Tactical Weather Expert System.
Abstract
The objective of this project was to assess the feasibility of developing an expert system for tactical weather prediction. Using WILLARD, an expert system developed to predict severe thunderstorms in the Great Plains Regions of the United States, as a point of departure, the project undertook the modification of WILLARD to assess the feasibility of its being adapted to diverse, division-size geographical areas and improving its robustness by increasing its scope of meteorological data sources, including satellite imagery data. A Lisp algorithm, using gyxels rather than pixels to represent satellite grey scale images, was used to explore the feasibility of representing relevant cloud formations symbolically. The results of this research indicate that intelligent interpretations of cloud formations can be made. These inferences can then be automatically passed to the expert system for processing as another piece of information. It is anticipated that this technology will significantly reduce the dependence of the expert system on a meteorologist to visually interpret satellite weather data. The project not only demonstrated feasibility, but indicated that fielding of an initial capability within the next three to four years is technically realistic. Based upon these encouraging results, it is recommended that the application of expert system technology to the tactical weather forecasting domain be continued in Phase II. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 18, 1987
- Accession Number
- ADA178605
Entities
People
- H. B. Teates
- Michael D. Condon
- Paul D. Lampru