IMPLEMENTING ARRANGEMENT #16 CONTINUING DEVELOPMENT OF THE LOCAL
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION SYSTEM AND DEVELOPMENT OF A WARNING DEC-
ISION SUPPORT SYSTEM PURSUANT TO THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE AMER-
ICAN INSTITUTE IN TAIWAN AND THE TAIPEI ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL
REPRESENTATIVE OFFICE IN THE UNITED STATES FOR TECHNICAL COOPER-
ATION IN METEOROLOGY AND FORECAST SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT
Article I - Scope
This Implementing Arrangement describes the scientific and tech-
nical activities to be undertaken by the American Institute in
Taiwan (AIT), through its designated representative, the Foreca-
st Systems Laboratory (FSL) of the National Oceanic and Atmosph-
eric Administration (NOAA), United States Department of Commerce
. It provides for continuing development of the forecast system
being developed by the Joint Forecast Systems Project. This pro-
ject is a cooperative effort between the Central Weather Bureau
(CWB) , the designated representative of the Taipei Economic
and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO)
and AIT's designated representative, NOAA/FSL.
Article II - Authorities
The activities described in this Implementing Arrangement will
be carried out under the general terms and conditions establish-
ed by the Agreement between the American Institute in Taiwan and
the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the
United States for Technical Cooperation in Meteorology and Fore-
cast Systems Development, and any subsequent revision as agreed
to by the parties. This Implementing Arrangement is the sixtee-
nth such arrangement under a succession of umbrella agreements
between AIT and TECRO.
NOAA has authority to participate in the meteorology and foreca-
st systems development project with AIT under:
A.15 U.S.C. 1525, the DOC Joint Project Authority, which provid-
es that DOC may enter into joint projects with nonprofit, res-
earch, or public organizations on matters of mutual interest,
the cost of which is equitably apportioned;
B.22 U.S.C. 3301 et seq., the Taiwan Relation Act of April 10,
1979, Public Law 96-8, which authorizes agencies of the United
States Government to perform services for, and to accept funds
in payment from AIT;
C.15 U.S.C. 313, the Weather Service Organic Act, which authori-
zes the Secretary to perform meteorological services;
D.49 U.S.C. 44720(b), the Federal Aviation Act, which authorizes
the Department of Commerce to promote safety and efficiency in
air navigation; and
E.An agreement between AIT and the Taipei Economic and Cultural
Representative Office in the United States (TECRO), which aut-
horizes AIT to provide technical assistance from a designated
agency to an agency designated by TECRO. AIT has designated
NOAA to provide technical assistance in meteorology and forec-
ast systems development. TECRO has designated the Central Wea-
ther Bureau (CWB) of Taiwan to receive such technical assista-
nce.
This Implementing Arrangement is hereby attached to that Agreem-
ent and becomes part of the Agreement.
Article III - Services
During the period of Implementing Arrangement #16 the FSL-CWB
joint team will focus on four ongoing tasks. The four ongoing
tasks are: 1) the Local Analysis and Prediction System (LAPS),
which performs high-resolution analyses and provides short-range
forecasts of the weather using both locally and centrally avail-
able meteorological observations, 2) the development of a Warni-
ng Decision Support System (WDSS), 3) the continuation of enhan-
cing CWB's current forecast workstation including a new system
called SCAN (System for Convective Analysis and Nowcasting), SC-
AN will provide short range forecasts of precipitation from rem-
ote-sensor observations, and 4) continuing integration on earli-
er cooperative projects.
Tasks under this agreement range from full scale developmental
collaboration to system upgrades and support to allow systems to
operate to the latest technical and scientific capabilities and
specifications. These ongoing activities, described in more
detail in the Statement of Work, will include the following four
tasks:
Task #1 - Local Analysis and Prediction System (LAPS)
FSL and CWB have demonstrated the LAPS hot start capability at
CWB with improved cloud and precipitation analysis during Imple-
menting Arrangement #15. The Taiwan LAPS analysis improvements
include surface observation ingest software, greater use of ava-
ilable surface observations and ingest of CWB dropsonde data
For the satellite data, FSL has supported the transition of GMS
data ingest to GOES-9 data. FSL and CWB continue to use the CWB
NFS (Non-hydrostatic Forecast System) model as background for
Hot Start. There is also on-going work on improving utilization
of radar data. FSL also incorporated improvements made by CWB
visiting scientists into Hot Start analysis work. The LAPS anal-
ysis software was also transferred to a Linux platform during IA
#15.
For Implementing Arrangement #16, FSL and CWB will add addition-
al backgrounds as options for LAPS analysis and Hot Start MM5
runs. Candidates for backgrounds are CWB GFS (Global Forecast
System), TFS (Typhoon Forecast System) and NFS with different
resolutions. FSL and CWB will also implement the existing LAPS
real-time verification system (LRTVS) for state variables for
Hot Start MM5. Adding a precipitation verification component
will be attempted as a cooperative effort between the CWB and
FSL MM5 groups. FSL and CWB will continue to improve the cloud
scheme and provide support on ingesting new data sources such
as GPS and GOES IPW. FSL also will establish a shadowing system
of CWB's Hot Start MM5 at FSL.
