Tweb: A Web-Based Tsunami Model Forecast Tool

1. Tweb: A Web-Based Tsunami Model Forecast Tool System Architecture and Development NOAA Center for Tsunami Research (NCTR)Located at PMEL in Seattle, WA Eugene F. Burger1, Linus Kamb2, Tracey Nakamura2 1 Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, NOAA, Seattle, WA 2 Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean, University of Washington, Seattle, WA

2. Tweb Presentation Topics • Define Tsunami Forecasting and Tweb • Why develop Tweb? • Functionality and system goals • Architecture and system tier overview • Challenges • Tweb client snapshots Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory

3. Tsunami Forecasting Provide real-time guidance for rapid, critical decisions in which lives and property are at stake1 • Threat areas • Wave arrival time • Flooding • Current speed 1Vasily V. Titov (2009): Tsunami Forecasting, in Tsunamis. The Sea, Volume 15, edited by E.N. Bernard and A.R. Robinson, 371, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA and London, England. Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory

4. The Forecast Lifecycle Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory

5. What is Tweb Tweb is a web-based tsunami modeling tool for generating and viewing tsunami forecasts • Operator can run forecasts models & share results • View-only client for viewing shared forecast result Tweb collects and extends tools developed at NCTR/PMEL for use in both research and operational tsunami forecasting. Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory

6. Screen Shot of Tweb Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory

7. Tweb Motivation • Enable model initiation and viewing of forecast results for • Research partners • International collaborators • Evaluate • Research modifications to the tsunami model • Methodologies for presenting tsunami model results • Platform • Web-based SaaS • Single point software updates & maintenance • Integrate • Existing forecasting NCTR/PMEL tools into a single tool Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory

8. Tweb Functionality Goals • Utilize NCTR/PMEL Tsunami Forecast Methodology • Feature-rich client user interface • No browser plugin • Full user authentication • ACL for sensitive information • Manage access to functions and data by user group • Integrates decentralized model runs • Multi-language support • English, French and Spanish Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory

9. Tweb System Goals • Build upon the existing SIFT tsunami forecast system • SIFT has been developed for use at the NOAA Tsunami Warning Centers • SIFT is a LAN-based desktop client-server application • Tweb is a web based system that utilizes the SIFT back end • Web application • Inter-tier HTTP protocol • Independent tiers • one or more tiers could be in the cloud • QoS assurances • Dedicated SIFT instances by group • SIFT scale-up for high demand Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory

10. Tweb Logical Components Client Application server EIDS Seismic information Data storage Tiled overlay generator SIFT Translator Multiple SIFT instances are supported GTS (DART) SIFT Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory

11. Tweb Application Tier • Written in Java • Authentication & client session management • Handles client data requests • Monitors tsunami event status • EIDS listener (earthquake data) • Process management • SIFT • Generation of tiled overlays (Google Maps) Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory

12. Tweb Auxiliary Services • Tiled overlay renderer • Written in Java • NetCDF gridded data input • Produces Google Map tiles (png) • Database • Postgres with PostGIS • User, session, tsunami event information Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory

13. Tweb Client Technologies • Implemented using Google Web Toolkit (GWT) and Sencha GXT • UI widgets from GXT • GXT MVC framework • GWT RPC • HighCharts Charting library Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory

14. Tweb Challenges • Charting in client • No Flash plugin • Modeling tool specific requirements • Updates to tsunami-event data streams • Data parsing on client • Initial latency as client loads tsunami event information • Lack of support for Google Maps Polyline labeling • Poor GWT support for Google Maps API • Multi-language support for server generated text Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory

15. Event Overview Event summary Energy map with arrival time contours and wave-front location Multiple model runs Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory

16. Multiple Events Tweb allows the user to switch between multiple tsunami events. New tsunami event alert Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory

17. Initiate Flooding Forecasts Select flooding forecasts to run Run status of user initiated flooding forecasts Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory

18. Event OverviewMore detail Define a new solution Select Flooding Forecast result overlays Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory

19. View Flooding Forecast Zoom in on map to view flooding forecast detail Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory

20. Share results with selected others Model results can be shared for select users to view on a Tweb view-only client Shared Unshared Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory

21. View-Only Client Allows view-only access tsunami-event information Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory

22. View-Only Flooding Forecasts Allows view-only access tsunami-event information Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory

23. More Information Eugene Burger eugene.burger@noaa.gov Linus Kamb linus.kamb@noaa.gov Tracey Nakamura tracey.nakamura@noaa.gov Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory