and information for both the meteorological and aviation communities. In addition to regular updates on the overall global AMDAR system, the newsletter has hosted a wide variety of aircraft observation-related topics. Articles covering the status of established programs in China and the United States along with developments in newer programs in Mexico, Latin America and Hong Kong China have been featured. Technical topics such as advances in turbulence detection, data reporting formats and onboard software also have been covered. An important area featured

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Volume 10, October 2015 - WMO Aircraft Observations & AMDAR - News and Events

throughout the newsletter’s history has been the development and expansion of water vapor measurement. A critical aspect of the AMDAR program is demonstrating the data’s impacts on both weather forecasting and the aviation industry. Newsletter articles have shown the importance of aircraft observations in both NWP and the issuance of weather watches, warnings as well as daily forecasts. Recent findings have revealed tangible benefits of AMDAR data to the airlines and articles have summarized these results. Since statistics on the web page access began in August 2012, the AMDAR newsletter has been viewed on nearly 5000 occasions by more than 3000 users. Not surprisingly, most (64%) of the viewers came from English-speaking areas. Direct linking to the WMO AMDAR web site has been the main vehicle for viewing the newsletter with nearly one-third gaining access in this manner. However, the newsletter’s availability also has been enhanced by its distribution through other outlets. In addition to accessing the WMO AMDAR site directly, the link is included in an e-mail message to subscribers of the ACARS Users Forum and the Aviation Weather Users Forum. These include members of national met services, airlines and aviation regulatory agencies. Also, the newsletter link is made available via Linkedin. Future expansion plans include having a larger presence on social media, by perhaps creating a Facebook page for the newsletter. This edition of the newsletter follows its predecessors by offering a wide range of articles that I hope you will find both interesting and informative. The Chairs of WMO Aircraft-Based Observations Program expert teams and their members, the WMO Scientific Officer and I thank you for reading the newsletter and we welcome any questions or comments on the global AMDAR program and, in particular, any interest in the development and coordination of new national and regional programs. Contact details are available at the end of the newsletter. Sincerely, Carl Weiss, Newsletter Editor and Training and Outreach Coordinator

Status of Aircraft-based Observations & AMDAR The graphic at right shows the smoothed, monthly average of daily observations (single point measurements made by an aircraft in space and time) transmitted on the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Global Telecommunications System since 2007 up to September 2015, as contributed by: - All aircraft and all systems (black); - AMDAR only (blue) - From the AMDAR Programme with reports   submitted in binary format (BUFR, red); - From the AMDAR Programme with reports   submitted in text format (FM42, green); and, - From ICAO data sources (AIREP and ADS,   magenta). It can be seen that in recent months, total aircraft-based meteorological observations levels reported have varied and are around or above 700,000 observations per day, with AMDAR observations making up the majority of these at around 670,000 to more than 700,000 observations per day.

The data produced leads to a 24-hour global coverage (30 September, 2015) that is depicted in the graphic at left, where around only 5% of available data at varying altitudes are shown, courtesy of the USA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL) Global Systems Division (GSD), AMDAR Data Display.

An alternative depiction of the aircraft-based observations coverage is provided at right. This figure indicates those airport locations

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Volume 10, October 2015 - WMO Aircraft Observations & AMDAR - News and Events

where the AMDAR observing system generates vertical profiles of temperature and wind data as the participating aircraft report on ascent and descent. The figure, generated from one week of data in May 2015, also provides an indication of the temporal coverage at each location based on the colour coding in the legend. This map of profile locations demonstrates that there are still many land areas of the globe where AMDAR coverage ranges from poor to non-existent and WMO is seeking to work with Members and their respective national airlines to expand AMDAR and improve aircraft-based observations coverage. WMO and its Members express gratitude to our aviation industry and airline partners for their continued contribution to the WMO Aircraft-based Observing System and the AMDAR Program. The data that are produced from this collaboration are utilized within many meteorological applications and forecasts, benefiting aviation operations and safety, other application areas and the wider general public. For more information on aircraft-based observations data statistics visit the WMO website.