Task #2 - Warning Decision Support System (WDSS)
The National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) will lead the effo-
rt to continue development of a warning decision support system
for CWB and the WRA (Water Resources Agency). The objective of
this task is to improve flash flood and severe storm short term
forecasting in Taiwan. The Warning Decision Support System (WD-
SS) consists of four components: 1) data integration and quality
control, 2) Quantitative Precipitation Estimation and Segregati-
on Using Multiple Sensors (QPESUMS) and very short-term Quantit-
ative Precipitation Forecast (QPF), 3) Severe Storm Analysis Pr-
ogram (SSAP), and 4) distributive hydrological model.
During IA #15, NSSL has delivered WDSS to the CWB. During IA#16
, the system will be further enhanced to include the following:
* Single radar SSAP products
* Refined QPE-SUMS
* Severe storms products based on 3-D Mosaic field
* Initial QPF products (0-1 hour forecast updated at 10 minute
intervals)
* Advanced data quality control
* Refined Vflo for the Tanshui River Basin
NSSL also provided initial WDSS application training to CWB.
NSSL will also continue to assess and perform field-testing to
identify real-time simulation issues and further operational ne-
eds.
Task #3 - Forecast Assistant System
FSL and CWB will continue to enhance CWB's current forecast wor-
kstation, the Weather Integration and Nowcasting System (WINS),
to take advantage of continued AWIPS modernization. FSL will
support enhancement of WINS II in the area of severe weather wa-
rning and forecast capability.
SCAN (System for Convection Analysis and Nowcasting) is a conti-
nuing activity for the AWIPS modernization within the U.S. Nati-
onal Weather Service (NWS). SCAN is an integrated suite of mul-
ti-sensor applications which detects, analyzes and monitors con-
vection and generates short-term probabilistic forecast and war-
ning guidance for severe weather and flash floods. SCAN will
provide more accurate, timely, and consistent severe weather and
flash flood warnings.
During IA #15, FSL and CWB completed porting SCAN code to WINS
II. The initial SCAN component will have a series of severe we-
ather detection and prediction algorithms plus data integration
techniques for CWB forecasters to use during severe weather war-
ning operations. The SCAN team has developed a rainfall amount
forecast from a statistical extrapolative technique utilizing
multiple sensor observations. The system yields forecasts of
rainfall probability and rain amount.
During IA #16, FSL and CWB will collaborate to port an existing
QPF system of short range forecasts of precipitation from remote
-sensor observations using statistical extrapolative techniques.
During IA #16, FSL will also provide training on using SCAN and
technical support on IFPS, D3D and FX-C software customization
to CWB so that CWB can include these components as part of WINS
II.
Task #4 - Continuing Interaction on Earlier Cooperative Projects
Several earlier cooperative tasks have been completed. Technol-
ogy has been transferred successfully and is beginning to be us-
ed operationally at CWB. FSL's development in these areas cont-
inues, and further CWB/FSL interaction is important to keep CWB
staff up-to-date on current developments. This task will allow
continuing interaction at an appropriate level, including new
software releases of the forecast information system including
the internet-based forecast workstation, data assimilation, for-
ecaster training, exchange of visits, copying papers and reports
, and e-mail interaction.
Article IV - Financial Provisions
In accordance with the Agreement, NOAA/FSL is undertaking this
work as the designated representative of AIT. TECRO is required
to reimburse AIT for all costs incurred by AIT's designated rep-
resentative, NOAA/FSL, in association with the project covered
by this Implementing Arrangement. AIT shall transfer to NOAA/
FSL all payments made by TECRO to AIT for costs incurred by NOAA
/FSL in association with this Implementing Arrangement.
The total cost for activities described in this Implementing Ar-
rangement is mutually agreed to be U.S. $950,000.00. TECRO agre-
es to transfer fifty percent of the funds to AIT in advance,
with the remaining fifty percent to be transferred upon complet-
ion of the year's activities.
The funding arrangement represents an equitable apportionment of
project costs. NOAA's performance of activities under this Imp-
lementing Arrangement is subject to the availability of funds.
Article V - Intellectual Property Considerations
No intellectual property considerations are expected to arise in
conjunction with activities described in this Implementing Arra-
ngement. Existing system designs and computer software of the
FSL Forecast System are in the public domain. Reports, specifi-
cations, and computer software prepared under this Implementing
Arrangement also will be in the public domain once NOAA and CWB
have approved them in final form.
Article VI - Effective Date, Amendment, and Termination
This Implementing Arrangement is effective on the date of the
last signature hereto. This Implementing Arrangement may be am-
ended and/or terminated in accordance with the terms of the Agr-
eement. The estimated completion date for the activities descri-
bed in this Implementing Arrangement is December 31, 2004.
FOR THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE FOR THE TAIPEI ECONOMIC AND
IN TAIWAN CULTURAL REPRESENTATIVE OFFICE
IN THE UNITED STATES
Barbara Schrage Lee Chen-hsiung
Deputy Managing Director Deputy Representative
───────────── ───────────────
Date: 04/29/2004 Date: 06/29/2004