DataStreme Atmosphere Equipment Requirements

In order to participate in DataStreme Atmosphere, the following requirements must be met:

• Internet connection
• Computer and software with the ability to download, display, and print Graphical Image Files (.gif) and text files (.html and .txt) from the Internet
• Access to a conventional telefax machine

Based upon the above list of requirements, a participant’s computer platform may be either an IBM-compatible PC or Macintosh. For IBM-compatible computer users, a pentium machine with 16 Megabytes of RAM or better, and running Windows software is adequate.

Actual Internet connections will vary as noted on the next page in section II. Internet Access. Connections may use network cards, modems, or commercial services. While connection speeds are variable, use of less than 56K baud will probably produce objectionable waiting times for information transfer across the Internet.

Printing may be accomplished via any printer that is compatible with your computer system. Generally, Internet software is configured to work with Windows or Mac environments (similar to many word-processing programs). While dot-matrix printers may be used, lasers or ink-jets produce higher resolution graphics that are desirable when printing maps, especially satellite views.

Conventional telefax machines may be required by your instructor in order to communicate (e.g. transmit coursework that consists of analyses completed on maps) with your course administrators. Additional equipment requirements may be based on local course implementation and should be determined from your instructor.

Internet Access

Internet access may be through either of the following general arrangements:

• Institutional Connection

  Public school systems may have an institutional connection. In this arrangement, computers are usually “hard-wired” to the system via some type of local network. Individuals should contact their system administrator to learn of the arrangements and protocols needed for use on any particular machine attached to the network. It may be that your Windows or Macintosh interface has an icon indicating the network connection. Or there may be an icon for a program that connects you to your Internet connection. Clicking on the icon usually begins the Internet session.
  
  

• Internet Provider

  In order to establish an Internet connection, individuals may subscribe to an Internet provider. These providers establish an Internet connection between your computer and the Internet generally via a phone line. Typically the connection is via your modem to the provider’s service number. The providers are usually known for their flat fee, no limit usage time. The Internet provider generally provides directions, necessary software (Web browsing software) and some technical support for establishing your connection.

  If your Internet provider does not provide software for "browsing" the Web, you may choose one of the popular commercially available Internet browsing software programs like Netscape, Internet Explorer, or other web browser software. Internet Explorer is available via the Internet (free) and as are other versions of browser software as shareware. Netscape is generally available to educational institutions.
  
  Other Commercial Services

  A very popular, easy to establish and easy to use method of Internet access is through a commercial service. The most popular are America On-Line (AOL), CompuServe, Microsoft Network, and Prodigy. These services require you to use their software and phone numbers for connecting to the Internet. They provide easy to use graphical Web browsing software.

DataStreme Atmosphere Homepage

• Homepage Address and Navigating the Homepage
  
  The DataStreme Atmosphere Homepage may be accessed by the following addresses:
  
  • http://www.ametsoc.org/dstreme/
  • http://www.comet.ucar.edu/dstreme/
  
  A machine may become busy at different times of the day, so try the other address if you are experiencing trouble connecting to the first address. Each boxed item under the major headings is an active link to the information identified by that title.

  A complete listing of DataStreme Atmosphere products can be brought into view by:

  • clicking on the down arrow on the right-side slide bar,
  • sliding the button on the slide bar, or
  • clicking on the box representing the desired section from the menu box line which appears immediately following the DataStreme Atmosphere banner and each section of information.
  Choose a product by moving the mouse cursor to any of the highlighted boxes and clicking the mouse button. Then wait while the image or text file is displayed on your computer.

  The Extras section at the bottom of the page provides additional information about the meteorological products and has a button to connect you to the Homepage of the American Meteorological Society.
  
  

• Printing Images and Text
  
  Once an image or text file is displayed on the screen, you can print the image or text file by clicking on the PRINT icon at the top of the page or selecting PRINT from the menu under the FILE option on the left side of the menu bar. If you can, attempt to print maps in the landscape view.
  
  
• Saving Images and Text
  
  Once an image or text file is displayed on the screen, you can electronically save it. Select the Save As option under File from the left side of the menu bar. Be sure to give the file you are saving a unique name. For example, if you wish to save satellite views every day, the unique name may consist of the date to distinguish it from later views, perhaps sat0601.gif or s000601.gif for time and date.

  Graphical files can be quite extensive, and you may find that storage demands on your system require file organization. Files can be easily deleted if additional storage is needed, or transferred to floppy disks for long term archiving. You may wish to save text files (e.g. xxxxxx.txt), so that they can be used with a word-processing program.
  
  

• Organization of the Homepage
  
  The Homepage lists DataStreme Atmosphere products generally by data type. The table below gives a brief overview of the data types.
  
  

  Data Type	Description
  Learning Files -	Materials of the course; daily weather summaries
  Surface -	Maps and text displaying surface weather data (e.g. fronts, pressure, data from across individual states)
  Radar -	Maps displaying radar information (e.g. radar, radar and fronts)
  Satellite -	Current and archived visible, infrared, and water vapor imagery
  Upper Air -	Maps and text displaying upper air weather data (e.g. Stüve, 500 mb)
  Forecasts -	Maps of future weather conditions over the next 48 hours
  Extras -	Blank maps for plotting use, station locations, explanations of symbols

Learning Files

• How to Start a DataStreme Atmosphere Assignment
  
  The following steps summarize the weekly routine you should follow to complete the DataStreme Atmosphere course (in addition to attending the scheduled course meetings when they occur).
  