Upcoming ABO Programme Joint Meeting and AMDAR Workshop A joint meeting of the WMO Commission for Basic Systems, Expert Team on AircraftBased Observing Systems (ET-ABO) and the Commission for Instruments and Methods of Observations, Expert Team on Aircraft-based Observations (ET-AO) will take place over 711 December, 2015 in Casablanca, Morocco, at the kind invitation of the Direction de la Météorologie Nationale, Morocco. The Joint Meeting will bring together the two WMO expert teams on aircraft-based observations, which jointly have responsibility for the programmatic development and operation of the WMO AMDAR programme. The meeting will be preceded by a WMO Regional Workshop on AMDAR over 3-4 December 2015, at the Palace d’Anfa Hotel, Casablanca. This event will bring together WMO Member experts and airline representatives of the northern Africa region to learn about the AMDAR programme and the requirements and responsibilities for national development and participation in it. The website for these two events in Morocco is available here.

AMDAR Module Update A collaborative effort between the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Weather Service (NWS) and The COMET Program has produced an informational module entitled "Introduction to Aircraft Meteorological Data Relay (AMDAR)." The primary aims of the module are to outline the business case for the various partners' participation in the AMDAR program and to explain the benefits and positive impact of AMDAR data to the meteorological and aviation communities. The module allows potential participants in the program, including both National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHS) and airlines, to explore how they might go about taking the first steps towards developing and implementing a new AMDAR program and provides contact information for WMO experts. The intended audience includes meteorological service managers and providers, observational development groups, the aviation industry and others interested in benefiting from an aircraft-based observing system in their region. Since its release in January of this year, the AMDAR module has given the meteorological and aviation communities an unprecedented opportunity to learn about the WMO aircraft-based observations program (ABOP).

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Volume 10, October 2015 - WMO Aircraft Observations & AMDAR - News and Events

Figure 1 shows that for the first nine months after publication, the AMDAR module totaled more than 1000 viewing sessions.  This places it second in terms of viewing sessions after the “Writing TAFs for Winds and Low Level Wind Shear” training module– a topic of great interest to pilots, airlines and aviation forecasters alike. The AMDAR module also has enjoyed a wide viewing audience.  Figure 2 (below) gives a breakdown of module usage by sector. The sector with the largest module access (32%) falls into the “Other” category. International and U. S. government (including NOAA) sessions each total 16%. Figure 1: Comparison of Total Sessions for Aviation Modules and AMDAR Module

At the module’s conclusion, the student has the opportunity to take a survey about the lesson.  They are asked their overall opinion of the module, if the format was conducive to learning, was their level of AMDAR understanding increased and the likelihood of their investigating the possibility of implementing AMDAR in their country/region.  In addition, comments pertaining to how to improve the lesson and the main reason why AMDAR may not be implemented are encouraged.

Figure 2: Breakdown of AMDAR Module Access by Sector

As of October 2015, 104 students have completed the module survey.  The breakdown of their affiliations overwhelmingly favored the meteorological community with 70% (73 of 104) of the respondents.  This indicates that while the lesson has wide appeal, the primary meteorological audience felt strongly enough about the subject to share their thoughts and impressions.  Three percent (3 of 104) indicated they represented airlines, while 2% (2 of 104) said they were technical representatives.  The remaining 22% (23 of 104) fell into the Other (or Unidentified) category. When asked if they generally liked the AMDAR lesson, 92 of 104 (88%) respondents either agreed or strongly agreed.  Ten percent (10 of 104) were neutral while the remaining 2% (2 of 104) either disagreed or strongly disagreed. Regarding whether the module’s format was effective for learning, the responses were similar with 84% (87 of 104) either agreeing or strongly agreeing, 5% (5 of 104) disagreeing and 9% (9 of 104) feeling neutral. A basic objective of this module is to inform those who want to learn more about ABOP – the data it provides, how the observations are used operationally and the requirements for AMDAR implementation.  Survey responses show that when asked if the “lesson increased my understanding of the topic,” 98 of 104 (94%) students either agreed or strongly agreed, with just 3 of 104 (3%) disagreeing and another 3% (3) being neutral. Furthermore, 49% of respondents indicated they were very likely, and 21% said they were somewhat likely, to further investigate AMDAR.  Twenty-nine per cent said they were unlikely to investigate AMDAR further.  These participants indicated that they either already had access to AMDAR, or were not in a position to make the decision. The survey numbers indicate that students feel very positively about the AMDAR module.  When combined with the usage statistics, it seems clear that the module is fulfilling its purpose of reaching a wide audience and increasing their awareness about the existence and benefits of the AMDAR program. The AMDAR module is available on COMET’s MetEd web page at     https://www.meted.ucar.edu/training_module.php?id=1114 Should viewers have questions or want more information about the AMDAR program, they are encouraged to contact any of the individuals listed at the bottom of this newsletter, or work through their respective WMO Regional Association. Carl Weiss, AMDAR Observing System Newsletter Editor and Training and Outreach Coordinator The COMET Program AMDAR Team

