Prevent by informing…

…make it WORLD WIDE

Project Manager: Andra Diana Florescu

Raluca Cojocaru
Carmina Dumitrescu

Graphic Designer: Andrei Sorici

Supervisor: Prof. Delilah Florea

From: National College “Samuel von

Brukenthal”, Sibiu
 In the past, as well as nowadays, people had to face some of nature’s unpleasant phenomena.
Even if technology begins to progress, mankind can’t always stand a chance against the outbreaks of
nature.
We often hear news about people who suffered from natural catastrophes. That is why it would
be best to figure out a way we can protect people against natural disasters WOLRDWIDE.

What to do?

In order to do develop such a successful project, it is necessary for the company to store every piece
of information it gathers in “digital shelves”. This way you can view information or store, insert,
delete and update other pieces of information.

The main Problem

The main problem was, that different companies were using different types of databases. Sharing
complex information at a higher level was not possible because of the lack of collaboration and
communication.

How to Approach?

By expounding a so called “universal” database for meteorological institutions and

companies, it is easier to communicate not only at local scale, but also at a larger one,
for instance: globally.
International communication leads to international cooperation and that is our main goal.
Our Objectives
The idea of worldwide cooperation and communication caused us to come up with the
design of a 100% functional database that would match our expectations. This database
could be assigned to most of the meteorological companies and institutes globally, in order
to increase efficiency.

Use of the database:

Introducing data and calling it up whenever it is needed

Inserting, updating, deleting or merging when it is necessary

Sending and spreading meteorological data, cooperating and communicating

worldwide
Therefore, the database must be:

Suitable for varied institutions that are willing to use it

Reliable and perfectly functional

Effective and operative, in order to assure the accomplishment of a

desired result especially as viewed after the fact
Who We Are and What We Do…

Meteorology is a branch of the geophysics, which studies the features of the

atmosphere and its phenomena.
Our company consists of well prepared scientists, as well as of competent
employees, who benefit from modern and advanced technology. Collecting, processing and
sharing meteorological data by modern, scientifically means and a well based knowledge in
our field, is what we do. Communicating, collaborating and comparing are of big importance
to us. Establishing forecasts and analyzing past meteorological data represents an efficient
way of warning people of unusual phenomena.

The company is responsible for a region or a large district, from

where it permanently receives meteorological data through its corresponding
meteorological stations. It is actually the main center, where the information sent
by the weather stations is stored, coded and spread first to the main
meteorological data center in Europe, and then all over the world, in order to
achieve its purpose.
What is actually a weather station?

A weather station is a facility with instruments and equipment designed to

make observations of atmospheric conditions in order to provide information to make
weather forecasts and to study the weather and climate.

Types of Weather stations:

 Manual Weather Stations, or traditional weather stations which

are operating with traditional weather instruments and maintained
by human activity

 Automatic Weather Stations, the automated version of the manual

meteorological station, enabling measurements from remote areas.
Each automatic weather station can have two major class
components: sensors and radars. These facilities are responsible for
the gathering of meteorological data.
The Radar

Radar is an acronym that stands for

Radio Detection And Ranging.
A weather radar consists of a parabolic
dish (it looks like a satellite dish)
encased in a protective dome and
mounted on a tower of up to five stories
tall. Radars are used to locate
precipitation, calculate its motion,
estimate its type or mode (rain, snow,
hail, etc.), and forecast its future position
and intensity.
Modern weather radars are mostly
Doppler radars, capable of detecting the
motion of rain droplets in addition to
intensity of the precipitation.
On behalf of the registered information, the Radars are capable of
establishing a weather forecast.
Forecast = to predict (weather conditions) on the basis of correlated
meteorological observations
The Weather Sensors

The weather sensors are the actual measurement instruments, for example:
Monitor Barometric Pressure, Solar Radiation, Wind Speed, Wind Direction, Humidity,
and Temperature. The sensors are scanned every ten minutes and the measurements are
sent in shape of a meteorological message to the data storage center.
The message is a string of numbers, which individually or grouped may
characterize: location, date, average humidity, temperature, and so on. It is an universal
“language”, readable to all meteorologists.
After arriving at the data storage center, the string of numbers will be decoded
and the meteorological data is interpreted. Every single hour, the average report will be
sent to the European storage center, wherefrom it is spread to other areas on the entire
planet.
Each weather station may have several digital weather sensors for:
o Air temperature
o Humidity
o Wind speed
o Wind direction
o Barometric pressure
o Precipitation
o Sunshine duration
o Solar radiation
 Structure
The company does not have only one type of component (weather stations), it also
includes diverse departments, each made up of employees, supervised by managers, responsible for
different tasks, such as: statistics, computer science and technical engineering.

Services
In order to organize the meteorological data better, we have resorted to an
“administrative division”. There are five main categories of services:
•Nivology
•Climatology
•Hydrometeorology
•Anemometry
•Agricultural Meteorology

Each service will be explained in the following pages.

Climate and Season are needed to spot the exact place of a possible
meteorological phenomenon.