  
  • As time permits, maintain an informal daily watch on weather (a) to follow the development and progress of major weather systems and features, and (b) to relate your local weather to the broad-scale weather picture. This watch can be conducted in a number of ways including calling up the DataStreme Atmosphere Homepage Daily Summary and other maps and images, and viewing quality television weathercasts.
  • Read the chapter in text on which the week’s study is based. Questions for each chapter to help you access your understanding of the material are found in the Study Guide.
  • On Mondays and Wednesdays, go to the DataStreme Atmosphere Homepage to acquire course study material. Call up on-screen and print the DataStreme Atmosphere Investigation File (generally available around 12 noon Eastern Time), and any of the Images 1-3 that are highlighted.
  • On Tuesdays and Thursdays, go to the DataStreme Atmosphere Homepage and print the Daily Summary. The Tuesday and Thursday Daily Summaries will contain a "Concept of the Day" section with two questions about that week's material. You may also print the other Daily Summary and Supplemental Information Files too, but this is not absolutely required.
  • File these printed products in your notebook immediately following the study Investigation material to which they are related.
  • Complete the study investigations as directed by your Local Implementation Team mentor or at your convenience.
  • Follow the instructions provided by your mentor for handling your learning materials.
  
  
  Each of the different learning files is described below.
  
  
• Daily Summary
  
  The Daily Summary is an overview describing the weather pattern across the United States and the location of major weather systems. It is updated once a day (Monday through Friday) and is generally available by 7:00 am Eastern Time. The summaries of a particular week remain active links for the entire week till late Sunday evening.
  
  
• DataStreme Atmosphere Investigation File
  
  Since weather is most exciting in real time, the DataStreme Atmosphere Investigation File is designed to build upon (in near real-time) concepts found in the course assignments of the DataStreme Atmosphere text. This file is a text file that contains approximately 5 to 7 questions relating to the weather map images you display on screen and print. These files are available starting about noontime (Eastern Time) on Mondays and Wednesdays. Place your responses to the questions on the Investigation Response Form that is delivered on the DataStreme Atmosphere Homepage.
  
  
• Images
  
  The different Image 1, Image 2, etc. files contain the maps, images, and charts you will need to complete the questions found in the DataStreme Atmosphere Investigation File. While there are always three image positions listed, only those highlighted contain images accompanying the investigation which need to be printed. The images associated with each DataStreme Atmosphere Investigation File are delivered Mondays and Wednesdays at the same time the DataStreme Atmosphere Investigation File is made available (about noon, Eastern time).
  
  
• Supplemental Information
  
  In addition to the Daily Summary, Dr. Edward Hopkins will often provide an additional file of supplemental information that expands on a point of the summary material or adds background information on meteorological topics via the Supplemental Information file. It can be displayed, read, and printed (if desired) whenever the position is highlighted.

Extras

Several miscellaneous materials are available through this section of the DataStreme Atmosphere homepage. Blank plotting maps, meteorological graphs, additional weather information sources, and additional notes on the homepage products are given here.

• Weather Map Symbols
• Updating of Weather Products
• Time Displayed on DataStreme Atmosphere Products
• Listing of Surface Weather Stations
• Listing of Upper Air Weather Stations

Updating of Weather Products

The following is a list of data and map products available as part of DataStreme Atmosphere:

1. North American surface weather observations - for approximately 200 stations, updated hourly.
2. Upper air observations - updated twice daily (these represent atmospheric conditions above the Earth's surface at 0000Z and 1200Z each day).
3. Radar data - updated hourly (conditions represent a national view at 35 minutes after the hour).
4. Satellite data - updated hourly. (Visible images are only delivered during the daylight period.)
5. General surface map features - including fronts and low and high pressure centers, updated every three hours (these features represent conditions at 00, 03, 06, 09, 12, 15, 18, and 21Z).
6. Forecast data - updated twice daily, based on computer model output from 00Z and 12Z data inputs.

Time Displayed on DataStreme Atmosphere Products

You may have noticed that on all DataStreme Atmosphere products, a time like 10Z 02 JAN 2002 is displayed. What is Z time?

In order for meteorologists to communicate about data, it is necessary to have a global reference time for all meteorological data. This reference time is referred to by the following names: Z time (Zulu), UTC (Universal Coordinated Time), or GMT (Greenwich Mean Time). The value represents the time zone of Greenwich, England, UK. This time will always be ahead of US time zones.

To convert the value to your local time, you need to know the time of year and how many hours different your time is from Greenwich time. For example, a DataStreme Atmosphere map may display a time and date of 18Z 01 JAN 2002. What time would this be locally in Chicago? First think of 18Z as "military time" and then translate it to a clock value in either am or pm. So 18Z becomes 6:00 pm. To adjust for the time of year, we know that Chicago is in the Central Standard Time zone in winter, so using the table below,

we know that Greenwich is 6 hours ahead of Chicago. Thus for Chicago local time, subtract 6 hours from 6:00 pm and you have 12:00 noon local time.