RAOB The Complete RAwinsonde OBservation Program A product of Eosonde Research Services, LLC User Guide & Technical Manual Version 6.9 Note: This document contains information regarding all available program modules & options. Copyright (C) 1994-2020. All rights reserved. Portions(C) 1982-2000 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. RAOB License Agreement The user must comply with the following agreement with Eosonde Research Services, LLC (ERS) in order to use this software. SINGLE USER . ERS grants the single user the License to use the RAOB software program on a single computer (single CPU) at a single location. Each workstation, upon which the software is used, whether such workstation is a stand-alone computer or a networked computer, must have a separately licensed copy of this software. SITE LICENSE . ERS grants the user the right to use the number of copies of the RAOB software for which payment has been made. For each additional site license purchased, the user may operate that number of additional program copies in addition to the single user copy. For example, if 4 additional site licenses are purchased, a maximum of 5 simultaneous RAOB programs can operate at the same time on different stand-alone computers, or up to 5 users can access the RAOB program from a networked computer server. TRANSFERS . You may physically transfer this software from one of your computers to another computer provided that the software is used on only one computer at a time. You may not distribute copies of this software or accompanying written materials to others. You may not transfer this software to anyone without the prior written consent of ERS. In no event may you transfer, assign, rent, lease, sell or otherwise dispose of this software on a temporary basis. TERMINATION . This license is effective until terminated. This license will terminate automatically without notice from ERS if you fail to comply with any provision of this license. Upon termination you shall destroy the written materials and all copies of this software, including modified copies, if any. COPYRIGHT RAOB is registered with the United States Copyright Office in accordance with Title 17 of the United States Code, and cannot be sold for profit without the author's explicit written permission. DISCLAIMER The RAOB program is distributed without warranty of any kind, expressed or implied. The author assumes no liability for damages, direct or consequential, which may result from the use of this program. Standardized algorithms are used wherever possible for data processing. There are several output parameters that use only one of potentially many methods of derivation. These output data should be used with caution and must not be interpreted as definitive solutions. PROGRAM SUPPORT Eosonde Research Services, LLC 7791 SE 168th Lone Oak Loop The Villages, FL 32162 Phone: (570) 491-4689 Fax: (570) 491-2049 E-mail: [email protected] WEB: http://www.raob.com TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1. GENERAL DESCRIPTION . 1 1.1 Program Overview 1.2 Data Overview 1.3 Program Modules 2. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS . 6 2.1 Computers 2.2 Printers 2.3 Software 2.4 Program Files 3. GETTING STARTED . 6 3.1 Program Installation 3.2 Plot a Sounding 3.3 Station Data 4. SOUNDING DIAGRAM (Menu Bar) . 7 4.1 File - Encoders - Downloading Data - Batch & Timer Processing - Exporting 4.2 Edit 4.3 Displays - Sounding Display - Sounding Scanner & Sequencer - Custom View - Severe & Winter Weather - Fire/AQ Weather - Tropical Weather - Soundingram {see Section 17} - Layer Analyzer - Frontal Analysis {see Section 21} - Hodograph - Hodogram (3-D) - Cross-Section {see Section 18} - Mountain-Wave {see Section 19} - Soaring 4.4 Listings 4.5 Analyze (Toolbar & Hazards) 4.6 Merge 4.7 Refresh (& Restore) 4.8 Zoom (& Un-Zoom) 4.9 Compare 4.10 Options - Diagram Options - Program Options - Loop Options - Weather Alert Editor - Severe Weather Table Options - Fog Index Table - Cloud Table Options - Start Diagnostic Log - Password 5. DIAGRAM CONFIGURATION . 63 5.1 Format 5.2 Pressure & Temperature 5.3 Adiabats 5.4 Sounding Data 5.5 Analyses Data 5.6 Hodograph 5.7 Displays 5.8 Height Lines 5.9 Temperature Lines 6. PROGRAM CONFIGURATION . 76 6.1 Display Preferences 6.2 Algorithm Options 6.3 Parcel Lifting & CAPE 6.4 System Configuration 6.5 Dates & Fonts 6.6 Data Processing 7. WEATHER ALERT EDITOR . 88 8. SEVERE WEATHER PARAMETER TABLE . 90 9. FOG INDEX TABLE . 92 10. CLOUD LAYER TABLE . 95 11. DATA DECODERS . 96 11.1 Basic Module Decoders 11.1.1 CSV Data 11.1.2 Raw Data 11.1.3 WMO Coded Data 11.1.4 SHARP Modified Data 11.1.5 BUFKIT Data 11.1.6 University of Wyoming (UWYO) Data 11.2 Special Data Decoders Module 11.3 Binary (BUFR / GRIB / netCDF) Decoders Module 11.4 Sodar/Lidar/Radar Decoder Module 11.5 Aerosol Decoders Module 11.6 Radiometer Decoder Module 11.7 Doppler Decoder/Display Module 12. DeCODED (raw) DATA EDITOR . 