User Manual Latest revison: 19MAR10
VizMet-A 4.10 Copyright Š 2000-2009 Radiometrics Corporation 2840 Wilderness Place Unit G Bolder, Colorado 80301-5414 303-449-9192 www.radiometrics.com
Vizualizing Meteorology VizMet-A is an in-house Windows based software capable of displaying temperature, humidity, and liquid retrivals as vertical/cross-sectional profiles.
Microwave Profilers deliver continuous temperature, humidity, and liquid profiles data that are key to accurate precipitation forecasting.
Table of Contents
1
Graphical User Interface Basic Operations . . . Visual Profiles . . . . Time Series Controls . Profile Options . . . .
2
. . . .
. . . .
. . . .
. . . .
. . . .
. . . .
. . . .
. . . .
. . . .
. . . .
. . . .
. . . .
. . . .
. . . .
. . . .
. . . .
1 2 2 2
Historical Data Profiles File Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Historical Vertical Profile Retrivals . . . . . . . . . 3-4 Historical Cross Section Profile Retrivals . . . . . 5-6
3
Historical Radiosonde NOAA/ESRL FSL Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8
4
Realtime Data Profiles 9 10 11 12
VizMet-A 4.04 User Manual
1 Graphical User Interface
1
1
basic operations
2
visual profiles
3
time series controls
4
profile options
2
3
4
Basic Operations 1 2 3
4 5 6
7 8
1. new profile 2. open saved profile image 3. save profile image 4. cut profile image 5. copy profile image 6. paste profile image 7. print profile image 8. about VizMet-A
VizMet-A 4.04 User Manual
1
Visual Profiles 1 2
3 4
5
1. historical vertical profile 2. historical time series profile 3. realtime vertical profile 4. realtime time series profile 5. brightness temperature retrivals
Time series controls 1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8
1. previous radiosonde profile 2. next radiosonde profile 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
previos radiometer profile closest radiometer/radiosonde comparison profile next radiometer profile slide bar step through time series stop time series
Profile options 1 2
1. profile visual options 2. export single lv02 etrival
VizMet-A 4.04 User Manual
2
2 Historical data profiles File structure
(optional)
Standardizing a file structure is your first defense against typical error messages.
Case Study
1
PNG (Portable Network Graphics)
2
RAO (atmospheric balloon sounding)
3
RDX (radiometer output data)
4
VIZ (MizMet-A executable)
1
PNG
2
RAO
3
RDX
4
VIZ
Historical vertical profile retrieval
1 1
click ‘Display retrival’ icon
2
click ‘Browse’ locate and select .rao file (see Ch. 3)
3
click ‘Browse’ locate and select .lv02 file
4
select scan angle (Zenith26 standard profile)
5
select vertical profile height
6
‘Apply filter’ checked
7
click ‘OK’
VizMet-A 4.04 User Manual
3
2 3 4 6
5 7
vertical profile output
VizMet-A 4.04 User Manual
4
Historical cross section profile retrieval
1 1
click ‘Display time series retrival’ icon
2
click ‘Browse’ locate and select .lv02 file
3
input desired cross section time lapse
4
‘Apply filter’ checked
5
select scan angle (Zenith26 standard profile)
6
select cross section height
7
additional: cloud base display temp/RH contours temp celcius/kelvin click ‘OK’
8
2
6
3 4 5
7
8
VizMet-A 4.04 User Manual
5
cross section profile output
VizMet-A 4.04 User Manual
6
3 Historical radiosonde NOAA/ESRL FSL profiles VizMet-A displays historical radiosonde profiles that follow FSL data format (Forecast Systems Laboratory.) NOAA/ESRL Radiosonde Database is a great online sorce for historical weather data. http://esrl.noaa.gov/raobs/
1 1 Select dates/time associates with study 2 Select radiosonde station preference 3 Click ‘Continue Data Request’
3
2
1 2 1 Specify your selection 2 Select ‘yes’ to view radiosonde 3 4
stations identification Select ‘FSL format (ASCII text)’ as output format. Click ‘Continue Data Access’
3
4
VizMet-A 4.04 User Manual
7
1 Select radiosonde station 1
2 Click ‘Get Radiosonde Data’
2
1 Right click on the page, select ‘Save Page As...’ Locate RAO file and save soundings as: date(s).rao
1
VizMet-A 4.04 User Manual
8
4 Realtime data profiles Realtime vertical profile retrival
1
1
click ‘Realtime retrival’ icon
2
click ‘Browse’ locate and select latest lv02 file found in radiometer’s operational directory
3
select scan angle (Zenith26 standard profile)
4
check ‘Save the real time image’ click ‘Browse’ select image file location; name image (ex. Vertical_profile.png)
5
input WMO Site identification number
6
input a number of times ‘per day’ VizMet should check for a new sonde.
7
click ‘OK’
2
7
3 4
5 6
VizMet-A 4.04 User Manual
9
Apply vertical profile filter
1
click ‘Thresholder’ icon
2
select vertical profile height
3
check ‘Apply filter’
4
click ‘Apply’
2
1
3
4
VizMet-A 4.04 User Manual
10
Realtime cross section profile retrival
1 1
click ‘Realtime time series’ icon
2
click ‘Browse’ locate and select latest lv02 file found in radiometer’s operational directory
3
select scan angle (Zenith26 standard profile)
4
check ‘Save the real time image’ click ‘Browse’ select image file location; name image (ex. x-section_profile.png)
5
click ‘OK’
2
5
3
4
VizMet-A 4.04 User Manual
11
Apply cross section profile filter
1 1
click ‘Thresholder’ icon
2
select vertical profile height
3
check ‘Apply filter’
4
additional: cloud base display temp/RH cont ours temp celcius/kelvin
5
click ‘Apply’
2
4
VizMet-A 4.04 User Manual
3
5
12