CLIQR web-based interface Last Updated 08/03/2008 Contact: Kyle.S.Griffin@noaa.gov ************************************************************************************************************************** WEB-NOTE: Currently, the web output is extremely simple and is subject to potentially daily changes. No claim is made that this data will be timely or accurate, however, the system is set up that no data should ever be older than from the previous synoptic cycle. Also, this help file is a version adapted from the one accompanying our in-house interface and thus may vary from the actual results on the web. ************************************************************************************************************************** ABOUT ************************ CLIQR (CLImatology-based Quantitative Rainfall) is a tool that will allow its users to search for previous tropical cyclones that, at one point in their life cycles, were similar to the defined set of initial data. The program will take these results, ranked in order of best match, and display their associated rainfall graphics that have been created from the Tropical Cyclone Rainfall Climatology project. For reference, the search is based on available location, strength, and size information. The database currently contains all of the best track points from both the Atlantic HURDAT (dating back through 1851) and the Eastern Pacific (dating back through 1949). Not all of this data is complete, however, as data for the heavily-weighted size (measured by the ROCI) criteria is present in the majority of systems back through 1980, with a higher data density in the more recent years. In the Eastern Pacific, this data is only available back through the 2001 season at present time. Because of this data "void," some older storms might not match as well as they potentially could. Work is underway to expand the availability of this data. HOW TO USE ************************ The CLIQR results files should update shortly after the NHC advisory issuance times. Once this occurs, the available storms will appear/update on the main CLIQR results page. The actual results from the search use the format of the extended best track database, which is explained at the end of this page. In addition, the very last column of each line is the number of points the searching algorithm awards to that individual point in the database. A perfect match will have about nine points. Initially, these results contain every matching point in the Atlantic database from 1851 to 2007 and in the Eastern Pacific database from 2001 to 2007. The web-based CLIQR interface, however, does not yet access these files even though they are being uploaded. To view the rainfall graphics for the storms that match a current system, click on the current system's name on the main CLIQR results page and that storm's page will be displayed. Currently, a simple link to each of the images is displayed in order from best match to worst match, although we hope to greatly improve this display in the future. NOTE: There are multiple reasons for a storm not displaying a rainfall graphic, the most likely of which is that the storm has not been reached yet in the Climatology database. This will be true of most storms before 1979, although a select few exist back to 1933. If a storm since 1979 does not display a graphic, then chances are that it did not produce much, if any, rainfall in an area with accessible rainfall data - hence all storms that do not near land fall under this category. A third, far slimmer possibility exists that the link to the rainfall graphic is broken - if you happen across a storm where you think this is the case, please let me know. ************************************************************************************************************************** EXTENDED BEST TRACK FORMAT 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 AL0798 GEORGES 092612 1998 25.7 85.1 90 974 30 -99 1010 210 150150100 80 125100 30 50 110 60 0 0 * 57 302 7.5 AL0585 ELENA 082918 1985 25.9 085.8 70 990 -99 -99 -99 -99 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 * 69 322 4.0 AL0282 SUBTROP 1 061812 1982 28.7 82.8 40 999 -99 -99 1009 200 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 S 135 44 2.2 AL0191 ANA 063018 1991 26.7 82.4 20 1012 -99 -99 -99 -99 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 L 44 314 2.0 AL1590 MARCO 101218 1990 33.2 82.6 15 1005 -99 -99 -99 -99 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 E 74 15 2.0 The first column is the basin (AL or EP), storm number, and year identifier. The second column is the system's name, with depression numbers spelled out. The third column is the point in time, formatted by MMDDHH. The fourth column is the year (yes, some results may go back into the 1800's so two digits is not enough) The fifth and sixth columns are latitude in degrees north and longitude in degrees west. The seventh column is the maximum sustained winds at that point in time. The eighth column is the minimum central pressure. The ninth column is the radius of maximum winds, if known. The tenth column is the diameter of the eye, if present. The eleventh column is the outermost closed isobar of the storm, where -88 represents no closed isobar present. The twelfth column is the radius of the outermost closed isobar, where 0 represents no closed isobar present. Columns 13-16 are the gale (34kt) wind radii (NE, SE, SW, NW) Columns 17-20 are the 50kt wind radii (NE, SE, SW, NW) Columns 21-24 are the hurricane-force (64kt) wind radii (NE, SE, SW, NW) Column 25 is the character of the storm, where * represents a fully tropical low S represents a subtropical low E represents an extratropical low W represents a tropical wave L represents a general low ? represents an unknown system ***The last three columns are CLIQR-generated values*** Column 26 is the speed of the storm, usually from its previous point. This value is known to be in error at times. Column 27 is the direction of the storm, using the same point as previous column (with similar error potential) Column 28 contains the ranking assigned to that individual point. Maximum ranking is a little over 9 points currently. Values of -99 or -999 represent unknown or missing values. Units, where applicable, are in knots, millibars, and nautical miles.