The WMO Regional Workshop on AMDAR in Nairobi, Kenya

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Volume 10, October 2015 - WMO Aircraft Observations & AMDAR - News and Events

At the kind invitation of the Director of the Kenya Meteorological Service (KMS), Mr James Kongoti, the WMO Commission for Basic Systems, Expert Team on AircraftBased Observing Systems (ET-ABO), in collaboration with the Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD), organised and held a Regional Workshop on AMDAR over 25-26 June 2015 in Nairobi. Over the 2 days, 45 persons were registered as participants in the workshop. Intentions for holding an AMDAR Workshop in Kenya go back to the year 2005, with the former Director of the KMD offering to host an AMDAR Training Workshop in Nairobi in 2016, with response to invitations registering strong intentions to attend and participate. Unfortunately, despite  the good progress made in organizing the AMDAR Technical Workshop, unexpected circumstances resulted in its cancellation. However,  as a result of the development of Kenya Airways and its fleet modernisation program, interest in the establishment of a new AMDAR program for Kenya and the 2nd such program in Africa has been revived. Such a development would also align well with KMD's improving numerical weather prediction program, of which the high resolution and the Limited Area Models (LAM) would likely benefit significantly and from which follow-on benefits to Kenya Airways and the Kenya aviation industry would be expected. As was reported in Volume 9 of the newsletter, collaboration between WMO and KMD resulted in the agreement that KMD would host a Regional Workshop on AMDAR in June 2015 and, with great support from the KMS international affairs secretariat, the location for holding the workshop was selected and invitations were sent to regional WMO members that were potentially seen as candidates for future establishment of AMDAR programs. Of critical importance also was the invitation of representatives of national airlines to attend the workshop and learn of the benefits to aviation and airline operations. Positive responses were received from Angola, Egypt, Ghana, Mauritius, Namibia, Ethiopia and Kenya and, once again, the workshop activities were kindly supported by the South African Weather Service through the participation of AMDAR and aeronautical meteorology expert, Ms Gaborekwe Khambule. The workshop opening ceremony as presided over by Mr James Kongoti, Director of KMD and Permanent Representative to WMO, with official guest of honour, Professor Judi Wakhungu, Cabinet Secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources expressing gratitude and pride that Kenya was to host the first WMO regional workshop on AMDAR in Africa. She spoke of the benefits that the AMDAR programme offered to KMS, the aviation industry and to the wider Kenya and African communities and urged participating meteorological service and airline representatives to work together to rapidly advance the development of AMDAR programs in Africa. The 2-day program included the presentation of a range of technical details and aspects on the AMDAR program, focusing on the operational requirements of both national meteorological and hydrological services and airlines for participation in the program and various related topics which included: data processing, quality control and monitoring, data access and applications and other aircraft-based observing systems. Mr Elijah Bukachi from KMD also made a presentation to the workshop on the expected specific benefits that such a development with Kenya Airways would have for both KMD and the national aviation industry. Mr Elijah Mukhala from the WMO Regional Office, Kenya, provided the workshop with a presentation on the African Ministerial Conference on Meteorology (AMCOMET), which is the intergovernmental authority on meteorology in Africa and provides a high-level policy mechanism for the development of meteorology and its applications in Africa. Mr Mukhala informed the workshop that AMDAR is a Flagship Programme within the AMDAR Implementation and Resource Mobilization Plan, under Strategic Pillar 3: Improve access to meteorological services in particular for marine & aviation sectors. The workshop concluded with a series of discussion sessions between several meteorological agencies and their respective national airline representatives, to talk about possible next steps in advancing the development of AMDAR programs in their countries. WMO would like to thank all experts that provided their input to the workshop and also express gratitude and thanks to Mr Kongoti and his staff for their excellent organisation of the highly successful Regional Workshop on AMDAR in Nairobi. WMO looks forward to seeing the advancement and development of AMDAR and aircraft-based observations as a result. The final report of the Workshop can be found at the WMO website.

