Comparisons of Three-Dimensional Variational Data Assimilation and Model Output Statistics in Improving Atmospheric Chemistry Forecasts

Atmospheric chemistry models usually perform badly in forecasting wintertime air pollution because of their uncertainties. Generally, such uncertainties can be decreased effectively by techniques such as data assimilation（DA） and model output statistics（MOS）. However, the relative importance and combined effects of the two techniques have not been clarified. Here,a one-month air quality forecast with the Weather Research and Forecasting-Chemistry（WRF-Chem） model was carried out in a virtually operational setup focusing on Hebei Province, China. Meanwhile, three-dimensional variational（3 DVar） DA and MOS based on one-dimensional Kalman filtering were implemented separately and simultaneously to investigate their performance in improving the model forecast. Comparison with observations shows that the chemistry forecast with MOS outperforms that with 3 DVar DA, which could be seen in all the species tested over the whole 72 forecast hours. Combined use of both techniques does not guarantee a better forecast than MOS only, with the improvements and degradations being small and appearing rather randomly. Results indicate that the implementation of MOS is more suitable than 3 DVar DA in improving the operational forecasting ability of WRF-Chem.

A Composite Approach of Radar Echo Extrapolation Based on TREC Vectors in Combination with Model-Predicted Winds

Extending the lead time of precipitation nowcasts is vital to improvements in heavy rainfall warning, flood mitigation, and water resource management. Because the TREC vector （tracking radar echo by correlation） represents only the instantaneous trend of precipitation echo motion, the approach using derived echo motion vectors to extrapolate radar reflectivity as a rainfall forecast is not satisfactory if the lead time is beyond 30 minutes. For longer lead times, the effect of ambient winds on echo movement should be considered. In this paper, an extrapolation algorithm that extends forecast lead times up to 3 hours was developed to blend TREC vectors with model-predicted winds. The TREC vectors were derived from radar reflectivity patterns in 3 km height CAPPI （constant altitude plan position indicator） mosaics through a cross-correlation technique. The background steering winds were provided by predictions of the rapid update assimilation model CHAF （cycle of hourly assimilation and forecast）. A similarity index was designed to determine the vertical level at which model winds were applied in the extrapolation process, which occurs via a comparison between model winds and radar vectors. Based on a summer rainfall case study, it is found that the new algorithm provides a better forecast.

Seasonal variability of salinity budget and water exchange in the northern Indian Ocean from HYCOM assimilation

Based on HYbrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM) assimilation and observations, we analyzed seasonal variability of the salinity budget in the southeastern Arabian Sea (AS) and the southern part of the Bay of Bengal (BOB), as well as water exchange between the two basins. Results show that fresh water flux cannot explain salinity changes in salinity budget of both regions. Oceanic advection decreases salinity in the southeastern AS during the winter monsoon season and increases salinity in the southern BOB during the summer monsoon season. In winter, the Northeast Monsoon Current (NMC) carries fresher water from the BOB westward into the southern AS; this westward advection is confined to 4°-6°N and the upper 180 m south of the Indian peninsula. Part of the less saline water then turns northward, decreasing salinity in the southeastern AS. In summer, the Southwest Monsoon Current (SMC) advects high-salinity water from the AS eastward into the BOB, increasing salinity along its path. This eastward advection of high-salinity water south of the India Peninsula extends southward to 2°N, and the layer becomes shallower than in winter. In addition to the monsoon current, the salinity difference between the two basins is important for salinity advection.

A baroclinic typhoon model with a moving multi-nested grid andvariational adjustment initializationII. Forecast experiments

A 3-dimensional baroclinic typhoon model with a moving multi-nested grid and its initialization are described first. Prediction results are improved by using a simple but effective data assimilation method in which the initial field is adjusted by the sixth hour's typhoon report and the weak-constraint variational principle. Finally someforecast examples made by this typhoon model are given.

Real-time 3-D space numerical shake prediction for earthquake early warning

In earthquake early warning systems, real-time shake prediction through wave propagation simulation is a promising approach. Compared with traditional methods, it does not suffer from the inaccurate estimation of source parameters. For computation efficiency, wave direction is assumed to propagate on the 2-D surface of the earth in these methods. In fact, since the seismic wave propagates in the 3-D sphere of the earth, the 2-D space modeling of wave direction results in inaccurate wave estimation. In this paper, we propose a 3-D space numerical shake pre- diction method, which simulates the wave propagation in 3-D space using radiative transfer theory, and incorporate data assimilation technique to estimate the distribution of wave energy. 2011 Tohoku earthquake is studied as an example to show the validity of the proposed model. 2-D space model and 3-D space model are compared in this article, and the prediction results show that numerical shake prediction based on 3-D space model can estimate the real-time ground motion precisely, and overprediction is alleviated when using 3-D space model.

