Application of GIS for Atmospheric Science
4-8 January 2025
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) play a pivotal role in atmospheric science, providing powerful tools for the collection, management, analysis, and visualization of spatial and temporal data related to the Earth's atmosphere. As we face increasing challenges due to climate change, air pollution, and extreme weather events, the application of GIS in atmospheric science has become more critical than ever. GIS enables scientists and researchers to better understand atmospheric processes, forecast weather patterns, and develop strategies for mitigating and adapting to environmental changes.
Importance of GIS for Atmospheric Science
Data Integration and Visualization: The atmosphere is a complex and dynamic system influenced by numerous variables such as temperature, humidity, wind speed, and pressure. GIS allows for the integration of these diverse datasets from various sources, including satellite imagery, ground-based observations, and climate models, into a unified platform. This integration facilitates the visualization of atmospheric phenomena, helping scientists to interpret and communicate complex data more effectively.
Spatial Analysis of Atmospheric Data: Atmospheric science heavily relies on the analysis of spatial data to understand the distribution and movement of atmospheric components. GIS provides advanced spatial analysis tools that enable the study of patterns and trends, such as the spread of pollutants, the formation of storm systems, and the distribution of aerosols. This spatial perspective is crucial for identifying the drivers of atmospheric changes and their impacts on different regions.
Climate and Weather Modeling: GIS is essential for modeling weather and climate patterns. By integrating spatial data with numerical models, GIS helps simulate atmospheric conditions and predict future weather events. These models are vital for understanding the potential impacts of climate change on different geographical areas, allowing for the development of targeted adaptation and mitigation strategies.
Decision Support for Environmental Management: GIS provides valuable decision-support tools for environmental management and policy-making. It assists in monitoring air quality, assessing the impacts of emissions, and managing natural disasters such as hurricanes and wildfires. By analyzing spatial data, GIS helps decision-makers identify vulnerable areas, optimize resource allocation, and develop effective response plans.
Location:
Iranian National Institute for Oceanography and Atmospheric Science, Central Office, Tehran
Lecturer:
Masoud Moradi, [orcid]
Duration: 5 days
Topics:
Day 1- Working with GIS and spatial data:
1.1- Basic GIS
1.2- Analysis of spatial data
1.3- Symbology and classification of data
1.4- Cartographic and Mapping
1.5- Coordinate system and map projection
Day 2 - Analysis of atmospheric data and climatic models
2.1- Analysis of Raster data (working with NOAA precipitation data)
2.2- Simulation of Climate models (working with air temperature anomalies from Community Climate System Model, CCSM)
Day 3- Working with climatic and atmospheric forecast models
3.1- Practical application of Integrating GIS and climate model output (exploring the variation of crops with climatic factors)
3.2- Exploring the climate model forecast outputs (working with heat prediction scenarios)
Day 4- Working with air quality data, learning spatial analysis
4.1- Advanced spatial data analysis (working with socio-economic, demographic, and air quality data)
4.2- Advanced spatial data analysis, generating spatial information (working with ozone concentrations data)
Day 5- Working with atmospheric model and observation
5.1- Spatio-temporal analysis of multidimensional data (working with ECMWF data)
5.2- Temporal data analysis (exploring hurricane track)