Future Opportunities for Lightning Data The Time is Right to Review Federal Agency Lightning Requirements

1. NOAA’s National Weather Service Office of Operational Systems Office of Climate, Water, and Weather Services Office of Science and Technology Future Opportunities for Lightning DataThe Time is Right to Review Federal Agency Lightning Requirements July 19, 2007 Presented to: Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorological Services and Supporting Research Committee for Environmental Services, Operations and Research Needs

2. OUTLINE • Background • Lightning Data Requirements • Uses of Lightning Data • Participating Federal agencies • What the agencies do with the data • The Way Ahead

3. BACKGROUND • Federal agencies started purchasing National lightning data in 1991 • OFCM Joint Action Group (JAG/LDS) established requirements for the existing contract • NOAA contract with Vaisala Inc., Tucson, AZ: • Base Year and 4 Option Years: January 13, 2005 - January 12, 2010

4. PARTICIPATING FEDERAL AGENCIES/ORGANIZATIONS • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration • Bureau of Land Management • Federal Aviation Administration • Volpe National Transportation Systems Center • NASA Marshall Space Flight Center • NASA Johnson Space Center • Air Force Weather Agency • Army RDT&E Meteorology Program

5. MEDIUM SECTOR SMALL SECTOR LARGE SECTOR VERY SMALL SECTOR

6. Cloud-to-ground flash count (base requirement) In-cloud, cloud-to-cloud, and cloud-to-air flash count (optional) Polarity Estimated peak current Strokes per flash Long-range data (optional) Quality controlled archive data LIGHTNING DATA REQUIREMENTS

7. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT USES OF LIGHTNING DATA • Weather Forecasting and Warnings • Aviation Safety • Military Operations • Ordnance and HAZMAT Handling Support • Testing and Training Ranges • Wildland Fire Management • Research Applications • Space Shuttle Support • Climate Data Quality Control • Surface Transportation • Critical Infrastructure

8. NOAA LIGHTNING DATA USERS • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) uses lightning data to support its operational mission of issuing accurate and timely metrological and hydrological warnings, watches, forecasts, and other products. NOAA also uses lightning data for research purposes to improve meteorological and hydrological forecasts and warnings • NWS users include: • Through the NWS Telecommunications Gateway: Weather Forecast Offices, River Forecast Centers, NWS Training Center, NWS Meteorological Development Lab, and National Centers for Environmental Prediction (Aviation Weather Center and Storm Prediction Center also receive data directly from vendor) • NESDIS users: • National Climatic Data Center – NCDC archives lightning data from NOAAPORT • NESDIS Satellite Analysis Branch

9. DOD LIGHTNING DATA USERS • Department of Defense (DOD) users employ lightning data to support aircraft operations including pre-flight planning and pilot briefings, flight line maintenance, aircraft fueling, aircraft arming safety, and in-flight safety. Lightning data is also used to provide for safe munitions handling and storage, protect communications, protect troops, and protect assets during testing. Lightning data is one factor considered when issuing warnings for the protection of personnel and facilities • Air Force users: • Air Force sites and Air Force units supporting the Army at Army sites • Army users: • Army Test Ranges. Dugway Proving Grounds receives data on NOAAPORT

10. DOI LIGHTNING DATA USERS • Department of Interior uses lightning data to aid in locating potential wildland fires, to aid in suppressing those fires, and to support research into wildland fires and wildland fire suppression. DOI disseminates lightning data to state and local government wildland fire suppression agencies • DOI agencies using lightning data: • Bureau of Land Management (lead agency for DOI lightning data) • National Park Service • Fish and Wildlife Service • Bureau of Indian Affairs • National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho receives lightning data and distributes it to the other agencies and the United States Forest Service

11. DOT LIGHTNING DATA USERS • Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) uses lightning data to increase aviation safety both en-route and in the terminal areas, to aid in the efficient movement of aircraft and to determine if thunderstorms are occurring at the AWOS/ASOS observation sites • Lightning data is entered in the Enhanced Traffic Management System (ETMS) at the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center for: • FAA regions • Air Route Traffic Control Centers • Selected Air Traffic Control Towers • Terminal Radar Control Facilities • Air Traffic Control Systems Command Center • The Automated Lighting Detection and Reporting System provides thunderstorm information to the AWOS and ASOS • The ADAS also enters lightning data into the Integrated Terminal Weather System to create terminal weather products

12. NASA LIGHTNING DATA USERS • National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) uses lightning data to support its operations and for research purposes • The NWS Spaceflight Meteorology Group at NASA Johnson Space Center uses the lightning data for local site support as well as Space Shuttle operations including pre-launch, on-orbit and end-of-mission forecasts. For Space Shuttle support, the lightning data helps SMG evaluate the weather flight rules and determine whether a site is go or no-go for landing • NASA Marshall Space Flight Center conducts research involving lightning data from space, sub-orbital platforms, and at the earth surface

13. THE WAY AHEAD • Recommend that the Federal agencies: • Address their requirements for lightning data as a first step in the next phase of interagency cooperation and collaboration in lightning data acquisition, lightning research, and lightning product generation. Include requirements for: • Transition of mature research and development to operations • Increased spatial coverage • Include agencies in addition to the ones participating in the ongoing contract, e.g. Include Department of Homeland Security and Department of Energy • Investigate the utility of data from lightning networks that provide coverage in other parts of North America (Alaska) and the World (Europe)

