HWRF Online Tutorial V3.9a | Visualization

Plot tracker output

Prepare to run Tracker Visualization

After running the tracker for Matthew 14L 2016100400, you should have produced the tracker output file ${WORKhwrf}/tracker/output.atcfunix. However, the track output will be restricted to only 12 h. A full 126 h forecast is available as canned dataset on Cheyenne for the users to use. To plot track and intensity the full 126 h output will be used.

In order to plot this forecast using ATCF_PLOT, it is necessary to add the HWRF forecast to the operational A-deck file so it can be visualized with ATCF_PLOT

  • First change the directory where the plotting scripts reside.
cd ${SCRATCH}/hwrfrun/sorc/gfdl-vortextracker/trk_plot/plottrak/
  • Copy the operational A-deck file to the above directory and append the newly created track data renaming the tutorial HWRF track to HTUT.
cp /glade/p/ral/jnt/HWRF/datasets_v3.9a/Matthew/abdecks/aal142016.dat

cat /glade/p/ral/jnt/HWRF/datasets_v3.9a/126h-full-output/2016100400/14L/tracker/output.atcfunix | sed 's/HWRF/HTUT/g' >> aal142016.dat

  • Verify that file aal142016.dat now contains the HTUT forecast for 2016100400.

grep HTUT aal142016.dat

Run Tracker Visualization (ATCF_PLOT)

ATCF_PLOT is a GUI based visualization tool that renders storm tracks using GrADS. ATCF_PLOT allows the user to overlay multiple storm tracks along with observed storm locations on a single plot, as well as time series of storm intensity.

cd ${SCRATCH}/hwrfrun/sorc/gfdl-vortextracker/trk_plot/plottrak
  • Start up ATCF_PLOT
    • Run the script ./atcfplot.sh 2016 al

      The script takes as input the storm year (2016, in this exercise) and basin (al, in this exercise).
      A GUI will be spawned, with buttons on the left, top, and bottom. Rearrange the windows so you can see both the GUI and terminal windows. The GUI writes status messages to that terminal window.

  • From the top drop down Storms menu, select al142016 Matthew.
  • From the top drop down Dates menu, select the date 20161004 and then hour 00.
  • Select models from the left column of buttons, e.g. the HTUT track we just generated and the operational HWRF track.
  • Press the Plot button to generate the plot.
  • Save the plot to an image file by selecting the top drop down Main menu, then any of the Print sub-menus.
  • From the top menu Opts_1 dropdown list, select Intensity forecast to plot a time series. The available options are:
    • MSLP
    • Winds

 

  • Press the Plot button to generate the time series intensity plot.
  • Explore the other menus, pressing Plot whenever you are ready to create a new image.
  • Press Quit to shut down the GUI.

 

  • Once you are done creating plots with ATCF_PLOT, the image files you created may be viewed with the display command (for example display mslp1.gif).
    Note:  display  is a utility in the ImageMagick program