The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model and its
variational assimilation system (WRF-Var) are widely used by both
the research community and some operational centers. A general
satellite radiance assimilation framework has been developed in
the WRF-Var system over the past three years. The WRF-Var radiance
assimilation capability was designed to meet the requirements of
both basic research and operational applications,and will be
available to the research community along with the community WRF
system.
Radiance assimilation capabilities in the WRF-Var - the fast
radiative transfer model, bias correction algorithm, quality
control, and observation error tuning - will be described. Both the
RTTOV and CRTM radiaitve transfer systems are incorporated into the
WRF-Var system. Case study results on assimilating AMSU-A
observations to improve Katrina track and intensity analysies and
forecasts will be presented. Extended experiments over different
regions to assess radiance assimilation impact yield encouraging
results. Preliminary findings on cloud/rain affected radiance
assimilation using CRTM will also be shown. The presentation will
conclude with a demonstration of radiance assimilation with the WRF-
4DVAR system.
Title
GMAO's Atmospheric Data Assimilation System -
Contributions to the JCSDA and Future Plans
The atmospheric data assimilation system used by the Global
Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO) uses the GEOS-5 finite
volume atmospheric model and the Gridpoint Statistical
Interpolation (GSI) analysis scheme developed at NCEP. The system
is now being used to generate products input to NASA instrument
team algorithms and also to generate MERRA, an atmospheric
reanalysis for the satellite era. The GEOS-5 DAS is also used to
contribute to satellite data assimilation issues relevant to the
JCSDA. For example, the adjoint system developed for the DAS has
been used to investigate observation impacts and work has begun to
investigate the impact of cloud-cleared radiances on forecast
skill. This presentation will highlight some recent results and
also some preliminary results from a newly developed 4DVAR
version of GEOS-5.
The Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) is currently under
development by the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory to identify and
characterize natural CO2 sinks. This Earth System Science
Pathfinder mission is scheduled for launch in December 2008.
During its nominal two-year operational lifetime, OCO will make
space-based measurements of CO2 and molecular oxygen (O2) over the
sunlit hemisphere of the Earth. These data will be analyzed with
remote sensing algorithms to retrieve estimates of the column-
averaged CO2 dry air mole fraction, XCO2 with the accuracy and
sampling resolution needed to characterize surface sources and
sinks of CO2 on regional scales over the entire globe. The
observatory consists of a dedicated spacecraft bus that carries
and points a single instrument. This instrument incorporates 3
high-resolution grating spectrometers that make coincident
measurements of reflected sunlight in near-infrared CO2 and
molecular oxygen (O2) bands. The pre-flight qualification and
calibration testing of the OCO instrument has just been completed.
These tests describe the instrument's radiometric, spectral, and
spatial performance. The end-to-end instrument performance was
verified by recording atmospheric solar spectra with the flight
instrument and comparing these results to spectra recorded
simultaneously from a collocated ground-based high-resolution
Fourier transform spectrometer. This comparison indicates that
the instrument meets or exceeds its design objectives and will
provide excellent data for XCO2 retrievals.
This presentation introduces the audience to some basic
concepts, terminology, and practices related to the verification
of weather forecasts. To convey the broad scope of the topic,
objective verification of both deterministic and probabilistic
forecasts is discussed. Anomaly correlations and phase errors are
computed for verifying the Hydrometeorological Prediction Center's
(HPC) deterministic forecasts of mean sea level pressure. HPC
quantitative precipitation forecast verification exemplifies the
use of 2 X 2 contingency tables applied to deterministic
forecasts. Finally, verification of HPC's probabilistic heat
index forecasts demonstrates use of the Brier score and the
attribute diagram.
Title
Evaluation of Satellite Data Assimilation in the Advanced Research Weather Research and Forecasting (ARWRF) Mesoscale Model System
Based on both the National Center for Atmospheric Research
Advanced Research Weather Research and Forecasting (ARWRF)-
Variational and Joint Center for Satellite Data Assimilation
Global Statistical Interpolation data assimilation systems,
Advanced TIROS Operational Vertical Sounder and Special Sensor
Microwave Imager Sounder radiance data were assimilated into the
ARWRF mesoscale forecasting system. A series of experiments were
designed to access the model forecast accuracy over North America,
and Southwest and East Asia. The statistical results show that
the satellite data assimilation improves the initial conditions
and reduces the model errors somewhat.
Title
The NOAA Satellite Recapitalization Plan
The Satellite Plan was approved by Admiral Lautenbacher as an
internal document, so it will not be distributed on this website at this time.
The Satellite Team (Al Powell (NESDIS), Mike Crison (NESDIS),
Elizabeth Carson (NESDIS support), Neil Wyse (NESDIS support)),
Dan Mammula (PPI), Steve Ackerman (U of WI), John Perreira
(NESDIS), Ken Carey (NESDIS support) and a host of others across
NOAA including folks from STAR like Bob Kuligowski, Larry Flynn,
etc who supported the workshop and helped develop
materials)
The Strategic Satellite Plan is the first NOAA plan to assess,
formulate and ascribe a notional architecture of satellites,
sensors and ground architecture to support NOAA's observation
requirements. This briefing will discuss the analyses
accomplished, the priorities, and the projected program through
FY2020. It outlines a plan to satisfy requirements, trade studies
that need to be conducted, a notional set of satellite systems and
partnerships to accomplish the mission.