Developments of the Three-Dimensional Variational Data Assimilation System for the Nonhydrostatic GRAPES

Based on the original GRAPES（Global/Regional Assimilation and PrEdiction System）3DVAR（p3DAR）, which is defined on isobaric surface,a new three-dimensional variational data assimilation system（m3DVAR） is constructed and used exclusively with the nonhydrostatic GRAPES model in order to reduce the errors caused by spatial interpolation and variable transformation,and to improve the quality of the initial value for operational weather forecasts.Analytical variables of the m3DVAR are fully consistent with predictands of the GRADES model in terms of spatial staggering and physical definition.A different vertical coordinate and the nonhydrostatic condition are taken into account,and a new scheme for solving the dynamical constraint equations is designed for the m3DVAR.To deal with the diffculties in solving the nonlinear balance equation atσlevels,dynamical balance constraints between mass and wind fields are reformulated,and an effective mathematical scheme is implemented under the terrain-following coordinate.Meanwhile,new observation operators are developed for routine observational data,and the background error covariance is also obtained.Currently,the m3DVAR system can assimilate all routine observational data. Multi-variable idealized experiments with single point observations are performed to validate the m3DVAR system.The results show that the system can describe correctly the multi-variable analysis and the relationship of the physical constraints.The difference of innovation and the analysis residual forπalso show that the analysis error of the m3DVAR is smaller than that of the p3DVAR.The T s scores of precipitation forecasts in August 2006 indicate that the m3DVAR system provides reduced errors in the model initial value than the p3DVAR system.Therefore,the m3DVAR system can improve the analysis quality and initial value for numerical weather predictions.

Ocean satellite data assimilation experiments in FIO-ESM using ensemble adjustment Kalman filter

Using Ensemble Adjustment Kalman Filter(EAKF), two types of ocean satellite datasets were assimilated into the First Institute of Oceanography Earth System Model(FIO-ESM), v1.0. One control experiment without data assimilation and four assimilation experiments were conducted. All the experiments were ensemble runs for 1-year period and each ensemble started from different initial conditions. One assimilation experiment was designed to assimilate sea level anomaly(SLA); another, to assimilate sea surface temperature(SST); and the other two assimilation experiments were designed to assimilate both SLA and SST but in different orders. To examine the effects of data assimilation, all the results were compared with an objective analysis dataset of EN3. Different from the ocean model without coupling, the momentum and heat fluxes were calculated via air-sea coupling in FIO-ESM, which makes the relations among variables closer to the reality. The outputs after the assimilation of satellite data were improved on the whole, especially at depth shallower than 1000 m. The effects due to the assimilation of different kinds of satellite datasets were somewhat different. The improvement due to SST assimilation was greater near the surface, while the improvement due to SLA assimilation was relatively great in the subsurface. The results after the assimilation of both SLA and SST were much better than those only assimilated one kind of dataset, but the difference due to the assimilation order of the two kinds of datasets was not significant.

Forecasting of Asian dust storm that occurred on May 10-13, 2011, using an ensemble-based data assimilation system

An ensemble-based assimilation system that used the MASINGAR ink-2 （Model of Aerosol Species IN the Global AtmospheRe Mark 2） dust forecasting model and satellite-derived aerosol optical thickness （AOT） data. processed in the JAXA （Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency） Satellite Monitoring for Environmental Studies （JASMES） system with MODIS （Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer） observations. was used to quantify the impact of assimilation on forecasts of a severe Asian dust storm during May 10-13. 2011. The modeled bidirectional reflectance function and observed vegetation index employed in JASMES enable AOT retrievals in areas of high surface reflectance, making JASMES effective for dust forecasting and early warning by enabling assimilations in dust storm source regions. Forecasts both with and without assimilation were validated using PM^0 observations from China, Korea, and Japan in the TEMM WG1 dataset. Only the forecast with assimilation successfully captured the contrast between the core and tail of the dust storm by increasing the AOT around the core by 70-150% and decreasing it around the tail by 20-30% in the 18-h forecast. The forecast with assimilation improved the agreement with observed PMlo concentrations, but the effect was limited at downwind sites in Korea and Japan because of the lack of observational constraints for a mis-forecasted dust storm due to cloud.