A stamp based exploration framework for numerical weather forecast

Numerical weather simulation data usually comprises various meteorological variables, such as precipitation, temperature and pressure. In practical applications, data generated with several different numerical simulation models are usually used together by forecasters to generate the final forecast. However, it is difficult for forecasters to obtain a clear view of all the data due to its complexity. This has been a great limitation for domain experts to take advantage of all the data in their routine work. In order to help explore the multi-variate and multi-model data, we propose a stamp based exploration framework to assist domain experts in analyzing the data. The framework is used to assist domain experts in detecting the bias patterns between numerical simulation data and observation data. The exploration pipeline originates from a single meteorological variable and extends to multiple variables under the guidance of a designed stamp board. Regional data patterns can be detected by analyzing distinctive stamps on the board or generating extending stamps using the Boolean set operations. Experiment results show that some meteorological phenomena and regional data patterns can be easily detected through the exploration. These can help domain experts conduct the data analysis efficiently and further guide forecasters in producing reliable weather forecast.