N O A A C e n t e r f o r T s u n a m i R e s e a r c h

Tweb: A Web-Based Tsunami Model Forecast Tool

System Architectureand

Development

Eugene F. Burger1, Linus Kamb2, Tracey Nakamura2

1 Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, NOAA, Seattle, WA2 Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean, University of Washington, Seattle, WA

NOAA Center for Tsunami Research (NCTR)Located at PMEL in Seattle, WA

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Tweb Presentation Topics

1. Define Tsunami Forecasting and Tweb2. Why develop Tweb?3. Functionality and system goals4. Architecture and system tier overview5. Challenges6. Tweb client snapshots

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Tsunami Forecasting

Provide real-time guidance for rapid, critical decisions in which lives and property are at stake1

– Threat areas– Wave arrival time– Flooding– Current speed

1 Vasily V. Titov (2009): Tsunami Forecasting, in Tsunamis. The Sea, Volume 15, edited by E.N. Bernard and A.R. Robinson, 371, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA and London, England.

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The Forecast Lifecycle

1. Seismic event

detection 2. Basin wide

propagation forecast

3. Identify risk areas

4. High Resolution Flooding forecasts

5. DART™ Data

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What is Tweb

Tweb is a web-based tsunami modeling tool for generating and viewing tsunami forecasts

– Operator can run forecasts models & share results– View-only client for viewing shared forecast result

Tweb collects and extends tools developed at NCTR/PMEL for use in both research and operational tsunami forecasting.

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Screen Shot of Tweb

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Tweb Motivation• Enable model initiation and viewing of forecast results

for– Research partners– International collaborators

• Evaluate– Research modifications to the tsunami model – Methodologies for presenting tsunami model results

• Platform– Web-based SaaS– Single point software updates & maintenance

• Integrate– Existing forecasting NCTR/PMEL tools into a single tool

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Tweb Functionality Goals• Utilize NCTR/PMEL Tsunami Forecast Methodology• Feature-rich client user interface• No browser plugin • Full user authentication• ACL for sensitive information• Manage access to functions and data by user group• Integrates decentralized model runs • Multi-language support

– English, French and Spanish

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Tweb System Goals• Build upon the existing SIFT tsunami forecast system

– SIFT has been developed for use at the NOAA Tsunami Warning Centers

– SIFT is a LAN-based desktop client-server application– Tweb is a web based system that utilizes the SIFT back end

• Web application• Inter-tier HTTP protocol• Independent tiers

– one or more tiers could be in the cloud• QoS assurances

– Dedicated SIFT instances by group– SIFT scale-up for high demand

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Tweb Logical Components

Application server

SIFT

SIFT Translator

Tiled overlay generatorData storage

Client

EIDS Seismic information

GTS (DART)

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Multiple SIFT instances are supported

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Tweb Application Tier

• Written in Java• Authentication & client session management• Handles client data requests• Monitors tsunami event status • EIDS listener (earthquake data)• Process management

– SIFT – Generation of tiled overlays (Google Maps)

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Tweb Auxiliary Services

• Tiled overlay renderer– Written in Java– NetCDF gridded data input– Produces Google Map tiles (png)

• Database– Postgres with PostGIS– User, session, tsunami event information

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Tweb Client Technologies

• Implemented using Google Web Toolkit (GWT) and Sencha GXT– UI widgets from GXT– GXT MVC framework– GWT RPC

• HighCharts Charting library

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Tweb Challenges• Charting in client

– No Flash plugin– Modeling tool specific requirements

• Updates to tsunami-event data streams– Data parsing on client

• Initial latency as client loads tsunami event information

• Lack of support for Google Maps Polyline labeling• Poor GWT support for Google Maps API• Multi-language support for server generated text

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Event Overview

Multiple model runs

Energy map with arrival time contours and wave-front location

Event summary

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Multiple Events

Tweb allows the user to switch between multiple tsunami events.

New tsunami event alert

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Initiate Flooding Forecasts

Run status of user initiated flooding forecasts

Select flooding forecasts to run

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Event OverviewMore detail

Select Flooding Forecast result overlays

Define a new solution

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View Flooding Forecast

Zoom in on map to view flooding forecast detail

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Share results with selected othersModel results can be shared for select users to view on a Tweb view-only client

Shared

Unshared

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View-Only Client

Allows view-only access tsunami-event information

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View-Only Flooding Forecasts

Allows view-only access tsunami-event information

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More Information

Eugene Burgereugene.burger@noaa.gov

Linus Kamblinus.kamb@noaa.gov

Tracey Nakamuratracey.nakamura@noaa.gov

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