TempestExtremes: a framework for scale-insensitive pointwise feature tracking on unstructured grids

• Published in: Geoscientific Model Development Vol. 10; no. 3; pp. 1069 - 1090
• Main Authors: Ullrich, Paul A., Zarzycki, Colin M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Katlenburg-Lindau Copernicus GmbH 07.03.2017; Copernicus Publications
• Subjects: Algorithms; Arrays; Automation; Climate change; Climate models; Computer simulation; Cyclones; Datasets; Easterly waves; Extratropical cyclones; Hurricanes; Literature reviews; Open source software; Sea level; Software; Source code; Technology application; Tracking; Trees; Tropical climate; Tropical cyclones; Tropical easterly waves; Unstructured grids (mathematics); United States > US
• ISSN: 1991-9603; 1991-959X; 1991-962X; 1991-9603; 1991-962X
• DOI: 10.5194/gmd-10-1069-2017

This paper describes a new open-source software framework for automated pointwise feature tracking that is applicable to a wide array of climate datasets using either structured or unstructured grids. Common climatological pointwise features include tropical cyclones, extratropical cyclones and tropical easterly waves. To enable support for a wide array of detection schemes, a suite of algorithmic kernels have been developed that capture the core functionality of algorithmic tracking routines throughout the literature. A review of efforts related to pointwise feature tracking from the past 3 decades is included. Selected results using both reanalysis datasets and unstructured grid simulations are provided.