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Home » Research » Experimental Tools

Experimental Tools

GSL develops tools and applications that support data delivery and decision-making. Some of the tools are developed for specific customers such as the NWS or FAA so they are not available to the public. However, sometimes we are able to make these tools available even though they are still experimental and not yet ready for operations. This means the tools are not monitored 24/7 and may experience outages.

Advanced Technologies

GSL explores and applies new technologies and methodologies in computing, modeling, visualization, data access and delivery to advance NOAA’s earth system prediction and decision support capabilities

Aviation Applications

These tools measure forecast performance and impacts on air traffic management decisions to support the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Weather Service (NWS). The results help these clients evaluate and improve the quality of their operational products and provide performance baselines.

Clean and Renewable Energy

Developing forecasts, observations of wind and solar resources, and tools to improve the efficiency and sustainability of the energy system through better understanding and modeling.

Decision Support and Data Delivery

GSL develops state-of-the-art environmental forecast, decision support, visualization, and evaluation capabilities to provide scientifically robust forecast assessment tools, concepts, and analyses to support the weather decision-making process.

GSL develops models that predict the behavior of the Earth system, including weather and air chemistry. GSL has both operational and experimental model links on the website. Experimental models may experience outages and are not monitored 24/7.

Earth System Prediction Models

GSL is part of this ongoing unification effort to move from the existing NOAA Earth system prediction systems to the Unified Forecast System (UFS) on global to local scales.

Global

Operational 2021 GEFS Aerosols
Experimental 2021 GSL FV3 13km

Regional Models

Operational 2020 High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) hourly updating 3km grid
Experimental Rapid Refresh Forecast System (RRFS) hourly updating 3km grid
Operational 2020 HRRR Subhourly (update every 15 minutes)
Operational 2020 Rapid Refresh (RAP) - hourly updating 13km grid

Air Chemistry and Smoke

Operational 2020 RAP Smoke
Operational 2020 HRRR Smoke
Experimental Interactive HRRR Smoke
Experimental WRF-Chem
Experimental FV3-Chem - GEFS Aerosols

Real-time Mesoscale Analysis

Fire Weather

GSL research focuses on atmospheric chemistry, atmospheric physics, and developing models that predict smoke from wildfires. Future research will involve predicting fire behavior and developing decision support criteria.