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Volume 10, October 2015 - WMO Aircraft Observations & AMDAR - News and Events

Chair of the WMO CBS Expert Team on Aircraft-Based Observing Systems, Mr Frank Grooters

New Report on Impact & Benefits of Aircraft-based Observations WIGOS Technical Report 2015-1 Impact and benefits of AMDAR temperature, wind and moisture observations in operational weather forecasting By Ralph Alvin Petersen, Lee Cronce, Richard Mamrosh and Randy Baker

Abstract This report reviews the impact of AMDAR observations on operational NWP forecasts at both regional and global scales that support national and local weather forecast offices across the globe. Over the past three decades, data collected from commercial aircraft have helped reduce flight level wind/temperature forecast errors by nearly 50%. Improvements are largest in 3-48 h forecasts and in regions where the automated reports 1) are most numerous, 2) cover a broad area, and 3) are available at multiple levels, e.g., made during aircraft ascent and descent. Improvements in weather forecasts due to these data have already had major impacts on a variety of aspects of airline operations, ranging from fuel savings from improved wind/temperature forecasts used in flight planning to passenger comfort and safety due to better awareness of enroute and near-terminal weather hazards. Aircraft wind/temperature observations now constitute the 3rd most important data set for global NWP and, in areas of ample reports, have become the single most important data set for use in shorter-term, regional NWP applications. Automated aircraft reports provide the most cost effective data source for improving NWP, being more than five times more cost effective than any other major-impact observing system. They also present an economical alternative for obtaining tropospheric profiles both in areas of diminishing conventional observation and as a supplement to existing data sets, both in time and space. Although wind and temperature observations provided from commercial aircraft have been shown to improve operational numerical weather prediction (NWP) on global and regional scales, the quality and potential importance of newly available moisture observations are less well recognized. Because moisture changes often occur at much smaller scales than wind and temperature variations, these temporally and spatially frequent moisture observations can have exceptionally large impacts on forecasts of disruptive weather events and could help offset the dwindling number of global moisture observations. Currently, more than 115 aircraft-based Water Vapor Sensing Systems (WVSS-II) provide specific humidity observations en-route and during takeoff/landing, with 112 units operating in the US and 3 in Europe. Results of a series of assessments comparing data from WVSS-II sensors initially installed on twenty-five UPS Boeing 757 aircraft with co-located RAOBs show agreement to within 0.5 g/kg, with minimal biases. Inter-comparisons of observations made amongst nearby aircraft agree to better than 0.2 g/kg. The combined results suggest that the WVSS-II measurements are at least as accurate as water vapor observations from high-quality RAOBs. Information regarding observed spatial and temporal moisture variability could be important in optimizing the use of these observations in future mesoscale assimilation systems. Forecasts of disruptive weather events made by NWS and airline forecasters demonstrate the benefits obtained from combined temperature/moisture/wind profiles acquired during aircraft ascents and descents. Finally, a review of initial NWP impact studies shows that WVSS-II reports obtained throughout the day have greater influence than twice-daily RAOBs on 1-2 day forecasts over the US. Download the full report from the WMO Library.

New WMO AMDAR Study and Document on Future Communications and Technology Impact WMO is pleased to update readers on the status of the Study and Document relating to “Currently Developing and Future Communications and Technology Impact on AMDAR”. The Study was initiated in 2014 with the document structure agreed and first draft available late in the year. The objectives of the Study were to assess both the current and future situation of communications and technology development and to highlight where there could be an impact on AMDAR. It also provided an insight into areas where AMDAR could take advantage of these developments. In addition to the review of current and future technical developments, the resulting Document to the Study offers recommendations for consideration by the AMDAR community.

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Volume 10, October 2015 - WMO Aircraft Observations & AMDAR - News and Events

The Document provides information on: Review of Future Airline Communications. Overview of Air to Ground Communications and the Aircraft Communication Networks Architectures, Automatic Dependent Surveillance – ADS-B, ADS-C and Mode-S Enhanced Surveillance (EHS). Avionics Systems Evolution. Aircraft Design and Sensors – in “legacy” (A330/B737) and “next generation” (A350/B777) aircraft, Information on Airbus and Boeing developments. AMDAR System Hosting. Review of developments relating to AMDAR dependencies – access to sensors and air-ground communications such as ACARS, Utilising the “Open World” concept in new generation aircraft. This refers to non-critical systems such as In-flight Entertainment (IFE) as opposed to the “Avionics World” and the critical avionics systems. Also, we hope to take advantage of developments in the area of in-flight broadband. In addition to the above topics, the Document provides information on possible development with Regional/Business Aviation aircraft and potential links between AMDAR and research in the Air Traffic Management and Aviation fields (e.g., NEXTGEN, SESAR, CLEANSKY, etc.). This Document will furnish valuable information regarding the further development of AMDAR and aircraft-based observations. WMO hope to finalise the Contract for the Study and prepare the Document for publication as an Instruments and Observing Methods (IOM) Report. Stewart Taylor, Chair ET-AO/E-AMDAR Technical Co-ordinator

