NESDIS Washington Volcanic Ash Advisory Center Products

OMB # 0648-0342
Expires 07/31/2008

Washington Volcanic Ash Advisory Center Products and Services
Customer Survey
The Washington Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) issues real-time products about
airborne volcanic ash for the aviation community. As defined by the International Civil Aviation
Organization (ICAO), the Washington VAAC has a responsibility to monitor volcanoes capable
of producing ash clouds in its airspace. Advisory products are disseminated when a volcano
produces airborne ash likely to impact aviation.
NOAA’s Satellite Analysis Branch, a component of the VAAC, issues text Volcanic Ash
Advisories(VAA), with accompanying graphics. To assess the utility of these products, the
VAAC is asking its customers to provide feedback based on the following questions. This
customer input will be instrumental in ensuring quality products and services, and will enable the
VAAC to add value to its operations and possibly additional requests. This is a voluntary
survey.

Washington VAAC Text Products (please see example on page 6)
In answering the questions below, please note that all references to the VAA pertain only to
those VAA produced by the Washington VAAC, and not those issued by other VAACs
throughout the world.

1.

How often do you receive the VAA?
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Very Often
Often
Occasionally
Rarely
Never

If you have never received a VAA, then please go to Question #16.

2.

What communication interfaces do you use to access our VAA (e.g., internet, WAFS,
GTS, listserv, etc)?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

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3.

Is the VAA critical to your operational capability (e.g., would your operations be
compromised if you did not have access to this information)?
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4.

How often do you use the information in the VAA to support your operations?
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5.

Very timely (provides excellent notice)
Timely (a small delay is noted)
Acceptable
Poor (significant delay resulting in little or no added value)

How would you rate the general content of the VAA (you may choose more than one)?
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7.

Always
Always when the VAA pertains to our area of interest.
Frequently
Rarely
Never

How would you rank the timeliness of the VAA?
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6.

Yes – It’s critical
No – It’s not critical but still very useful
No – It has little or no impact

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Too technical
Acceptable
Not technical enough
Too descriptive
Inaccurate

Ambiguous/Vague
Confusing
Contradictory
Incomplete
Other_______________________________

What important pieces of information, if any, would you like to see added to the VAA?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Would you like anything removed? ___________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

8.

For ongoing volcanic events where ash is present, do you find that there are too many
VAA being issued or not enough to cover the evolution of the ash event?
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Too many

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Not enough

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There is enough

If there are not enough, please indicate how often you would like to see a VAA issued to

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cover an event. ___________________________________________________________
9.

How useful do you find each of the following components of the VAA:

Observed ash analysis
6 hr. ash forecast
12 hr. ash forecast
18 hr. ash forecast

10.

Very useful
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Useful
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Slightly Useful Not Useful
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Are there any other comments or suggestions that you have regarding the content,
timeliness, and usefulness of the VAA? _______________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Washington VAAC Graphical Product (see example on page 6)

11.

Does the current graphic that accompanies the VAA (currently available on the Internet
and soon to be available by ftp) assist your operations?
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Yes

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Slightly

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No

If you answered “no”, please explain why:_____________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
********If you answered NO to #11, please skip to question #16********
12.

What specific communication systems (e.g. WAFS) do you have installed or will be
installing to receive graphical products? _______________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

13.

What information would you want added to the graphic (e.g., ash, velocity, summit
locations, etc.)? __________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

14.

How many hours would you prefer to see forecasted on the graphic (ex. 6, 12, 18, 24)?
_______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

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15.

Which of these formats are you able to use or would you prefer to use for the VAA
graphic we provide (you may check more than one)?
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JPG
GIF
kml
HDF
png
tif
Other (please specify):___________________________________________

Additional Information
16.

Please add below any other comments, concerns, or questions you have about the current
VAAC operations or products. If you ask a question, please include contact information
so that we can answer it. ___________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
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_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

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Operational VAA Format
FVXX21 KNES 281232
VOLCANIC ASH ADVISORY
ISSUED: 20070728/1231Z VAAC: WASHINGTON
VOLCANO: TUNGURAHUA 1502-08
LOCATION: S0128 W07826 AREA: ECUADOR
SUMMIT ELEVATION: 16480 FT (5023 M)
ADVISORY NUMBER: 2007/458
INFORMATION SOURCE: GUAYAQUIL MWO. GOES-12. GFS
WINDS. GEOPHYSICAL INST. PILOT REPORT.
ERUPTION DETAILS: ONGOING EMISSION OF GASES AND
ASH
OBS ASH DATE/TIME: 28/1145Z
OBS ASH CLOUD: SFC/FL280 S0105 W08026 - S0128
W07825 - S0147 W07831 - S0140 W07943 - S0105
W08026 MOVING W -SW 10-20 KNOTS.
FCST ASH CLOUD +6H: 28/1800Z SFC/FL280 S0100
W08028 - S0128 W07825 - S0211 W07845 - S0153
W07954 - S0100 W08028
FCST ASH CLOUD +12H: 29/0000Z SFC/FL280 S0101
W08027 - S0129 W07825 - S0232 W07856 - S0205
W07958 - S0101 W08027
FCST ASH CLOUD +18H: 29/0600Z SFC/FL280 S0101
W08026 - S0129 W07825 - S0233 W07856 - S0205
W07958 - S0101 W08026
REMARKS: A SERIES OF EMISSIONS CAN BE SEEN IN
IMAGERY WITH THE FARTHEST SMALL FAINT PUFF
ROUGHLY 97 NM WEST OF THE SUMMIT. WINDS ARE
SLIGHTLY VARIABLE SO THE PUFFS OF ASH ARE FANNING
TO THE WEST AND SOUTHWEST AND DISSIPATING.
MORNING PIREPS HAVE REPORTED ASH TO FL230 HOWEVER
THE ENERGY OF THE EMISSIONS FLUCTUATE SO HEIGHTS
MAY VARY. ...SWANSON
NEXT ADVISORY: WILL BE ISSUED BY 20070728/1830Z

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Operational VAA Graphic

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The Washington VAAC appreciates your time devoted to filling out the survey. We thank you
for providing this essential information that will be used in improving VAAC products and
services.
Please send your responses by Date To Be Announced to the following address:
Postal Mail:
Davida Streett
Satellite Analysis Branch
NOAA/NESDIS E/SP23
5200 Auth Rd., Room #401
Camp Springs, MD 20748
United States of America
E-mail: [email protected]
Fax: +301-763-8333
If you have any further questions or comments about the Washington VAAC program, please
send them to Davida Streett at the address: [email protected].
Paperwork Reduction Act Information: In accordance with Executive Order 12862, the
National Performance Review, and good management practices, NOAA offices seek to
determine whether their customers are satisfied with the services and/or products they are
receiving and whether they have suggestions as to how the services/products may be improved or
made more useful. The information will be used to improve NOAA’s products and services.
Responses to this survey are completely voluntary. No confidentiality can be provided for
responses, but you need not supply your name or address. Public reporting burden for this
collection of information is estimated to average 15 minutes per response. Send comments
regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including
suggestions for reducing this burden, to Sarah Brabson, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring,
MD 20910.
Notwithstanding any other provision of the law, no person is required to respond to, nor shall any
person be subject to a penalty for failure to comply with, a collection of information subject to
the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act, unless that collection of information displays
a currently valid OMB Control Number.

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