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February 15, 2002 —

National Weather Service
President Bush watched a satellite visualization of Hurricane Floyd as it moved up the East Coast, and interacted with a Web-based program with weather service forecasts from the short term (minutes) through the long term (months/seasons). Seasonal forecasts and animation on the looming El Niño were included.

Air Resources Laboratory
HYSPLIT (HYbrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Tragectory) model. This exhibit demonstrated the capability of HYSPLIT to forecast the spread of hazardous materials injected into the lower atmosphere by an accident or some other event. This instrumentation included a high sensitivity anemometer that can be used to detect very rapid fluctuations in the wind and an air quality sensor that can detect changes with equal rapidity. The Air Resources Laboratory is based in Silver Spring, Md.

Climate Monitoring
The President saw a map and graphs of billion-dollar weather events; climate information for Afghanistan humanitarian aid; global temperature and U.S. temperature and precipitation anomalies; and a U.S. map of heating degree days. The information described NOAA's National Climatic Data Center monitoring activities.

National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System
The NPOESS display listed the capabilities and benefits the satellite system provides to the nation. The president learned how NPOESS provides global climate change assessment and prediction, as well as precise atmospheric, oceanic, terrestrial and solar-geophysical data enabling more accurate short-term weather forecasts and sever storm warnings.

Argo Float
This display illustrated for the president the effects of heat stored in the ocean and how it affects global climate and weather. Graphics detailed the cycles of Argo floats from drop-off to collection, to transmittal at the surface of the ocean.

Immersa Desk
President Bush saw a visualization and presentation of El Niño through the 3-D visualization machine known as the ImmersaDesk. The presentation gave the president an explanation of the weather phenomena El Niño and La Niña, their development, characteristics and effects.