AMDAR in the Southwest Pacific Currently there are two existing programs in the Southwest Pacific over WMO Region V - the Australian and New Zealand AMDAR programs.

The Australian AMDAR Program The Australian AMDAR program currently consists of 90 aircraft and provides an average 31,000 observations per day. Figure 1 shows the routes flown on 2nd September 2015, including flights to Los Angeles, Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Johannesburg, New Zealand and McMurdo (Antarctica).

Figure 1: Australian AMDAR Flights 2 Sep 2015 [red Qantas, yellow Air Vanuatu, black SkyTraders].

History The Australian AMDAR Program began in 1986 and was the first operational AMDAR system following the First Global Atmospheric Research Program (GARP) Global Experiment (FGGE). The original system was flown domestically by Ansett Airlines with software later deployed on Qantas aircraft for international routes. Figures 2 at right, shows the changes in the Australian AMDAR fleet over the last 21 years. Initially, 747s (international routes) and 737-300s (domestic) provided the AMDAR data. When Ansett folded in 2001, domestic data coverage plummeted, but was supplemented steadily by observations from Qantas 767s and later 737-800s in the subsequent years. Figure 2: Left panel shows AMDAR equipped aircraft by airline and right panel shows AMDAR equipped aircraft by airframe .

In 2011, Air Vanuatu, Sky Traders (A319) and Jetstar Airways (A320/321s covering Australia and New Zealand) and Jetstar Asia (A320s, from their hub in Singapore) began contributing AMDAR data to the Australian Program.

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Volume 10, October 2015 - WMO Aircraft Observations & AMDAR - News and Events

The Sky Traders aircraft is unusual in several ways - it does supply flights to McMurdo in Antarctica during the Southern Hemisphere summer and it uses the Automated Flight Information Reporting System (AFIRS) (satellite-based system from FLYHT Aerospace Solutions) for communications. Budget cuts in 2014 saw the Jetstar aircraft exit the Australian AMDAR program. However, coverage will improve shortly with software currently under development for the Qantas A330s using the new WMO AMDAR Onboard Software Functional Requirements Specification (AOSFRS) v1.1 standard.

Optimisation Figure 1 above also gives an indication of the density of flights on the Melbourne/Sydney/Brisbane routes. For example, Sydney-Melbourne is the world’s 4th busiest air route and there can be as many as 17 profiles/hour at Sydney airport during busy times. However, atmospheric conditions tend to change on a much slower timescale with one profile/hour generally considered sufficient for most forecast situations. To reduce this excess data (and program costs), the Bureau operates an AMDAR Data Optimisation System (ADOS). ADOS utilises the Out/Off/On/In [OOOI] messages each aircraft sends to determine the aircraft identity and departure and arrival airports. This information is compared to a database containing airport data requirements and aircraft already tasked with collecting AMDAR data. If data are required from this flight, then before takeoff, a message is sent to the aircraft to configure data collection on takeoff, during cruise and during landing.

New Zealand The New Zealand AMDAR program consists of some 28 Air New Zealand aircraft (two B737-800s, 26 A320-300s) which provide approximately 3000 observations/day to the Global Telecommunications System (GTS) in FM42 and Binary Universal Form for the Representation of meteorological data (BUFR) formats. There also is a longstanding agreement between Australia and New Zealand whereby New Zealand reimburses the Australian program for AMDAR observations between 0°S and 50°S and 160°E and 160°W.

Plans for Expansion and Development Figure 3 shows the AMDAR data coverage for WMO Regional Association Five (RA V) based on data received by NOAA. While Australia, New Zealand and Hawaii are well covered, there are large areas and large populations (Indonesia ~250 million, Philippines ~100 million) with practically no aircraft-based observations data.