The Synoptic Data is the actual meteorological data determined by the

measurements and the company’s services.
 Preliminary ERD

The preliminary ERD is the first

conceptual SERVICE
model we had established after ◦ comments

receiving the basic information about the assure

be the effect
meteorological measurements. WEATHER_STATION
of
# ID
* name MEASUREMENT
# ID
It contains only the strict relevant have described * date_obtained
entities. be a
by * place_obtained
* value
In order to develop a functional database component of belong to ◦ altitude

model, we had to: RADAR SENSOR

◦ code
◦ group
# ID # ID
DEW_POINT_TEMPERATURE
* latitude * latitude
◦ comments
add complexity, by expanding the model * longitude
* elevation
* longitude
* range
and adding also other entities * type
* range
PRECIPITATION
◦ comments
* mode
* date
respect the normalization forms * time
VISIBILITY
responsible
for ◦ comments
caused by
resolve many-to-many relationships, by be the
FORECAST
adding an intersection entity # ID
result of SHINE
◦ comments
* period determine

mark mutual exclusivity and non-

transferability
respect the drawing conventions for
readability
 DIAGNOSE COUNTRY NIVOLOGY CLIMATOLOGY HIDROMETEOROLOGY ANEMOMETRY
marked by # ID
# ID # ID # ID # ID # ID
* start_date * name * crystal_type * location * location * direction
* end_date composed of * layer_thickness * initial_data * quantity * intensity
* temperature * final_data belong to be part of
serve for ◦ code ◦ comments
belongs to
◦ comments correspond
REGION to
# ID apply to
adjusted have CLIMATE
by * name # ID

reflect in
found in dependent

contain
assure
* name

consist of
defined by on

have
SEASON
LONG_TERM_PREDICTION ◦ description
findable # ID
# ID part of in * name determined by
* start_date * start_date
* end_date LOCATION contain COMPANY SYNOPTIC_DATA SERVICE
* end_date
* functionality # ID # ID # ID ◦ comments
be proper *name
* comments * latitude * date_sent
for appropriate stand for
* phenomenon * longitude constituted * time_sent
* altitude ◦ message
AGRICULTURAL_METEOROLOGY
* name exist in concluded by
#ID
DEPARTMENT * location
residence of * surface be for
# ID
* name * soil_type
situated in consist of * deepness MEASUREMENT
* water_quantity # ID
WEATHER_STATION * date_obtained

Final
establish a # ID * place_obtained
* name work in * value
◦ altitude
have described by EMPLOYEE ◦ code
# ID

ERD
◦ group
be a component * first_name DEW_POINT_TEMPERATURE
of belongs to AIR_TEST
* last_name considered ◦ comments
# ID
* shift
RADAR SENSOR be * temperature defined by
* job PRECIPITATION
# ID # ID coordinated * pressure
* salary ◦ comments
* latitude * latitude by * phone_number
* longitude * longitude
◦ e_mail
* elevation * range VISIBILITY
* type be the ◦ comments
executive of RADIATION
* range represent
# ID
* mode * received_solar_rediation have SHINE
* date * retrieved_solar_radiation ◦ comments
* time

responsible for
determine
caused by
be the
result of FORECAST
# ID
* period
Database Structure
A color has been assigned to every entity, in order to represent its importance visually.
Entities marked with an intense color represent the significant parts of the ERD, where as grey or
white entities are less important.

MEASUREMENT is the most complex and important entity, it represents the pile, on which
the entire conceptual model is based on.

Each measurement must taken on a specific date. The place where each
measurement has been taken, must be valid. For some measurements, like
VISIBILITY, it sometimes is of advantage to register also the altitude.

At subtype level we have represented the measurements, that are recorded

in any meteorological station: DEW_TEMPERATURE,
PRECIPITATIONS, VISIBILITY and SHINE.
Each recorded value corresponds to a “code”, which is
actually the alert code: green, yellow, red. Each
measurement can be classified into a group, containing a
number specific for each type of measurement. This will
help afterwards, when the meteorological data is packed
into numbers and groups of numbers, in order to be
transmitted.
RADIATION Usually the subtraction between the received and sent
solar radiation is needed. However, this part will be
handled by a database programmer.
SYNOPTIC_DATA is the actual meteorological data, that will be sent. It is
determined by both MEASUREMENT and SERVICE.

The attribute code stands for the large string of numbers, the
integral message translated into the “meteorological language”.

SERVICE is an intersection entity between SYNOPTIC_DATA and each

service the company is responsible for.

AGRICULTURAL_METEOROLOGY represents the relationship between meteorology and the

fields of plant, animal and soil sciences, ecology, and
biogeochemistry.
From time to time, different plots of land are analyzed and
information such as: type of soil and water quantity within
the soil is gathered.

