Global Change Master Directory (GCMD)

Data Sets

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Ancillary Descriptions

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World Area Forecast System (WAFS) (DSI-9939)

Entry ID: gov.noaa.ncdc.C00543

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Summary

Abstract: World Area Forecast System (WAFS) is digital data set DSI-9939, archived at the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). WAFS is a system for the world wide broadcast of aviation related weather information via satellite. It is a joint effort of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), NOAA/National Weather Service (NWS), with additional ... contributions from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the United Kingdom, Finland, Canada, and others. The WAFS global satellite broadcasts have been operational since 1996. NCDC has data available since 2002.The WAFS communications are through commercial satellites--NOAA uses INTELSAT VI, the communications satellite that the Space Shuttle astronauts rescued in order to provide it with the rocket motor required to reach geostationary orbit, to broadcast to the Americas; and INTELSAT V over the Pacific and eastern Asia. The United Kingdom uses a satellite over the Indian Ocean, to reach Europe, Africa, and the rest of Asia. NOAA is also cooperating with the WMO to provide satellite communications of meteorological observations and forecasts from the members of the southern part of WMO Region IV (the Caribbean and Central America). This system is called the Region IV Meteorological Telecommunication Network (RMTN). The RMTN uses the Intelsat VI satellite, and is managed by MCI/WorldCom, Inc. for NOAA. NOAA's set of satellite communications services includes the WAFS and the RMTN, which are known collectively as the International Satellite Communication System (ISCS).The U.S. system being implemented in the respective countries comprises a Very Small Aperture (Antenna) Terminal (VSAT), which consists of a dish antenna of 2.4 meters diameter, and a computer work station. The NOAA/National Weather Service is managing the contracts for the purchase of the equipment and services, and has donated the equipment for over 40 sites in the Americas, Pacific, and eastern Asia. The recurring costs of the broadcast through the satellite are being paid by the U.S. FAA.NOAA's World Data Center Washington collects aviation-related observations, forecasts, and other messages from the WMO's Global Telecommunication System (GTS), and adds charts and computer forecasts of temperature, winds, humidity, and other elements over the entire globe. These products are transferred as soon as they are available to MCI/WorldCom, Inc. (the communications contractor), who puts them into the WAFS satellite broadcast stream immediately.The alphanumeric data that could be delivered to a meteorological station via the old communications system in an hour can now be received in less than a minute. In addition, the WAFS system provides, in a couple of hours, special digital data files for world-wide aviation forecasts that would take days to deliver on the old system.

Purpose: To make a wide range of climatic data available to researchers and the public.

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION: data set

CURRENTNESS REFERENCE: Ground Condition

Related URL

Link: VIEW EXTENDED METADATA

Description: View Source Metadata document from the Metadata Manager and Repository (NMMR).

Link: VIEW RELATED INFORMATION

Geographic Coverage

(Click for Interactive Map)

Spatial coordinates

N: 90.0

S: -90.0

E: 180.0

W: -180.0

Data Set Citation

Dataset Originator/Creator: National Climatic Data Center, NESDIS, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce

Dataset Title: World Area Forecast System (WAFS) (DSI-9939)

Dataset Release Date: Unknown

Data Presentation Form: tabular digital data

Online Resource: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov http://www.nws.noaa.gov/tdl/iwt/grib2/doc....

Temporal Coverage

Start Date: 2002-06-18

Location Keywords

CONTINENT > NORTH AMERICA > UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Science Keywords

AGRICULTURE > SOILS > SOIL CLASSIFICATION

AGRICULTURE > SOILS > SOIL MOISTURE/WATER CONTENT

ISO Topic Category

ELEVATION

GEOSCIENTIFIC INFORMATION

IMAGERY/BASE MAPS/EARTH COVER

INLAND WATERS

Platform

RADARSAT-1

Instrument

RADAR > Radio Detection and Ranging

SAR > Synthetic Aperture Radar

Project

EOSDIS > Earth Observing System Data Information System

ESIP > Earth Science Information Partners Program

RAMP > Radarsat Antarctic Mapping Project

Access Constraints Only NASA/CSA-approved RAMP investigators may access or use the 25-m resolution AMM-1 data. No restrictions apply to lower-resolution data, other than a requirement to cite the data as indicated below.

Use Constraints AMM-1 data are copyrighted by the Canadian Space Agency. Please acknowledge use of these data by citing the data as follows: Jezek, K., and RAMP Product Team. 2002. RAMP AMM-1 SAR Image Mosaic of Antarctica. Fairbanks, AK: Alaska SAR Facility, in association with the National Snow and Ice Data Center, Boulder, CO. Digital media.

Ancillary Keywords

Alaska SAR Facility

AMM-1

Data Set Progress

COMPLETE

Data Center

NSIDC Distributed Active Archive Center

Data Center URL: http://nsidc.org/daac/index.html
Dataset ID: NSIDC-0103

Data Center Personnel
Name: NSIDC USER SERVICES Phone: +1 (303) 492-6199 Fax: +1 (303) 492-2468 Email: nsidc at nsidc.org Contact Address: National Snow and Ice Data Center CIRES, 449 UCB University of Colorado City: Boulder Province or State: CO Postal Code: 80309-0449 Country: USA

National Snow and Ice Data Center

Data Center URL: http://nsidc.org
Dataset ID: NSIDC-0103

Data Center Personnel
Name: NSIDC USER SERVICES Phone: +1 (303) 492-6199 Fax: +1 (303) 492-2468 Email: nsidc at nsidc.org Contact Address: National Snow and Ice Data Center CIRES, 449 UCB University of Colorado City: Boulder Province or State: CO Postal Code: 80309-0449 Country: USA

Distribution

Distribution Media: FTP, DLT, CD-ROM

Distribution Size: varies

Distribution Format: binary and GeoTIF files

Personnel

KENNETH C. JEZEK

Role: INVESTIGATOR

Phone: 614-292-7973

Fax: 614-292-4697

Email: jezek at iceberg.mps.ohio-state.edu

Contact Address:

Department of Geological Sciences and Byrd Polar Research Center

The Ohio State University

City: Columbus

Province or State: OH

Postal Code: 43210

Country: USA

Publications/References

Jezek, K.C. 1999. Glaciological properties of the Antarctic ice sheet from RADARSAT-1 synthetic aperture radar imagery. Annals of Glaciology 29:286-290. Jezek, K.C. in press. RADARSAT-1 Antarctic mapping project: change detection and surface velocity campaign. Annals of Glaciology 34.

Extended Metadata Properties

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Creation and Review Dates

DIF Creation Date: 2001-11-27

Last DIF Revision Date: 2011-07-26

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