Figure 3: AMDAR Coverage in RA V September 1-3, 2015. Data from NOAA ESRL/GSD. RA V boundaries approximate

A similar picture emerges from an analysis of vertical profiles per day (Figure 4).

Figure 4: Vertical Profile Coverage (May 2015) from [3]

To address the issue of improving global data coverage, WMO commissioned a study in 2013 [2] to analyse the AMDAR ‘Data Sparse Regions’ and investigate which airlines to target to determine the potential to improve coverage in these areas.

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Volume 10, October 2015 - WMO Aircraft Observations & AMDAR - News and Events

Table 1 (from Table 5 in [2]) highlights airlines that might provide substantial coverage of the region, based on both the number of routes flown and the number of aircraft flying those routes each day.

Table 1: Asia Pacific Airlines with Coverage of RA V Data Sparse Regions [From [2], Table 5]

The WMO Expert Team on Aircraft-Based Observations can provide advice to any airlines or NMHS in RA V interested in expanding the AMDAR data received in the region. [1] Report of the Inaugural meeting of the AMDAR Panel, Geneva Switzerland 17-20 March 1998 [2] AMDAR Coverage & Targeting for Future Airline Recruitment, February 2013 [3] WMO Aircraft-based Observations Data Statistics

________________________ Doug Body, Technical Manager: Aircraft Based Observations, Australian Bureau of Meteorology

Status of the U.S. MDCRS Program AMDAR/MDCRS Expansion in the U.S. The United States National Weather Service (NWS), in collaboration with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Rockwell Collins/ARINC, continues to support the WMO AMDAR program through its contribution via the Meteorological Data Communications and Reporting System (MDCRS). Rockwell Collins/ARINC is continuing to augment airline implementation.  These airlines have expanded AMDAR/MDCRS coverage (see Figure 1) over the data sparse areas of the U.S., including adjacent ocean areas in the Pacific, Hawaii and Alaska.  This includes both AMDAR/MDCRS and Automatic Dependent Surveillance (ADS-C) data which were made available to NWS forecasting models.  NWS forecasters also have access to ADS-C data (see Figure 3) to support their watch/warning/forecast responsibilities.

Figure 1: 24 Hours of AMDAR Coverage

The additional data provided by recent MDCRS implementations have had significant positive impact on NWS weather forecasting skill and will result in improvements to the accuracy of weather forecasts both for aviation and the general public. Rockwell Collins/ARINC has completed updating its data processing and dissemination system so as to comply with the latest BUFR (Binary Universal Form for the Representation of meteorological data) standard for provision of aircraft data on the WMO Global Telecommunications System (GTS). The U.S. Aircraft Observations Program continues to expand its support across WMO RA-IV. AeroMéxico has equipped 30 additional aircraft in their fleet.  This has increased the number of international destinations in Mexico, Central/South America and Cuba. Figures 2 and 3 show typical 24-hour data coverage for Air Wisconsin and ADS-C respectively.

Figure 2: 24hr Sample from Air Wisconsin

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Volume 10, October 2015 - WMO Aircraft Observations & AMDAR - News and Events

Over the last year, Southwest Airlines and Delta have been expanding their own contribution to the AMDAR program by equipping additional aircraft for both AMDAR and Eddy Dissipation Rate (EDR) reporting.  This activity will support the FAA research program on turbulence monitoring and prediction in cooperation with the other participating airline, United.

Figure 3: ADS-C Coverage over the Oceans

Jeannine Hendricks, Rockwell Collins/ARINC, Senior Program Manager, Weather Programs

Update on Water Vapor Measurement The use of the second generation Water Vapor Sensing System (WVSS-II) continues to expand within the WMO Aircraft Based Observations Programme (ABOP) as more aircraft are being equipped for service around the world. Globally, the number of WVSS-II-equipped aircraft providing moisture data to WMO and its member nations through ABOP stands at 142 now in daily operations. Each day these aircraft produce approximately 1,300 vertical profiles containing water vapor data for use in numerical weather prediction and forecast operations. RA-IV still leads the way through the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) network implementation of WVSS-II. RA-VI also is gaining momentum in the EUMETNET AMDAR (E-AMDAR) network. Also, other WMO Regional Associations are considering implementations of WVSS-II in the near future.

