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The Weather -- The Sequel

Weather forecasting in New Zealand has taken another step forward with the recent presentation to meteorologists of a laser disc containing 55,000 weather satellite images, approximately 20% of which are of New Zealand weather.

The "Meteodisc" was presented to representatives of Victoria University and the Weather Forecasting SOE Establishment Unit by the Free University of Berlin. Victoria and the Free University have collaborated in the production of two films of New Zealand weather satellite images. [The Weather -- The Movie, Nov 91]

The laser disc constitutes an advance over films in a number of ways. Many more playback options are available on video disc players, including random access to any frame on the disc. The disc can also be connected to a controlling personal computer. Particular sequences of frames can then be preprogrammed for play. Databases can be set up cross-referenced to frames, or sequences of frames, and used to search through the disc for particular features of interest. The disc also contains images showing sea surface temperatures, and other such satellite data can easily be collated in a similar way.

Described as a potential fulcrum between research and teaching, it is expected that further discs, including discs devoted solely to New Zealand data, will soon be produced.

Tony Smith, NZSM Wellington