May Thunderstorm Simulations

questions / comments

Kelvin Droegemeier, Ming Xue, and the model development group,
Center for Analysis and Prediction of Storms (CAPS), University of Oklahoma


May 1995 Oklahoma Thunderstorm Activity

Throughout May 1995, CAPS produced a daily weather forecast for selected areas of Oklahoma using their Advanced Regional Prediction System (ARPS) and doppler radar data. These six hour storm simulations were run in 1.5 hours on a 256 node dedicated partition on the Cray T3D at the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center.

The following animation was made by PSC's Sci-Vis Group using ARPS data from May 1994 and SoftImage's Creative Environment. The white isosurface shows high concentrations of combined cloud water and rain water. The red isosurfaces represent columns of high vorticity, so noted because these areas potentially spawn tornadoes. The ribbons show wind velocity at two imaginary planes, approximately 600 meters and 4800 meters above ground. The area is a square 67 kilometers on a side extending up 17 kilometers.

Still frame from SoftImage Animation.
animation by G.Foss, PSC
play the animation (mpeg - 2.65meg)

3-D Animated Oklahoma Weather Forecasts

On selected days in May and June 1995 the PSC's Sci-Viz Group processed data from the daily forecasts of ARPS into a 3-D animation using AVS5. Shown here is data from May 7, 1995. Represented are high concentrations of cloud water in white and rain water in cyan translucent isosurfaces and high vorticity with red isosurface. Streamlines show wind velocity, colored with temperature. The forecast animations cover a 336x336 kilometer square and a depth of 16 kilometers over a real terrain.

IMAGE of the
May 9, 1995 forecast.
animation by G.Foss, PSC
play the animation (mpeg - 1.75meg)

IMAGE of the
April 29, 1995 forecast.
animation by G.Foss, PSC
play the animation (mpeg - 2.3meg)


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