24 hours of data from WVSS-II-equipped aircraft around the world. (Graphic courtesy of NOAA/ESRL/GSD)

U.S. NWS WVSS-II Program Continues Expansion in RA-IV Installations of WVSS-II have continued in support of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)/NWS contribution to WMO ABOP. There are now 132 WVSS-II-equipped aircraft operating in the U.S. NWS network on aircraft from UPS and Southwest Airlines. The figure at right, courtesy of NOAA/Earth System Research Laboratory/Global Systems Division (ESRL/GSD), shows coverage of WVSS-II data from a typical 24 hour period with over 67,000 water vapor observations reported during that day. That is up about 12% since the last edition of the AMDAR Newsletter.

24 hours of WVSS-II data from aircraft in the U.S. NWS Network. (Graphic courtesy of NOAA/ESRL/GSD)

In addition to data from the continental U.S., flights providing water vapor observations from other nations in RA-IV are a daily occurrence.  On any given day, observations can be seen from Canada, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Bahamas, Jamaica, Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Panama or Aruba. Collectively, these help to improve weather forecasting services throughout the region.

WVSS-II Now Certified on the Boeing 737-800 Series Aircraft In July of this year, the WVSS-II team

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Volume 10, October 2015 - WMO Aircraft Observations & AMDAR - News and Events

successfully completed the FAA Supplemental Type Certification (STC) for WVSS-II implementation on the B737-800 series aircraft. As a result, the first Southwest Airlines B737-800 aircraft to be equipped with WVSS-II is now reporting data into the U.S. network. A second B737-800 aircraft is scheduled for installation and to begin service in late 2015. The first B737-800 aircraft to be equipped with WVSS-II. (Photo Courtesy of FlightAware (flightaware.com) – used with permission)

The B737-800 aircraft enables longer routes and will make WVSS-II observations possible from more remote destinations. U.S. FAA STCs for WVSS-II have been completed for the B737-300, B737-700, and B737-800 series airframes, as well as specific B757-200 aircraft. The first B737-800 aircraft to have WVSS-II installed is seen in the photo above with the air sampler visible (circled) just under the passenger entry door.

The U.S. NWS WVSS-II Program Contributing to RA-II One of the UPS WVSS-II-equipped aircraft from the U.S. NWS network again has been assigned to routes in Asia for an extended period and it continues to report WVSS-II data for use in RA-II. The figure below shows recent UPS aircraft flights between Shenzhen, P.R. China and the Philippin e s. These data can contribute to global forecast models and other services throughout the region. WVSS-II data from aircraft in the U.S. NWS Network operating in Asia. (Graphic courtesy of NOAA/ESRL/GSD)

The E-AMDAR Program Use of WVSS-II Is Expanding in RA-VI It may have taken a couple of years to realize, but the EUMETNET AMDAR (E-AMDAR) Program, in partnership with Lufthansa, finally has been able to increase the number of WVSS-II operating in Europe. Lufthansa Technik successfully attained an EASA STC for WVSS-II on the Airbus A319, A320 and A321 aircraft types in March of 2015. Seven aircraft installations now have been completed under that STC with two remaining: one is expected in November; the other in early 2016. (Note: Three of the older revision 2 model WVSS-II units have remained in service with Lufthansa since 2007 but currently are due to be de-commissioned.) All seven of the new WVSS-II units now are generating data and while the quality looks to be as good as expected, the E-AMDAR team is continuing to monitor performance and ironing out a few reporting issues that have arisen from the Aircraft Condition Monitoring System (ACMS) implementation. When this commissioning work is complete, hopefully by the end of 2015, users will be informed and the data considered acceptable for operational use. The instrumentation of Lufthansa aircraft with WVSS-II is financed completely and managed by E-AMDAR on behalf of the EUMETNET Members. The figure to the left shows 24 hours of WVSS-II data collected from the E-AMDAR network, which clearly shows the Lufthansa hub at Frankfurt airport. 24 hours of WVSS-II data from aircraft in the E-AMDAR Network. (Graphic courtesy of EUMETNET)

Bryce Ford, SpectraSensors, Inc. Vice President of Atmospheric Programs Jeannine Hendricks, Rockwell Collins/ARINC, Senior Program Manager, Weather Programs Steve Stringer, E-AMDAR Programme Manager, EUMETNET

AMDAR Observation Usage at the NWS Raleigh, NC Weather Forecast

https://sites.google.com/a/wmo.int/amdar-news-and-events/newsletters/volume-10-october-2015[03/11/2015 09:23:21]

