The Use of Next-Generation Weather
Technologies to Manage the Impact of
our Changing Climate
Jim Anderson
Vice President, Global Network and Bus. Dev.
Worldwide Natural Disasters on the Rise
IPCC Update (Mar 2012):
• Estimated $200B per year in losses globally
• Over 95% of fatalities in developing countries since 1970s
• Forecasting more extreme weather
Weather is the #1 Most Accessed
Mobile Content Category
Mobile Category Usage
Monthly Uniques in US
140,000
120,000
100,000
80,000
12 Avg. visits/person/month for weather
60,000
40,000
20,000
Unique
Audience
(000)
0
Source: Nielsen Mobile Media report, Dec 2011, all carriers
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Weather & Storm Alerts
Are Critical to Consumers
Weather is the #2 Most-Popular
in Mobile App Stores
Severe Weather Alerts are Top Use Case
“Tell Us Your Story” WeatherBug Submissions
Severe Weather
Recreation/Travel/Home
Parents/Family
Health
Education
Consumer: Day-to-Day
On-the-Job
Earth Networks Overview
Build and Operate Large Scale Weather & Environmental
Observation Networks
Greenhouse
Gas Network
Weather
Network
Boundary
Layer
Network
Lightning
Network
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5 Billion Connections Per Day
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From the Sensor to the App, Taking the
Pulse of the Planet
…so Consumers, Businesses and Governments Can Make Timely Decisions
7+ billion people
6.8 billion lack weather warnings
5.6+ billion mobile phones
Opportunity
Total Lightning Data Provides Enables
Severe Weather Forecasting
Total lightning detection at high
efficiencies is critical for earlier
identification, tracking & forecasting of
dangerous weather, including:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Thunderstorms
Microbursts and wind shear
Hail
High winds and
Tornadoes
Cloud-to-ground lightning
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Global Lightning Systems
More than 600 Sensors Installed and Growing
10
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Earth Networks Total Lightning System
• Highest Performance – best location
accuracy and detection efficiency
• Continental Scale Total Lightning
Detection
• Lowest Life Cycle Cost – easiest to
deploy and maintain
• Enables Severe Weather Nowcasting
and Alerting
• Dangerous Thunderstorm Alerts
• PulseRad
A Earth Networks
Weather Station with
Lightning Sensor
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Back to Menu
Dangerous Thunderstorm Alerts
Plains/Midwest Severe Weather: 2/28 – 2/29, 2012*
10 Tornadic Events in KS, MO, IL, & IN
DTA = Earth Networks Dangerous Thunderstorm Alert (automated based on Mesonet Total Lightning)
Note: time stamps in local time
Location
DTA
Time
NWS Warn
Time**
Tornado
Report Time
ENDTA
Advanced
Alerting
Randall, KS
455p
518p
528p
23 min
Hutchinson, KS
715p
718p
743p
3 min
Harveyville, KS
847p
828p
902p
-19 min
Jerico Springs, MO
1035p
1059p
1115p
24 min
Buffalo, MO
1120p
1154p
1156p
34 min
Branson, MO
1242a
1258a
123a
16 min
Patton, MO
250a
303a
325a
13 min
Newburgh, IN
525a
531a
605a
6 min
428a
443a
456a
15 min
455a
514a
535a
19 min
Key:
Harrisburg, IL
Purple Polygons = DTA alerts by Earth Networks
4/27/11warnings
from 1-7pm CDT
Yellow Polygons = NWS severe thunderstorm
Metropolis, IL
Red Polygons = NWS tornado warnings
Red Triangles = Local storm tornado reports
Blue Triangles = Local damaging wind reports
Green Triangles = Local hail reports
Median Advanced Alert : 16 minutes
* Preliminary Analysis
** First NWS Warning: Svr T’Storm Warning OR Tornado Warning
Earth Networks DTAs Lead Times
Can Double the Advanced Warning: 13 More Minutes Average
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NWS Tornado Warning Lead Time
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PulseRad Based on Total Lightning (8/11/11)
6/1/2011
Global Opportunity: Track Storms and Assess Flooding/Drought Potential Without
Radar Infrastructure via Proxy Radar
Accumulated
Rainfall
Proxy Radar
Estimate
Based on Earth
Networks Total
Lightning Network
US National Weather
Service Rainfall
Estimate
Based on Billions
Spent on Satellites
6/1/2011
PulseRad: Proxy Radar for Rio
Based on partial
Total Lightning Network
Deployment in Brazil
Lightning 2011-12-01 1210Z
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Automated Storm Alert Messages
• Official Alert Messages from the NMHS
• Automated and real-time alerts to the public
• Delivered to mobile platforms and devices
 SMS / MMS
 Web
 Smartphone / Desktop Apps
WeatherBug informs and
alerts more than 40
million monthly users via:
– Website
– Desktop app
– Mobile platforms
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Food Security & Agriculture
Weather & Climate
Monitoring
•
•
•
•
Grower Integrated Weather
Command Center
Pest and Disease Risk
Model Output
Early Warning System for Food Production
Efficient Water Management & Irrigation
Effective pest control and fertilization practices
Optimal harvesting prediction
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Mobile Access
Global Opportunity
Weather Forecasts and Alerts
• Proprietary content that consumers need
– Hourly to 15-day forecasts generated from live data for any
point on the globe
– Custom weather alerts
•
•
•
•
•
Served via multiple devices, platforms, OS
Delivered via apps, SMS, emails and more
Can be localized
Data API’s for distribution via other partners and channels
Premium feature: expanding ability to provide advanced
danger alerts and visibility to extreme weather
– Tornadoes, hurricanes, cyclones, floods, hail, snow, etc.
– Enabled by proprietary Total Lightning Network, largest in the
world
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Earth Networks Partnership Potential
How does our span from the Infrastructure Sensor to the App
Align with your Assets and Focus?
Infrastructure Partnership:
Co-locate weather and
lightning sensors on comm.
towers
Distribution & Marketing Partnership:
Delivery of app and SMS info and alerts
Branding, promotion and revenue share
Thank You