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PV-WAVE offers some standard functions suitable for the representation
of meteorological fields: contour maps together with color maps
(black-and-white and color-filled maps), vector field maps, 16 standard
mapping projections plus the ability to accept user-defined projections.
QUICK FACTS
An Italian technology company, Finsiel, uses
PV-WAVE for modeling weather forecasts. Finsiel has implemented
a PV-WAVE graphical user interface for managing the elaborations
and the numerical output of a limited-area model (LAM). These LAMs
are used to forecast weather conditions in a limited area. PV-WAVE
allows for quick and easy analysis of LAM output and the ability
to represent this data graphically.
THE PROBLEM
Over the years, numerical modeling for weather forecasting has become
increasingly advanced, for both global-scale models and limited-area
models (LAMs). Global models are used to forecast weather conditions
in a hemisphere, whereas, LAMs are used to forecast weather conditions
in a limited area, using as the initial and boundary conditions,
the output of global models. In particular, LAMs are currently used
with a horizontal resolution as fine as 10 km. These models usually
have about 30 vertical levels and span areas on a hundred-kilometer
scale, each day producing hundreds of megabytes of data.
Notwithstanding the huge amount of data produced,
LAM numerical output must be easily and quickly represented graphically
in order to give meteorologists the possibility to analyze the data
as soon as possible. The standard graphical representations used
by meteorologists are contour maps, color maps and cross sections
(i.e., representations, with contour lines of vertical "slices"
of the atmosphere). The forecasted represented parameters are, typically,
precipitation, temperature, pressure, cloudiness, and wind vectors.
Finsiel is Italy's principal information technology
company. It has been operating since 1987 in the field of meteorology,
paying particular attention to meteorology for agriculture, the
environment and protection against natural disasters. Finsiel operates
mainly with national and local public administrations; it created
the National Agrometeorological Service for the Italian Ministry
of Agriculture, the  Agrometeorological
Service of the Puglia Region, and with other companies, the Agrometeorological
Service of the Sardinia Region. Furthermore, Finsiel worked to create
the Hydro-Meteorological Centre of the Liguria Region with the Physics
Department at the University of Genoa.
THE SOLUTION
For its meteorological applications, Finsiel implemented a graphical
user interface, denoted MODELMap, using PV-WAVE for managing the
elaborations and the numerical output of a LAM.
Finsiel chose PV-WAVE for this application for several reasons.
It guarantees a standard environment, either in UNIX® or Windows®
NT, whose applications are easily portable from one platform to
another. Furthermore, PV-WAVE offers some standard functions suitable
for the representation of meteorological fields: contour maps together
with color maps (black-and-white and color-filled maps), vector
field maps, 16 standard mapping projections plus the ability to
accept user-defined projections. In particular, its "movie"
utility is useful for showing the time evolution of the meteorological
conditions. PV-WAVE offers a fourth-generation language for creating
a graphical user interface as an X-windows application, with icons,
buttons, etc.
Finsiel's MODELMap's main functions are:
- Definition of the parameters for the execution
of the LAM
- Monitoring of the LAM's execution, with
the visualization of the error log
- Monitoring of the post processing of the
LAM's output in order to obtain an elaboration of the forecasted
parameters (i.e., total precipitation over a two-day period rather
than over a three-hour period)
- Quick and easy production of graphical output
on screen, printer or file, of the forecasted meteorological field
In particular it may produce:
- Contour and filled maps,
- Vector field maps (for wind) and
- Animation of the output
This last function is quite attractive and gives
visual proof of the power of PV-WAVE -- visualization of the territorial
data (orography, land-sea-mask) used by the LAM, memorized in raster
format.
RETURN ON INVESTMENT
The MODELMap application developed by Finsiel may be adopted by
operative meteorological services that run their own LAM or by users
who receive through telecommunications, the numerical output of
a forecast model run by another service. The application may be
used to manage the graphical elaboration of meteorological fields
estimated by diagnostic or prognostic models.
WORLD CLASS PRODUCTS, SERVICES,
AND SUPPORT
Visual Numerics has provided technical software
solutions for numerical analysis and visualization for over 30 years.
The company's software products help users understand complex data
from a variety of sources and build business-critical applications.
Visual Numerics offers two product lines: the IMSL® Numerical
Libraries for powerful mathematical and statistical analysis and
the PV-WAVE® visual data analysis development environment. Visual
Numerics also offers customized consulting services for applications
that involve mathematical, statistical, or visual data analysis
to meet today’s business analytical needs.
The IMSL Numerical Libraries which include
the IMSL C Library, IMSL Fortran Library and JMSL™ Library
for Java™ applications are the industry standard for numerical
analysis. They deliver developers with the breadth and depth of
core algorithms allowing for the rapid development of any application.
Whether developing applications in C, Fortran, or Java, or on UNIX,
Windows or Linux, the robust IMSL Libraries provide the reliable
foundation and the building blocks developers need.
The PV-WAVE family of products which includes
PV-WAVE, TS-WAVE, and JWAVE delivers engineers with the development
tools to efficiently and accurately meet their data analysis needs.
PV-WAVE solutions allow users to rapidly import, manipulate, analyze
and visualize data. The PV-WAVE family also includes robust time
series analysis software as well as the ability to share analysis
results across the enterprise with a Java-based solution. And, unlike
other products, PV-WAVE Advantage includes a sophisticated set of
analysis routines based on the industry-standard IMSL Libraries.
In addition, Visual Numerics Consulting
Services combine technical expertise, decades of hands-on experience
and a combination of powerful products to create the highest quality
solutions possible for your visual data analysis needs.
Visual Numerics unique combination of products
and services rapidly enhance ROI by delivering the highest efficiency,
greatest accuracy and maximum performance.
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Industry
Environment
Application
Forecast Meteorological Conditions
Product
PV-WAVE
The Finsiel Companies constitute Italy’s number one Italian-owned
and operated ICT Group, employing Italian professionals and giving
impulse to the overall economy of the nation. Finsiel’s offering
to Government, banks and businesses is complete and covers the whole
IT value chain. An offering in which technologies are a key tool
for enhancing efficiency, innovating organizational models and the
skills of human resources, improving business and tackling competition
on the global marketplace.
Key Benefits
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Platform neutral |
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Contour, color, vector field and standard maps
available |
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Easily portable applications |
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"Movie" utility for showing the time
evolution of meteorological condition |
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Graphical user interface as a X-windows application |
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Able to visualize territorial data |
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