Volume 10, October 2015 - WMO Aircraft Observations & AMDAR - News and Events

Office The National Weather Service (NWS) in Raleigh, North Carolina (NC) has been an aggressive user of AMDAR data in forecast operations for many years. Meteorologists have used aircraft observations to assist with forecasting and warning challenges associated with a variety of prediction problems occurring in all seasons. The AMDAR observations often are referenced in Area Forecast Discussions (AFDs) which are used by forecasters to explain the scientific rationale behind their predictions. A study of AFDs issued by the NWS Raleigh between 2009 and 2013 noted each of the references to aircraft observations and the primary forecast challenge the observations addressed. The study revealed that AMDAR data were most frequently referenced in AFDs with surface wind issues followed by challenges associated with cloud forecasting and with precipitation-type forecast problems. It is not too surprising that AMDAR soundings were used most frequently for cloud and wind situations as these occur year-round. The figure above shows the type of forecast problem associated with each mention  of aircraft observations in AFDs issued by the NWS Raleigh, NC from 2009 to 2013.

Even with the limited frequency of winter precipitation events in central NC, the utility of aircraft observations with precipitation-type forecasting issues is apparent in that it was the third most frequent use of the data. Forecasters have used AMDAR soundings for a variety of purposes in winter weather events including determining precipitation type by identifying the vertical thermal and moisture profiles and comparing observations to earlier Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) forecasts. A winter storm that impacted central North Carolina on March 6 to 7, 2014 provides an example of the utility AMDAR soundings offer forecasters in winter weather situations. During this event, high pressure extended into the Carolinas from the north providing a layer of cold dry air near the ground. Meanwhile, a storm system intensified along the Carolina coast driving a layer of warm moist air over top of the surface-based cold layer. In these situations, the location, depth and strength of these different air masses largely determines the type of precipitation that will reach the surface. At this time, several AMDAR observations were available and they provided forecasters with timely information on the characteristics of these air masses and how model forecasts were handling the situation. Image of a skew-T log-P diagram of a descent aircraft sounding at Raleigh-Durham (KRDU) provided by NOAA/ESRL/GSD with air temperature shown in red and dew point shown in blue.

For example, the AMDAR sounding from an aircraft equipped with a WVSS-II water vapor sensor shown in the figure above indicated (1) a dry layer near the surface with above freezing surface temperatures and (2) a layer of slightly above freezing temperatures at about 1km above the ground. This was noted in both an AFD and also in a chat message between the NWS and external partners such as the media, emergency managers, and storm spotters. A snapshot of a portion of the chat is shown below. It mentions that the dry, above freezing air near the ground would likely cool as precipitation fell into it and evaporated or melted. This would allow the precipitation to change, at least for a short period, from rain and sleet to more sleet and snow. Eventually, the weak warm layer aloft was forecast to strengthen considerably and shut down the potential for snow. Screen capture of dialog in the NWS Chat software from 06 March, 2014 between a NWS

https://sites.google.com/a/wmo.int/amdar-news-and-events/newsletters/volume-10-october-2015[03/11/2015 09:23:21]

Volume 10, October 2015 - WMO Aircraft Observations & AMDAR - News and Events meteorologist and external partners including the media, emergency managers and storm spotters. In the chat, the NWS forecaster shares insight into how the recent AMDAR aircraft observations related to the weather during the next several hours.

By the time the storm ended, only a light accumulation of snow and sleet was observed near Raleigh with a more significant amount of freezing rain. These observations were not only a key component to accurate short-term forecast updates, but they also gave forecasters the confidence that the long-term forecast anticipating an intensifying warm layer aloft, was still likely to occur. Jonathan Blaes, U.S. National Weather Service, Raleigh, North Carolina Victoria Oliva, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina

WMO AMDAR Observing System Contacts WMO CBS Expert Team on Aircraft-based Observing Systems Contacts

WMO AMDAR Observing System Newsletter Editor Mr Carl Weiss (USA) Email: [email protected]

Chair Mr Frank Grooters (The Netherlands) Tel : +31 30 229 3250 / +31 6 11225867 Email: [email protected] Vice-chair Mr Gilles Fournier (Canada) Tel: +1-819-205-6455 Email: [email protected]

WMO Scientific Officer, Aircraft-based Observations Mr Dean Lockett (Switzerland) Tel: +41-22-7308323 Email: [email protected]

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