Environmental intelligenceA valuable commodity in a changing world

Dr Rob Vertessy, Director of Meteorology & CEO

Conclusions drawn from

environmental

observations and models

to guide decisions and

actions by governments,

businesses and

individuals.

Environmental intelligence

© James Vallee | Dreamtime.com

Intelligence across timescales

Perspective

PAST FUTUREPRESENT

Situational

awarenessForesight

decades years weeks days days weeks years decades

Phenomena that we observe and model

• Weather

• Climate

• Air quality

• Ash dispersion

• Radiation dispersion

• Ocean dynamics

• Tides

• Storm surges

• Tsunamis

• River flood heights

• River flow volumes

• Groundwater levels

• Soil moisture

• Water storages

• Water quality

• Space weather

www.bom.gov.au

10thmost visited

website in Australia in

January 2011

9.6munique visits

in February 2011

3bpageviews

in 2011

6mVisits

on 2 February 2011

20,000daily average

users on site at all times

up to

90,000during severe events

Statutory obligations – meteorology

Traditional forecasting process

Examine information

• surface measurements

• satellite and radar images

• computer models in the IDV

Construct mental picture of

how weather will evolve (time

and space) from a range of

information sources

Type text forecasts

Today"Mostly cloudy with

a 40 percent chance of Rain

mixed with snow. Highs in the low

30s. Tonight"Cloudy. Lows in the

20s. Wednesday"Decreasing

clouds. Highs in the mid 40s.

NexGenFWS Forecasting

Examine information

• surface measurements

• satellite and radar images

• computer models in the IDV

Manipulate digital forecast database

• Automatic text forecasts

• Graphical forecasts &

spatial products

• Point & click forecasts

A huge paradigm and cultural change.Changes 100 years of forecasting operations overnight.

The NexGenFWS

Project elements and the spatial infrastructure that supports it

•Graphical Forecast Editor (GFE)

•Australian Digital Forecast Database (ADFD)

•Integrated Data Viewer (IDV)

ADFD

IDV

2012 – approx 342

locations

(including extras in

SA and WA)

2015 –

aiming for

650 locations

nationally

Growth in seven day spatial forecasts as the

system is rolled out

• 3 hour time intervals for

72 hours

• 6 hour time intervals for

72-168 hours (7 days)

• Select anywhere on the map

and obtain weather forecast

information for that point

Graphical forecasts via the

Forecast Explorer

MetEye – Web Map Viewer

A new way to view Bureau data:

� select data views in

easy-to-use interface with pan,

zoom, "locate me" etc

� animate a range of forecast

grids (temperature, winds, wave

height etc) derived from Australian

Digital Forecast Database

� animate other data sources such

as radar, satellite and weather

prediction models

� Available early 2013

� Accessibility (WCAG 2.0)

Statutory obligations - water

MDBC-operated

water storages 2000-2009

Water Information underpinned

by spatial information

285 wa

ter sto

rages:

~80,00

0 GL

The Australian Hydrological

Geospatial Fabric (Geofabric)

Geofabric products

Reporting regions

Reporting catchments

Catchments

Network

Cartography

Groundwater

Outputs

Topographic Drainage

Divisions and River

Regions

Geofabric Conceptual Architecture

Water reporting

Murray-Darling BasinDrainage Division

Upper Murray River Region

Topographic Drainage Divisions & River Regions

Water availability at Lake Dartmouth

Relating water features

with measurements

Seasonal streamflow forecastMitta Mitta River at Hinnomunjie

Geofabric and National

Groundwater Information

NGIS - standardised

groundwater information

Integrated surface water

and groundwater

3D Aquifer modelling

Palm Valley Groundwater Springs NT. Jill McNamara

Delivery of spatial

products and services

All products delivered to the web in a

spatial and temporal context.

Forecasts

•Australian Alps

•City

•Coastal waters

Making good progress, but a long way to go.

More to come C

Thank youC