CLIMATOLOGY Climatology is the study of climate,

scientifically defined as weather
conditions averaged over a period of
time. This is a service for the statistic
regarding possible changes of the
climate.
NIVOLOGY Through the NIVOLOGY ( “study of snow” ) service, meteorologists
can predict avalanches. For this it is necessary to know the thickness
of the snow layer, the temperature and the type of snow crystal.
Over and over again, a pit is dug and after each snowfall,
meteorologists investigate the snow layers. This is how they can
predict if, or approximate when an avalanche might occur.

HYDROMETEOROLOGY studies the transfer of water and energy between the land surface and
the lower atmosphere. This service deals with the measuring of the
water quantity after each rainfall.

ANEMOMETRY the process of ascertaining the force, speed, and direction of wind or
an airflow.

FORECAST Prediction of the weather condition, based on the meteorological

conditions. It is only valid for a short period of time ( maximum 5
days )

DIAGNOSE Is the meteorological information out of date.

LONG_TERM_PREDICTION Used to foresee, on behalf of the older

meteorological data, possible climate changes or
other meteorological phenomenon.
Assumptions and Business Rules

 The borders of a country, region or location can’t be expanded

 The company cannot change the location/region it is situated in
 Departments are not allowed to be “moved” to other companies
 Employees are not allowed to be transferred to other departments
 Each department manager is responsible for at least one or more employees
 The code for each measurement is known and unique
 The start date must be before the end date
 The shift time may not overlap
 The shift may not be reassigned to another employee
Documenting and Information

From the internet:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weather_station
• http://www.meteo.ntua.gr/e/info/
• http://www.hydro.linz.govt.nz/tides/info/tideinfo2/index.asp
• http://www.pol.ac.uk/appl/metstats/met_apr2000.pdf

From interviews with:

Silviu Draghici
System Engineer

Eugen Mitea Ilie Mojic

Forecasting Meteorologist Forecasting Meteorologist
 Previously to the first interview we have consulted the internet for general information
about the infrastructure of a typical meteorological institute. However, it could only help us to
create an image about overall technical processes.

During the first interview with Mr. Silviu Draghici, system engineer at the meteorological
institute in Sibiu, we were familiarized with the concept of “weather stations” as well as their
components: radars and sensors. In this way, pieces of information about the technical aspects of the
institute were added to our previous documentation. But that was just the beginning: we had also
received general information about the company’s structure: departments and services, with their most
important features.
After interviewing Mr. Draghici, we had also the chance to discuss with two forecasting
meteorologists from the same institute: Mr. Mitea and Mr. Mojic. During the interview we took notes
of the details about the major services of the company, the type of information that is gathered, how the
information is gathered and how the data is stored.
Moreover, we learned how the meteorological data is translated into
mathematical language and sent to the storage center, where it is decoded and
interpreted.
We did not receive only theoretical information, but also visual
materials, like images caught by the radars during each measurement, which you
could see in one of the previous slides.
Why is it important to maintain a database?

In order to keep the results of the measurements well organized, it is recommended that
you store then in a database. The database does not only allow you to return specific information,
but it also offers you the possibility of changing, updating and deleting data, which might not be
used anymore.
Below you can visualize the physical database model for the entity
SYNOPTIC_DATA
ID date_sen time_sent message
t
15209 27.08.2007 14:00:00 15300 02597 80000 11005 21022 39546 42785
15170 28.09.2007 13:00:00 15260 01598 83601 10003 21011 39650 40200
15231 02.10.2007 11:00:00 15168 21596 82300 10004 21008 39557 42784
15184 24.10.2007 15:00:00 15235 21596 80000 10016 20016 39681 40208
15300 07.11.2007 17:00:00 15162 01597 82004 10015 21019 39446 42760
This is what the entire database will look like: a set of two-dimensional
tables. This system is very helpful, if you take into consideration that, depending
on how you extract information from the table, you can establish forecasts,
diagnoses and even long term prediction. We try to proceed in this way, to
elaborate meteorological statistics, which can help us inform and warn the people
of possible natural catastrophes.
 Meteorological statistics

Below you can see meteorological statistics, which are established by the Bidston
Observatory:
Meteorological statistics: April 2000
Date Barometer Wind Wind Temp Temp Humidity Rainfall Sunshine Wind Speed
Direction Speed Maximum Minimum Total Total Maximum
Mean

mb deg Knots deg C deg C % mm Hours Knots

1 1000.5 147.1 6.9 9.7 4.2 87.8 4.8 0.4 16.2

2 999.0 109.7 6.6 8.8 4.3 100.0 17.6 0.0 23.5

3 1000.1 58.4 13.9 4.6 1.8 88.9 4.5 0.0 39.7

4 1009.0 32.6 12.0 7.2 1.8 69.5 0.0 5.3 33.3

5 1024.7 195.2 5.4 8.6 2.3 72.8 0.0 11.6 16.2

Total hours of sunshine/year

26% 21%
1978
1981
1995
21% 2001
32%
We have learned:

 Where to look up information

 How to document ourselves properly
 How to organize and sort ideas
 Which steps to follow in order to build the conceptual model of a database
 How to work as a team
 How to deal with problems, which might occur during one of the
preliminary phases of the project
 How to achieve our goal