Global Atmospherics Inc. Joins Vaisala the Scope and Future Of
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159/2002 Vaisala expands into lightning data services Global Atmospherics Inc. joins Vaisala The Scope and Future of Nowcasting Meteorological studies in the marine Arctic The Arctic Ocean 2001 Experiment Contents The US Air Forces used TMOS (Vaisala President’s Column 3 TACMET Systems) at the 2002 Winter Olympics for real-time meteorological data Remote Sensing from the sports venues. The support for medical Global Atmospherics Inc. Joins Vaisala 4 and security aviation operations came from the extensive weather support system at the Upper Air Olympics in which meteorologists from Arctic Ocean 2001 Expedition 6 government agencies, private companies and Measurement Accuracy the University of Utah cooperated to provide accurate and timely weather information. and Repeatability of RS90 11 RS80 Humidity Data Set Corrections 14 Vaisala Launches the RK91 Rocketsonde 16 Nowadays, a number of systems provide dynamic advice to motorists on the real-time Development of Light Meteorological status of the road network. Most commonly Sounding System M200 17 real-time information on congestion allows drivers to take alternative routes to reduce Surface Weather travel time. Road weather systems and USAF TMOS at 2002 Winter Olympics 18 variable message signs are also used to improve road safety, for example by the Roads MAWS Enhanced with New Features 21 and Traffic Authority of New South Wales in Australia. With the help of dynamic warning MAWS AWSs to Synoptic Stations in Poland 24 signs driving speed can be adjusted as weather FS11 Visibility Sensor Launched 25 conditions change. Aviation Weather LD40 Ceilometer Launched 26 Driving safety is a key concern for road Romanian Air Force Choose AW11 26 authorities. Other than the weather, one of the most interesting factors which affects safety is a Vaisala AWOS System to Helsinki-Vantaa Airport 27 vehicle’s grip, i.e. the friction between a Road Traffic Weather vehicle’s tires and the road surface. Together with the Finnish Road Administration Field Trial of Vehicle Grip Compared Vaisala conducted a field trial in Southern to RWS Data 28 Finland during the winters of 1999-2000 and 2000-2001, to study which measurement Dynamic Warning Signs Act as Signs of Rain 30 results best indicated a vehicle’s grip. Additional Features Role and Scope of Nowcasting 33 Two German Scientists win Professor Vilho Vaisala Award 38 Cover photo: Vaisala at AMS 2002 38 Summer scenery at Nagu guest harbor on the Vaisala Centralizes USA Manufacturing Finnish archipelago. Photo by Mauri Rautkari, Operations 39 Lehtikuva. Editor-in-Chief: Design and Artwork: Marit Finne Edita Oyj (absent on study leave June 1, 2001 - July 15, Editors: 2002) Bellcrest Language Services Oy Acting Editor-in- Chief: Printed in Finland by Ritva Siikamäki Edita Oyj, Finland ment, improved safety and bet- Publisher: ONM IR EN Vaisala in Brief NV T E A ter performance. Vaisala Oyj , P.O. L IC L Box 26 D A – We develop, manufacture and B R E O FIN-00421 Helsinki L market products and services for – We focus on market segments N environmental and industrial where we can be the world leader, FINLAND measurements. the preferred supplier. We put a Phone (int.): high priority on customer satis- +358 9 894 91 441 002 Printed matter – The purpose of these measure- faction and product leadership. Telefax: ments is to provide a basis for a We secure our competitive advan- +358 9 8949 2227 better quality of life, cost sa- tage through economies of scale Internet: ISSN 1238-2388 vings, protection of the environ- and scope. http://www.vaisala.com 2 159/2002 President’s Column Towards a new generation of high-precision forecasts n the past decades, efforts to develop weather forecasts I have focused on long-term forecasts, the range of which ex- tends from five or six days to up to seven days. Less attention has been paid to short-term high- precision local forecasts, now- casting and mesoscale services. In many applications, how- ever, a high-precision local fore- so there. A radical change could a long time, and we have appre- cast, pertaining to short term lo- be about to happen, similar to ciated their benefits. Conse- cal conditions, is the most use- the one that took place in the quently we believe that high-pre- ful. Application-specific weather telecommunications sector cision weather forecasts have a observation systems for the when it moved from line teleph- larger market to conquer, includ- needs of aviation and road traf- ony to mobile communications. ing the general public. We have fic have already been available The question is, however, made a focused investment in for a long time and defense whose business would the provi- the observation technologies forces too now have their own sion of such a service be? Would that high-precision weather fore- nowcasting applications. Nowa- it fall in the domain of national casting require, with lightning days, ever-increasing invest- weather services or would it be detection and wind profilers be- ments are also being made in the business