3.2.2 GloFAS Map Viewer - Layer categories explained

The Layers are grouped into different categories and can be accessed as tabs in the Map Viewer: 

Initial conditions

The Initial conditions menu provides information on the initial simulated condition of several variables at the start of the forecast or up to 3 days before from the forcing data input.

The Initial conditions menu with available layers (left) and the legend for the activated layer (right): initial 3-day precipitation.

Meteorological

The Meteorological menu provides forecast precipitation products as the mean of the ECMWF ensemble forecast for the first 10 days of the 30- day forecast horizon. Products that can be viewed are accumulated precipitation, the probability (%) of accumulated precipitation to exceed 50 mm, 150 mm and 300 mm.

The Meteorological menu with available layers (left) and the legend of the activated layer (right):  the probability (%) of accumulated precipitation to exceed 300 mm.

Hydrological

The Hydrological menu depicts information on where a flood signal is expected according to different lead times corresponding to either the medium-range forecast, or the Seasonal Outlook. The Reporting Points provide more medium-range forecast information such as discharge hydrographs and upstream precipitation (see figures below). Spatially distributed information on Return Period Exceedance, and a Flood Summary for different amounts of days along the river network is also available for the medium-range forecast. Furthermore, monthly updated Seasonal Outlooks are provided for the water basins, reporting points and river network, giving a river flow forecast up to 4 months.

The Hydrological menu with available layers (left) and the legend of the activated layer (right): Reporting points. 

Hydrological information for reporting points: the screenshot shows a subset of the available information, namely the metadata, the point forecast, the discharge hydrograph and the upstream precipitation; other information available from the pop-up window (but not shown in the screenshot above) include the upstream show melt, the average temperature, the forecast overview, and the consistency diagrams (find more information in the wiki, GloFAS Reporting Points).

Flood Risk

The Flood Risk menu helps to understand the potential impact that the flood signal of the medium-range forecast can have. The Layer Rapid Flood Mapping provides information on the estimated flood extent based on the GloFAS streamflow forecast and a catalogue of modelled inundation extents. The layer Rapid Impact Assessment gives information on the potential impact of floods on population, land use (agriculture and urban) and critical infrastructure based on the extent of the area of the Rapid Flood Mapping layer.

The Flood Risk menu with available layers (left) and the legend of the activated layer (right): Rapid Impact assessment based on amount of people affected and the lead time.

Evaluation

The Evaluation tab depicts the historical hydrological model performance and the forecast skill. Also the seasonal forecast skill can be viewed. 

The Hydrological Model Performance layer depicts the Modified Kling-Gupta Efficiency (KGE) and its components for all stations for which in situ discharge measurements are available. The Forecast Skill and Seasonal Forecast Skill layer make use of  the Continuous Ranked Probability Skill Score (CRPSS), graphs can be viewed for each of the diagnostic river points.

The Evaluation menu with available layers (right) and the legend of the activated layer (left): Hydrological Model Performance showing the Modified Kling-Gupta Efficiency (KGE) for the measurement stations.

Hydrological model performance information for one calibration point: KGE decomposition and monthly discharge climatology. Observation period time series and complete simulation time series with flood thresholds are also available in the pop-up window (not shown in this screenshot).

The Evaluation menu with available layers (right) and the legend of the activated layer (left): Forecast skill showing the lead time in days, where the CRPSS is greater than 0.5.

Static Tab

The Static menu provides background information that is part of the model set up or can help to better understand GloFAS forecasts.

The Static menu with available layers (right) and the legend of the activated layer (left): the LISFLOOD Drainage Network. Additionally, the layer showing lakes (blue circles) and reservoirs (light blue rounded rectangles) included in the GloFAS hydrological model set-up is activated: information about each structure is available from the pop-up window.

Monitoring tab

The Monitoring tab provides information on the systematic and automated continuous monitoring of potentially flood affected land surface areas worldwide, by applying Global Flood Monitoring (GFM). More detailed information on the GFM products can be found here: https://extwiki.eodc.eu/GFM/PUM/Products. 

The Monitoring menu with available layers (right) and the legend of the activated layer (left): Affected people as amount of people per 400 km².

Customising your view by using WMS

Web Map Services (WMS) are a standard protocol serving georeferenced maps over the internet  and integrating it into a capable graphical user interface, such as GloFAS. Thus, WMS allow the user to add a vast amount of complementary information into the Map viewer, and, for instance, compare the external information with GloFAS. The external layer can be an ordinary static layer, and enhanced layer with variable time stamps and/or adjustable variables.

The external information can be added by clicking on the WMS tab and then on the blue “+” on the right side of the window. Then it is possible to either browse through the list of most popular WMS services used within GloFAS, or to add an own WMS by inserting an GetCapabilities link, which is often found by looking at the external products homepage. In this way, static layers, but also enhanced layers with variable time stamps or adjustable variables can be added into the map viewer.

WMS tab chosen from the menu bar, where the plus-symbol (red circle) can be clicked in order to add an own WMS.

WMS options: choosing an already available WMS by clicking "most pupular WMS" or add an external WMS by clicking "add your WMS".