scholarly journals Chemical state estimation for the middle atmosphere by four-dimensional variational data assimilation: A posteriori validation of error statistics in observation space

2010 ◽  
Vol 115 (D18) ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Schwinger ◽  
H. Elbern
2014 ◽  
Vol 142 (10) ◽  
pp. 3586-3613 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Routray ◽  
S. C. Kar ◽  
P. Mali ◽  
K. Sowjanya

Abstract In a variational data assimilation system, background error statistics (BES) spread the influence of the observations in space and filter analysis increments through dynamic balance or statistical relationships. In a data-sparse region such as the Bay of Bengal, BES play an important role in defining the location and structure of monsoon depressions (MDs). In this study, the Indian-region-specific BES have been computed for the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) three-dimensional variational data assimilation system. A comparative study using single observation tests is carried out using the computed BES and global BES within the WRF system. Both sets of BES are used in the assimilation cycles and forecast runs for simulating the meteorological features associated with the MDs. Numerical experiments have been conducted to assess the relative impact of various BES in the analysis and simulations of the MDs. The results show that use of regional BES in the assimilation cycle has a positive impact on the prediction of the location, propagation, and development of rainbands associated with the MDs. The track errors of MDs are smaller when domain-specific BES are used in the assimilation cycle. Additional experiments have been conducted using data from the Interim European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts Re-Analysis (ERA-Interim) as initial and boundary conditions (IBCs) in the assimilation cycle. The results indicate that the use of domain-dependent BES and high-resolution ERA-I data as IBCs further improved the initial conditions for the model leading to better forecasts of the MDs.


2014 ◽  
Vol 53 (10) ◽  
pp. 2287-2309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongli Wang ◽  
Xiang-Yu Huang ◽  
Juanzhen Sun ◽  
Dongmei Xu ◽  
Man Zhang ◽  
...  

AbstractBackground error modeling plays a key role in a variational data assimilation system. The National Meteorological Center (NMC) method has been widely used in variational data assimilation systems to generate a forecast error ensemble from which the climatological background error covariance can be modeled. In this paper, the characteristics of the background error modeling via the NMC method are investigated for the variational data assimilation system of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF-Var) Model. The background error statistics are extracted from short-term 3-km-resolution forecasts in June, July, and August 2012 over a limited-area domain. It is found 1) that background error variances vary from month to month and also have a feature of diurnal variations in the low-level atmosphere and 2) that u- and υ-wind variances are underestimated and their autocorrelation length scales are overestimated when the default control variable option in WRF-Var is used. A new approach of control variable transform (CVT) is proposed to model the background error statistics based on the NMC method. The new approach is capable of extracting inhomogeneous and anisotropic climatological information from the forecast error ensemble obtained via the NMC method. Single observation assimilation experiments show that the proposed method not only has the merit of incorporating geographically dependent covariance information, but also is able to produce a multivariate analysis. The results from the data assimilaton and forecast study of a real convective case show that the use of the new CVT improves synoptic weather system and precipitation forecasts for up to 12 h.


2003 ◽  
Vol 59 (6) ◽  
pp. 931-943 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toshiyuki Awaji ◽  
Shuhei Masuda ◽  
Yoichi Ishikawa ◽  
Nozomi Sugiura ◽  
Takahiro Toyoda ◽  
...  

2010 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 353-369 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alain Caya ◽  
Mark Buehner ◽  
Tom Carrieres

Abstract A three-dimensional variational data assimilation (3DVAR) system has been developed to provide analyses of the ice–ocean state and to initialize a coupled ice–ocean numerical model for forecasting sea ice conditions. This study focuses on the estimation of the background-error statistics, including the spatial and multivariate covariances, and their impact on the quality of the resulting sea ice analyses and forecasts. The covariances are assumed to be horizontally homogeneous and fixed in time. The horizontal correlations are assumed to have a Gaussian shape and are modeled by integrating a diffusion equation. A relatively simple implementation of the ensemble Kalman filter is used to produce ensembles of the ice–ocean model state that are representative of background error and from which the 3DVAR covariance parameters are estimated. Data assimilation experiments, using various configurations of 3DVAR and simpler assimilation approaches, are conducted over a 7-month period during the winter of 2006/07 for the Canadian east coast region. The only data assimilated are the gridded daily ice charts and RADARSAT image analyses produced by the Canadian Ice Service. All of the data assimilation experiments produce significantly improved short-term forecasts as compared with persistence. When assimilating the same data, the forecast quality from the experiments employing either the 3DVAR, direct insertion, or nudging is quite similar. However, assimilation of both the daily ice charts and RADARSAT image analyses in 3DVAR results in significant improvements to the sea ice concentration forecasts. This result supports the use of a data assimilation approach, such as 3DVAR, for combining multiple sources of observational data together with a sophisticated forecast model to provide analyses and forecasts of sea ice conditions.


2007 ◽  
Vol 135 (2) ◽  
pp. 387-408 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ross N. Bannister

Abstract Two wavelet-based control variable transform schemes are described and are used to model some important features of forecast error statistics for use in variational data assimilation. The first is a conventional wavelet scheme and the other is an approximation of it. Their ability to capture the position and scale-dependent aspects of covariance structures is tested in a two-dimensional latitude–height context. This is done by comparing the covariance structures implied by the wavelet schemes with those found from the explicit forecast error covariance matrix, and with a non-wavelet-based covariance scheme used currently in an operational assimilation scheme. Qualitatively, the wavelet-based schemes show potential at modeling forecast error statistics well without giving preference to either position or scale-dependent aspects. The degree of spectral representation can be controlled by changing the number of spectral bands in the schemes, and the least number of bands that achieves adequate results is found for the model domain used. Evidence is found of a trade-off between the localization of features in positional and spectral spaces when the number of bands is changed. By examining implied covariance diagnostics, the wavelet-based schemes are found, on the whole, to give results that are closer to diagnostics found from the explicit matrix than from the nonwavelet scheme. Even though the nature of the covariances has the right qualities in spectral space, variances are found to be too low at some wavenumbers and vertical correlation length scales are found to be too long at most scales. The wavelet schemes are found to be good at resolving variations in position and scale-dependent horizontal length scales, although the length scales reproduced are usually too short. The second of the wavelet-based schemes is often found to be better than the first in some important respects, but, unlike the first, it has no exact inverse transform.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document