A mappable mashup
- By John Moore
- Mar 05, 2010
The National Weather Service’s Ridge 2 system fuses ground-based radar and human-created weather alert data with geospatial data, then offers it via the Web to other agencies and the public so they can use it to combine with their own data and mapping applications.
In this report
Geospatial apps help temper Mother Nature's fury
Geospatial preparedness checklist
Step 1
Sensor data from about 200 WSR-88 D and TDWR Doppler radar stations (image below) located around the country is sent to the Ridge 2 team via the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Satellite Broadcast Network.
Meanwhile, personnel based at the National Weather Service’s 122 Forecast Offices also can send county-by-county weather warnings and alerts to the Ridge 2 team via the NOAA satellite network.
Step 2
The Ridge 2 system in Fort Worth, Texas, pulls the raw radar and warning/alerts data off the satellite link and then infuses it with map data in its GeoDatabase.
Step 3
Ridge 2 (image below) offers the geocoded radar and warning/alert data to other agencies and the public via the Web in two format options: a proprietary format and a free, open-source format. Users, such as employees at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, can overlay the Ridge 2 data on digital maps and combine it in one display with their own custom information.
About the Author
John Moore is a freelance writer based in Syracuse, N.Y.