Motivate...
The video above shows a 7-day satellite loop for the continental US. Movies, like the one mentioned, provide a great way to visualize weather. We can clearly see weather systems moving through, which can help with forecasting. Another great example is this video showing a satellite loop of the 2017 hurricane season. Both loops highlight the weather on a large spatial scale over varying timescales.
While such loops are helpful for seeing short-term trends, it is often hard to see the recurring patterns in long-term loops, much less quantify them. So, when dealing with big data that is not only large temporally but also spatially, how can we best visualize the evolution and movement of the weather? In this lesson, you will learn about the Hovmöller diagram, a static spatial-temporal diagram used throughout meteorology that aids in the visualization of movement. Read on to find out more!
Lesson Objectives
- Describe what a Hovmöller diagram shows.
- Create Hovmöller diagrams in R.
- Interpret a Hovmöller diagram for a given variable.
Newsstand
- The Trough-and-Ride Diagram. Wiley Online Library. Retrieved on June 21, 2018.
- Persson, A. (2017). The Story of the Hovmöller Diagram: An (Almost) Eyewitness Account. Retrieved on June 21, 2018.
- Hocke, K. & Kämpfer, N. (2009, November 20). Hovmöller diagrams of climate anomalies in NCEP/NCAR reanalysis from 1948 to 2009. Retrieved on June 21, 2018.
- Video: How does a Hovmöller diagram work? Retrieved on June 21, 2018.
- Di Liberto, T. Hovmöller Diagram: A climate scientist’s best friend. Retrieved on June 21, 2018.
- CERES Data 2009-2015. Retreived on June 21, 2018.
- Chang, E. Wave Packet Diagnostics for Winter TPARC. Retrieved on June 21, 2018.
- J. Mauro Vargas‐Hernandez, Susan Wijffels, Gary Meyers, & Neil J. Holbrook. (2015, July 21). Slow westward movement of salinity anomalies across the tropical South Indian Ocean. Retrieved on June 21, 2018.
- Giovanni: The Bridge Between Data and Science