of the private sec- ing the most recent examples. weather systems for the needs of tor? How would the products be Long-term forecasts and the agriculture. Many other profes- traded? Would the consumer synoptic observations for them sions benefit from high-preci- pay for them, would the field be will naturally always be needed. sion weather forecasts. So even open for sponsoring or advertis- They form the very basis of all does Everyman, for example ing, or should the money come weather services. But high-preci- when planning leisure activities. from public funds? This seems sion forecasts could comple- In my opinion, the time is to be where the dilemma lies. ment them in an excellent man- starting to be ripe for the broad What will be the business idea ner, and to a much greater extent and large-scale provision of now- and earnings principle? It will be than is the case today. G casting and mesoscale forecasts. established. It is time for pio- We have forecast models, and neers to step up. the required observation meth- Vaisala has been active as a ods already exist. I believe that supplier of application-specific Pekka Ketonen the market for such services is al- weather observation systems for President and CEO 159/2002 3 Ritva Siikamaki, MA Acting Editor-in-Chief, Vaisala News Vaisala Helsinki Finland Vaisala expands into lightning data services Global Atmospherics Inc. joins Vaisala NLDN communications work as follows: 1) Sensors detect lightning and transmit the data to a satellite, 2) The In March 2002, Vaisala acquired Global Atmospherics satellite relays the Incorporated of Tucson, Arizona, USA, from the Sankosha Group. information to earth stations, 3) Data are Global Atmospherics is the world’s largest lightning detection transmitted to the Network equipment manufacturer and lightning data services operator. Control Center via landlines, 4) The Network Renamed as Vaisala-GAI Inc., the company is now part of Vaisala’s Control Center processes the Remote Sensing Division. This acquisition strengthens Vaisala’s data, 5) The processed data are relayed back to the lightning and thunderstorm detection expertise and expands the satellite, 6) Lightning data product selection offered to clients whose operations are appear on user’s display across the country within affected by severe weather. seconds of occurrence. 4 159/2002 aisala-GAI is the lead- Director of the Remote Sensing ing manufacturer of Division, stresses that there are V standalone lightning remarkable synergies in combin- detection instruments and LF ing the two lightning detection (Low Frequency) lightning de- network product lines into one tection networks and has also re- business unit. The combination cently developed VHF (Very will provide optimized systems High Frequency) lightning de- for the varied needs of lightning tection technology. The compa- detection network clients. ny owns and operates a national The Remote Sensing Divi- pany was a subsidiary of the The management of Vaisala- lightning sensor network in the sion focuses on two new and ex- Sankosha Group of Japan. GAI Inc at a meeting in Tucson. From the left: Martti U.S. and sells various lightning panding fields of atmospheric Real-time lightning data Husu, Philippe Richard, Jack data products to the U.S. Na- measurement: nowcasting and Nelson, Michael Austin, tional Weather Service, airports, meso-scale forecasting. These are nationwide in the U.S. Ellen Carolan, Rich Pyle and power utilities, recreational facil- fields where severe weather phe- Since 1989, the NLDN® has Ken Cummins. ities, insurance companies and nomena which rise within a rela- monitored the 20 to 25 million weather service providers. The tively short time, like thunder- cloud-to-ground lightning company also participates in storms, windshear, local rainfall strikes that occur every year in August 2001. This lightning lightning data services in Cana- and hailstorms, can be predicted. across the contiguous 48 states. detection network covers the da, France, Central Europe and Following the acquisition of NLDN® consists of over 100 re- greater part of the European the Benelux countries. Global Atmospherics Inc. and mote, ground-based sensing sta- continent. EUCLID is capable the previous acquisition of Di- tions located across the United of tracking lightning by mapping Comprehensive remote mensions SA, Vaisala will elevate States which detect the electro- up-to-the-second lightning activ- sensing and lightning to a global market leadership po- magnetic signals given off when ity throughout Austria, Belgium, detection expertise sition in the field of lightning de- lightning strikes the earth’s sur- Czech Republic, France, Ger- In early 2000, Vaisala acquired tection and localization. face. These remote sensors send many, Hungary, Italy, Luxem- another lightning detection net- the raw data via a satellite-based bourg, Netherlands, Norway, work manufacturer, Dimensions Vaisala-GAI’s history communications network to the Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, and SA of France, which also part of Vaisala-GAI was founded in Network Control Center operat- Switzerland.