104 12.1 Station Data 12.2 Pressure & Temperature Data 12.3 Height & Wind Data 13. DATA PROCESSING . 106 13.1 Coded Data 13.2 Raw Data 13.3 Data Quality Checks 13.4 Numerical Analyses 14. SIGNIFICANT LEVELS . 107 14.1 Lifting Condensation Level (LCL) 14.2 Convective Condensation Level (CCL) 14.3 Level of Free Convection (LFC) 14.4 Lifted Parcel Level (LPL) 14.5 Equilibrium Level (EL) 14.6 Maximum Parcel Level (MPL) 14.7 Wet Bulb Zero (WBZ) 14.8 Tropopause(s) 15. SOUNDING INDICES . 108 15.1 Boyden Index 15.2 Bulk Richardson Number (BRN) 15.3 CAP 15.4 Craven SigSvr Parameter 15.5 Cross Totals (CT) 15.6 Deep Convective Index (DCI) 15.7 Delta Theta-E 15.8 Dry Microburst Potential (DMP) Gust 15.9 Dry Microburst Potential Index (DMPI) 15.10 Energy Helicity Index (EHI) 15.11 Flooding 15.12 Fog Stability Index (FSI) 15.13 Fog Point 15.14 Fog Threat 15.15 GOES Hybrid Microburst Index (HMI) 15.16 Haines Index 15.17 Heat Burst Index 15.18 Humidity Index 15.19 Jefferson Index (JI) 15.20 K Index 15.21 KO Index 15.22 Lifted Index (LI) 15.23 Maximum Vertical Velocity (MVV) 15.24 Microburst Day Potential Index (MDPI) 15.25 Richardson Index (Ri) 15.26 S Index 15.27 Severity (thunderstorm severity index) 15.28 Showalter Index (SI) 15.29 Significant Hail Parameter (SHIP) 15.30 Significant Tornado Parameter (STP) 15.31 Supercell Composite Parameter (SCP) 15.32 SWEAT Index 15.33 T 1Gust 15.34 T2Gust 15.35 Temperature Heat Index (THI) 15.36 Thompson Index (TI) 15.37 Tropical Cyclone Tornado Parameters: Tornado~TC TCTP~UNC 15.38 Total Totals (TT) 15.39 TQ Index 15.40 Ventilation Index 15.41 Vertical Totals (VT) 15.42 Violent Tornado Parameter (VTP) 15.43 Vorticity Generation Parameter (VGP) 15.44 Warm Cloud Depth (WCD) 15.45 Water Vapor (IWV & LWP) 15.46 Waterspout Indexes: Charleston, NWS Szilagyi (SWI) Key West, NWS 15.47 Wet Microburst Severity Index (WMSI) 15.48 WINDEX 15.49 Wind-Chill Index 16. SOUNDING ANALYSES . 119 16.1 CAPE 16.2 Contrails 16.3 Convective Temperature (Tc) 16.4 Corfidi MSC Vectors 16.5 Downrush Temperature 16.6 Fog Layers 16.7 Hail 16.8 Icing 16.9 Inversions 16.10 Lightning Potential 16.11 Liquid Water Content (LWC) 16.12 Low-Level Wind Shear (LLWS) 16.13 Potential Vorticity Units (PVU) 16.14 Precipitable Water 16.15 Refractivity (N & K units) 16.16 Storm Motion Prediction (& Helicity) 16.17 Turbulence 17. SOUNDINGRAM . 128 17.1 Soundingram Screen 17.2 Soundingram Configuration 17.3 Advanced Soundingram module 18. CROSS-SECTIONS . 135 18.1 Cross-Section Screen 18.2 Cross-Section File Menu 18.3 Cross-Section Creation 18.4 Cross-Section Editing 18.5 Cross-Section Display Options 18.6 Cross-Section Configuration 18.7 Cross-Section Mouse & Click Operations 18.8 Cross-Section Analyses 18.9 Interpolation of a Cross-Section Sounding 18.10 Composite Sounding Map 18.11 Advanced Cross-Section module 18.12 Gradient Editor 18.13 Real-Time Data Processor module 19. MOUNTAIN WAVES . 167 19.1 Wave Turbulence Overview 19.2 Wave Turbulence Method 19.3 Mountain Wave Screen 19.4 Mountain Wave & Froude Number Display 19.5 Mountain Wave Diagram Options 19.6 Mountains & Parameter Definitions 19.7 Mountain Data 19.8 Mountain Wave Display Options 19.9 Wave Decay 19.10 Mountain Wave Computations 19.11 Wave Turbulence Categories 19.12 Double Mountains 20. SOARING CALCULATIONS . 180 21. FRONTAL ANALYSES . 182 21.1 Overview 21.2 Thermal Wind Theory 21.3 Thermal Wind Equation 21.4 Frontal Analysis Screen 21.5 Frontal Selection 21.6 Frontal Analysis Configuration 21.7 Hodo-Front Manual Screen 22. FORECAST SOUNDINGS . 190 22.1 Overview 22.2 Single Station Forecasting 22.3 Multi Station Forecasting 22.4 Forecast Maximum Surface Temperature 23. CUSTOM VIEW . 195 24. RAW DATA FORMAT . 198 25. CSV DATA FORMAT . 199 26. REFERENCES . 201 27. INDEX . 205 1 GENERAL DESCRIPTION . 1.1 Program Overview. RAOB is a multi-functional, fully interactive sounding analysis program, capable of decoding data from standard WMO formats and many commonly used commercial and institutional formats. RAOB can plot soundings reaching up to 0.001 mb and containing thousands of data levels per sounding. Data files containing multiple soundings can be automatically looped for quick viewing. Temperature profiles and wind plots can be interactively modified as analyses data/graphics simultaneously update. Soundings are plotted on Skew-T, Emagram, or Tephigram diagrams, upon which several sounding parameters can be alphanumerically displayed, while others are graphically overlaid. Graphic overlays include: icing (clear & rime), clouds, clear air turbulence, mountain-wave turbulence, low- level wind shear, thermal turbulence, energy/buoyancy areas, inversions, frontal layers, lightning, contrails, and more.