You are here

Week 3: Fireworks & Back to the Drawing Board

Monday and Tuesday: After a weekend of recovering from the NSF Visit, I went right back to it. Time to adjust to the new model data extraction method. I compared observational data to the model data using both extraction methods, but Logan and I were encouraged to utilize the M-elio method, so we will be incorporating only the scripts associated with that process. Settling on this decision took some time, however, and there was a little bit of frustration in figuring out how to successfully enter commands to extract the data and ensure that the data was available for a certain time series, but we pushed through the setbacks, ran scripts and corrected errors. This day ended with the future task of producing a model data comparison plot for a time series which had complete, consecutive days of data so that we could analyze and search for a trend.
 
Wednesday: Independence Day was a much needed day of rest and then a nice viewing of an amazing fireworks show on the riverfront. A few of the other interns and I were able to sit along the banks of the river and just hang out for awhile. Overall, a pleasant holiday.
 
Thursday: Logan and I picked up where we left off in troubleshooting our commands and scripts. Over the time span of the day, it was a matter of making slight changes, seeing how that affected the run of the program, keeping or altering these changes, and then noting how these changes affected the program for future reference. There was still some confusion as to what forecast I should be using, as changing this factor would not only require a change in program script, but also modifies the resolution and area of focus of the model data. In this case, Forecast 22 is presumably more beneficial than Forecast 26, the model data that I had been working with previously, so I switched to that. Finally, with the help of our mentors, Grant and Mojgan, I finally came up with functioning programs for a time interval consisting of both working observational and model data curves. As a refresher, I am currently focusing on Baker Bay using the sensor SATURN-07, located in the bay, for the 10-day timeseries between the beginning of May 9th and the end of May 18th. I tidied up the graph, using MATLAB commands so that the graph was more presentable.
 
Friday: The morning CRITFC meeting was the highlight of the day. Logan and I visited the agency building with Mojgan and Antonio. We were introduced to Katherine Walker, Rob Lothrop, and Jim Heffernan. Katherine is the tribal workforce development and outreach coordinator, Rob is a lawyer in the public policy department, and Jim is a lawyer/policy analyst working on the Columbia River Treaty. We listened to them talk about the history of the agency, present issues and workforce, and what they hope to accomplish. We also learned more about their connection to CMOP and to our project as well. It was nice to have this experience so it makes our research more relevant to the real-world issue of the Columbia River Treaty; a reminder that our scientific work is helping make progress in the policy realm so that decisions can be made. Upon returning to CMOP, Logan and I worked on presentations for Antonio. We shared our results, and then received quite a list of tasks in moving forward with our project. I will be using a similar computational process in making observational-model data comparisons, but for additional sensor locations and forecasts. Specifically, I will be analyzing the same timespan for the Jetty A sensor (as well as other timespans from other months to observe varying tidal fluctuations), using the same SATURN-07 location and timespan, but using Forecast 26 and 28, and using only model data extraction for elevation levels (no observational data for this parameter on sensors).