General NOAA Operational Modeling Environment)

Abstract:

GNOME (General NOAA Operational Modeling Environment) is the oil spill trajectory model used by OR&R Emergency Response Division (ERD) responders during an oil spill. ERD trajectory modelers use GNOME in Diagnostic Mode to set up custom scenarios quickly. In Standard Mode, anyone can use GNOME (with a Location File) to:

- predict how wind, currents, and other processes might move and spread oil spilled on the water.
- learn how predicted oil trajectories are affected by inexactness ("uncertainty") in current and wind observations and forecasts.
- see how spilled oil is predicted to change chemically and physically ("weather") during the time that it remains on the water surface.

To use GNOME, you describe a spill scenario by entering information into the program; GNOME then creates and displays an oil spill "movie" showing the predicted trajectory of the oil spilled in your scenario. Along with GNOME, most users also will want to download the Location Files for their regions of interest. Location Files contain prepackaged tide and current data and make it easier to work with GNOME.

GNOME was developed by the Emergency Response Division (ERD) (formerly the Hazardous Materials Response Division [HAZMAT]) of NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R).

Subject:

Science and Technology

Grade Level:

Secondary, Post-secondary

Collection:

NOAA