Predictions made by the system can be for past, present, future or specified time frames (hindcast, nowcast, forecast or on-demand).
The hindcast protocol is operated in a manual mode, and is used for the purposes of providing a detailed calibration of the numerical model, and a subsequent framework for conducting detailed scientific and management studies.
Both the nowcast and forecast protocols are fully automated. The nowcast model performs model integration updates on the order of every 6 to 12 minutes. The forecast protocol performs 24 hour forecasts every 4 hours. The on-demand protocol is manually invoked, but can automatically perform simulations spanning hindcast to forecast time frames.