Climatescape and Firescape

ClimateScape


Overview:

Climatescape will assist in the prediction and understanding of the impacts of local, regional, and global climate change on the citizens and economy of Montana (e.g., farmers, ranchers, firefighters, municipalities, property owners, and recreationalists). The project will provide near real time information via the Web of critical environmental information—for example soil moisture, vegetation moisture, stream flow, snowpack condition, and plant phenology -- via YERC analysis and modeling of NASA remote sensing data and ground based sensors.

Demonstration:

Click here to see a video demonstration that walks through ClimateScape's live sensors, mash-up data, and configurability.

Version:

This is a software prototype built to simulate the final design for ClimateScape. It extends the code base developed for our NSF FireScape project (see below). The current version, 1.4, includes a cloud layer, radar layer, and improved wind field visualization. Version 1.5, planned for deployment in June 2010, will include historic climate data on a 1 km grid.

Partners:

Go to Climatescape

Firescape

ClimateScape is built on top of Firescape -— a funded, peer-reviewed National Science Foundation effort already underway —- which focuses on a subset issue -— fire weather prediction and management. ClimateScape will increase the scope of Firescape beyond fire weather predictions to include data collection, remote sensing data analysis, and data presentation across the Internet focused on issues of climate change. Such issues include, for example, date of green-up, length of growing season, status of snowpack, location and severity of storms, drought conditions, fuel moisture, fire danger, and so on. Data presentation will take the form of mapping products, charts, video, historical trending, and similar. A screenshot of Firescape is shown below along with a screenshot showing a live reading from a Firescape weather station.
Go to Firescape

Web Application Data Sources

Sensor Networks

Sensor stations are placed around the area of an event or an area of study in a Firescape or Climatescape deployment. Sensor stations can be managed in this web application by going to the configuration screen under the Admin menu item or by clicking here. Hyperspectives currently uses both weather stations and water quality stations varying in cost from $1000 to $7000.

Web Cameras

In addition to weather stations, web cams are placed around the area of a fire in a Firescape deployment. Web cams can be managed in this web application by going to the configuration screen under the Admin menu item or by clicking here. Hyperspectives currently uses Panasonic BB-HCM371A Outdoor Wireless Network Camera(s). They are available from many vendors for around $650.

Active Fires

Active Fire data is supplied via kml files by the Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS) project. FIRMS integrates remote sensing and GIS technologies to deliver global MODIS hotspot/fire locations to natural resource managers and other stakeholders around the World. FIRMS is funded by NASA. This web application utilizes the KML file that provides active fire data for the continental U.S. and Canada. The KML files supplied by FIRMS displays fires that were active in the last 24 hours, updated every 2 hours, starting 1:00 A.M. Eastern Time (USA). For information on the FIRMS project, please visit maps.geog.umd.edu/firms/default.asp.

Large Incident Fires

Large Incident Fires is supplied via kml files by the USDA Forest Service, Remote Sensing Applications Center. KML products are updated hourly. Data originates from the MODIS satellite. For information, please visit activefiremaps.fs.fed.us/index.php.

NOAA National Weather Service

Weather forecast data is supplied by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations's (NOAA) National Weather Service. This web application utilizes a web service called the National Digital Forecast Database (NDFD) Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) Web Service. Five day forecasts are currently available from NDFD at 5 kilometer spatial resolution. NOAA updates their data once per hour at the top of the hour.   Data is available for any latitude and longitude point in the U.S. See www.weather.gov/forecasts/graphical/docs/ndfdSRS.htm for details.

ROMAN - Real-time Observation Monitor and Analysis Network

Weather station data is supplied by the ROMAN web site. ROMAN data includes weather stations of many types including SNOTEL, RAWS, HADS, MT DOT, and NWS/FAA. See raws.wrh.noaa.gov/roman for details.

USGS National Water Information System

Real time water data is supplied by the USGS National Water Information System (NWIS). NWIS has a web interface the provides data from sites within a bounding box defined by latitude and longitude. See http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/current for details.

SNOTEL Stations

SNOTEL station data is supplied via kml files by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). SNOTEL stations are located in Western U.S. and Alaska. A specific SNOTEL site can be viewed by clicking on the Google Map SNOTEL Station markers. Time Series data is available by clicking on the Time Series Chart hyperlink in the pop up info window. For information on the NRCS SNOTEL stations, please visit www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/snotel/earth/index.html.

Glocal Agriculture Monitoring (GLAM) Project

Data showing the water index and vegetation index (ndvi and ndwi) is provided by the GLAM project. GLAM data products are produced by integrating MODIS and VIIRS MPP observations. This web application displays the most recent 16 day composite available. More information about GLAM is at http://www.geog.umd.edu/research/projects/justice_glam.html

Highway Web Cams

The web cams used in this project are provided by the state departments of transportation. Information about MT DOT web cams is available at www.mdt.mt.gov/travinfo/weather/rwis.shtml.

Using Google Maps and Google Earth

Google Maps

This web application supports Internet Explorer, FireFox, Chrome, and Safari. The map is rendered using GoogleMaps. Overlays of the data sources listed above can be added or removed by clicking on the checkboxes on the left side of page.

Google Earth

To view the same data in Google Earth in addition to Google Maps, click on the links on the left side of the map page. Each time you click on a link, a data layer will be added to your Google Earth map. You must have Google Earth installed on your computer to use this feature. It is available as a free download here.