Category Archives: Earth Data Science

Overview RENCI acquired a Dodeca 2360 camera system from Immersive Media in Portland, OR, to capture 360-degree high definition video. The camera system recreates physical spaces in cyberspace using an 11-camera, geo-referenced imagery system that shoots high-resolution video in full 360 degrees. The system collects huge amounts of data: 1 million pixels per second, or […]

Overview Meteorological modeling simulates meteorological conditions, such as wind, temperature and vertical mixing. The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model is a mesoscale numerical weather prediction system that serves both forecasting and atmospheric research needs. WRF merges existing mesoscale meteorological models into a comprehensive mesoscale meteorological modeling capability. It features multiple dynamical cores, a 3-dimensional […]

Overview When an ice storm hit the Triangle area in December 2002, thousands of homes lost power. Worse, utility trucks were slowed in their efforts to restore power because many were located outside the affected area and could not travel on ice-covered roads. A better ability to predict ice storms could have put the trucks […]

Overview Brunswick County is one of the fastest growing counties in the state of North Carolina—and one of the most vulnerable to flash floods caused by hurricanes and storm surges. With its growing population, the county faces challenges when evacuating people, especially those with medical needs, before a hurricane or storm surge. Many roadways that […]

Overview The Southeastern Universities Research Association’s (SURA) Southeastern Coastal Ocean Observing and Prediction Program (SCOOP) is creating an open-access network of distributed sensors and a grid environment for the southeastern coastal zone. This initiative supports the national agenda to establish an integrated, sustained ocean observing system. SCOOP’s primary goal is to implement a comprehensive observing […]

Overview Communication and collaboration are key components of successful emergency management. To enhance these components in the North Carolina emergency management community, RENCI is working with the community to roll out three products that make up the Collaborative Workspace Environment for Emergency Managers. These products include NC-FIRST, desktop conferencing software, and a new North Carolina […]

Overview The RENCI Weather Web program uses research and operational grade weather stations to enable North Carolina educators to teach required meteorology and atmospheric science classes. RENCI provides the weather stations throughout the state in underserved areas that lack the stations needed to provide good quality climate-related data. The weather data retrieved from the stations […]

Overview Each year across the United States, floods, tornadoes, hail, strong winds, lightning and winter storms—what scientists call mesoscale weather events—cause hundreds of deaths, routinely disrupt transportation and commerce, and result in annual economic losses greater than $13 billion. Unfortunately, the information technology framework that exist today cannot provide scientists with the ability to use […]

Overview Each year lightning kills and injures people, destroys homes, starts massive forest fires, and ruins electrical and communication systems causing millions of dollars worth of damage. Lightning data is one of the most requested data sets from emergency managers for both real-time monitoring and to study past events. RENCI, in collaboration with the State […]