14. Backup Slides

15. Lightning Data Requirements: Access to an operational lightning detection network (24X7) for the 48 contiguous States, DC, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands (with coverage up to 500 km offshore and over adjacent land areas) Cloud-to-ground flash count (base requirement) In-cloud, cloud-to-cloud, and cloud-to-air flash count (optional) Polarity Estimated peak current Strokes per flash Technical Requirements: Data delivery time – total time from the time the flash occurs to the time the flash is reported shall be 1 min or less for 99% of all flashes (except data delivered via Internet when delays are due to the Internet) Location accuracy of 1 km for 99% of the area within the zone Timing accuracy of the reported time of flashes shall be 0.001 secs or better Detection efficiency of 90% or higher over CONUS. 60% or higher over the adjacent marine and land areas Probability of false detections -- no more than 1% of all reported lightning flashes shall be due to non-lightning causes BASELINE REQUIREMENTS

16. COMMUNICATIONS • Several communications options are available to participating agencies: • Streaming data directly from the vendor • Dedicated line connection to the vendor • Internet • NOAAPORT distribution of a one-minute lightning product • A third party contractor supporting the agency • Agencies may also distribute data to their user sites using internal communications systems

17. LIGHTNING DATA COMMUNICATIONS – NOAA Lightning Data Vendor One Minute Lightning Product thru Dedicated T1 Line NWS Telecommunication Gateway One Minute Lightning Product thru NOAAPORT Broadcast NESDIS SAB NESDIS NCDC NWS Centers NWS WFOs NWS RFCs NWS Regions

18. LIGHTNING DATA COMMUNICATIONS – NOAA Lightning Data Vendor One Minute Lightning Product thru Dedicated T1 Line NWS Telecommunication Gateway FAA ADAS Sites “T” Generated to Indicate Thunderstorms ASOS “T” Appended to Obs ASOS “T” Appended to Obs ASOS “T” Appended to Obs

19. LIGHTNING DATA COMMUNICATIONS – DOD Lightning Data Vendor One Minute Lightning Product thru Dedicated T1 Line Streaming Lightning Data thru Serial Satellite Link NWS Telecommunication Gateway One Minute Lightning Product thru NOAAPORT Broadcast US Army Test Facilities US Air Force Sites

20. NOAA LIGHTNING DATA USERS • The vendor distributes the 1 minute lightning product (a formatted message for NOAAPORT users) to the NWS Telecommunications Gateway on a dedicated line. • The NWSTG distributes the data products to the NWS Network Control Facility for broadcast on NOAAPORT. NOAPORT users include: • NWS Forecast Offices • NWS River Forecast Centers • NWS Training Center • National Centers for Environmental Prediction • NWS Meteorological Development Lab • NESDIS National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). NCDC archives the data from NOAAPORT • NESDIS Satellite Analysis Branch • The NWSTG distributes long range lighting data to the Aviation Weather Center (AWC) • The vendors streams lightning data directly to AWC and the Storm Prediction Center SPC

21. DOD LIGHTNING DATA USERS • The vendor provides streaming data through a serial satellite link to Air Force sites and Air Force units supporting the Army at Army sites • The NWSTG provides the 1 minute lightning product to Dugway Proving Grounds and other Army test range locations on NOAAPORT • The Naval Oceanographic Office contacted NOAA and AFWA and would like to participate starting in October 2007

22. DOI LIGHTNING DATA USERS • Bureau of Land Management is the lead agency for DOI lightning data • The vendor streams lightning data through a serial satellite link to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) in Boise, Idaho. • NIFC distributes it to the other agencies through the IAMS (Internet connection) • Bureau of Land Management sites • National Park Service sites • Fish and Wildlife Service sites • United States Forest Service • Cooperative Wildland Fire Management Agency sites • NIFC distributes data on its LAN to the Bureau of Indian Affairs

23. DOT LIGHTNING DATA USERS • The lightning vendor streams lightning data to a Volpe contractor who distributes the data on a dedicated line to Volpe. Volpe creates a 5 min product and distributes the product in the Enhanced Traffic Management System (ETMS) for distribution to: • FAA regions • FAA Air Route Traffic Control Centers • Selected FAA Air Traffic Control Towers • FAA Terminal Radar Control Facilities • FAA Air Traffic Control Systems Command Center • FAA Training Center • DOD ETMS sites • NOAA’s NWS distributes the 1 minute lightning product to the FAA’s AWOS/ASOS Data Acquisition System (ADAS): • ADAS provides the data to the Automated Lighting Detection and Reporting System (ALDARS). • ALDARS provides thunderstorm information to the AWOS and ASOS. • The ADAS also enters lightning data into the Integrated Terminal Weather System to create terminal weather products.

24. NASA LIGHTNING DATA USERS • The vendor stream lighting data through a serial satellite link to Marshall Space Flight Center and to a NASA Contractor who distributes the lightning data through a satellite link to Johnson Space Center (Space Flight Meteorology Group). • The Johnson Space Center also receives the 1 minute lightning product on the NOAAPORT broadcast.