INFLUENCE OF DIFFERENT-SCALE ERRORS INTERACTIONS ON ANALYSIS AND FORECAST OF REGIONAL NWP MODEL

In the previous study, the influences of introducing larger- and smaller-scale errors on the background error covariances estimated at the given scales were investigated, respectively. This study used the covariances obtained in the previous study in the data assimilation and model forecast system based on three-dimensional variational method and the Weather Research and Forecasting model. In this study, analyses and forecasts from this system with different covariances for a period of one month were compared, and the causes for differing results were presented. The variations of analysis increments with different-scale errors are consistent with those of variances and correlations of background errors that were reported in the previous paper. In particular, the introduction of smaller-scale errors leads to greater amplitudes in analysis increments for medium-scale wind at the heights of both high- and low-level jets. Temperature and humidity analysis increments are greater at the corresponding scales at the middle- and upper-levels. These analysis increments could improve the intensity of the jet-convection system that includes jets at different levels and the coupling between them that is associated with latent heat release. These changes in analyses will contribute to more accurate wind and temperature forecasts in the corresponding areas. When smaller-scale errors are included, humidity analysis increments are significantly enhanced at large scales and lower levels, to moisten southern analyses. Thus, dry bias can be corrected, which will improve humidity forecasts. Moreover, the inclusion of larger- (smaller-) scale errors will be beneficial for the accuracy of forecasts of heavy (light) precipitation at large (small) scales because of the amplification (diminution) of the intensity and area in precipitation forecasts.     

Improvement in Background Error Covariances Using Ensemble Forecasts for Assimilation of High-Resolution Satellite Data

Satellite data obtained over synoptic data-sparse regions such as an ocean contribute toward improving the quality of the initial state of limited-area models. Background error covariances are crucial to the proper distribution of satellite-observed information in variational data assimilation. In the NMC (National Meteorological Center) method, background error covariances are underestimated over data-sparse regions such as an ocean because of small differences between different forecast times. Thus, it is necessary to reconstruct and tune the background error covariances so as to maximize the usefulness of the satellite data for the initial state of limited-area models, especially over an ocean where there is a lack of conventional data. In this study, we attempted to estimate background error covariances so as to provide adequate error statistics for data-sparse regions by using ensemble forecasts of optimal perturbations using bred vectors. The background error covariances estimated by the ensemble method reduced the overestimation of error amplitude obtained by the NMC method. By employing an appropriate horizontal length scale to exclude spurious correlations, the ensemble method produced better results than the NMC method in the assimilation of retrieved satellite data. Because the ensemble method distributes observed information over a limited local area, it would be more useful in the analysis of high-resolution satellite data. Accordingly, the performance of forecast models can be improved over the area where the satellite data are assimilated.     

Insights into Convective-scale Predictability in East China: Error Growth Dynamics and Associated Impact on Precipitation of Warm-Season Convective Events

This study investigated the regime-dependent predictability using convective-scale ensemble forecasts initialized with different initial condition perturbations in the Yangtze and Huai River basin(YHRB) of East China. The scale-dependent error growth(ensemble variability) and associated impact on precipitation forecasts(precipitation uncertainties) were quantitatively explored for 13 warm-season convective events that were categorized in terms of strong forcing and weak forcing. The forecast error growth in the strong-forcing regime shows a stepwise increase with increasing spatial scale,while the error growth shows a larger temporal variability with an afternoon peak appearing at smaller scales under weak forcing. This leads to the dissimilarity of precipitation uncertainty and shows a strong correlation between error growth and precipitation across spatial scales. The lateral boundary condition errors exert a quasi-linear increase on error growth with time at the larger scale, suggesting that the large-scale flow could govern the magnitude of error growth and associated precipitation uncertainties, especially for the strong-forcing regime. Further comparisons between scale-based initial error sensitivity experiments show evident scale interaction including upscale transfer of small-scale errors and downscale cascade of larger-scale errors. Specifically, small-scale errors are found to be more sensitive in the weak-forcing regime than those under strong forcing. Meanwhile, larger-scale initial errors are responsible for the error growth after 4 h and produce the precipitation uncertainties at the meso-β-scale. Consequently, these results can be used to explain underdispersion issues in convective-scale ensemble forecasts and provide feedback for ensemble design over the YHRB.     

Effect of Length Scale Tuning of Background Error in WRF-3DVAR System on Assimilation of High-Resolution Surface Data for Heavy Rainfall Simulation

We investigated the impact of tuning the length scale of the background error covariance in the Weather Research and Forecasting(WRF) three-dimensional variational assimilation(3DVAR) system.In particular,we studied the effect of this parameter on the assimilation of high-resolution surface data for heavy rainfall forecasts associated with mesoscale convective systems over the Korean Peninsula.In the assimilation of high-resolution surface data,the National Meteorological Center method tended to exaggerate the length scale that determined the shape and extent to which observed information spreads out.In this study,we used the difference between observation and background data to tune the length scale in the assimilation of high-resolution surface data.The resulting assimilation clearly showed that the analysis with the tuned length scale was able to reproduce the small-scale features of the ideal field effectively.We also investigated the effect of a double-iteration method with two different length scales,representing large and small-length scales in the WRF-3DVAR.This method reflected the large and small-scale features of observed information in the model fields.The quantitative accuracy of the precipitation forecast using this double iteration with two different length scales for heavy rainfall was high;results were in good agreement with observations in terms of the maximum rainfall amount and equitable threat scores.The improved forecast in the experiment resulted from the development of well-identified mesoscale convective systems by intensified low-level winds and their consequent convergence near the rainfall area.     

INTEGRATED FRACTIONS SKILL SCORE FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF PRECIPITATION

Traditional skill scores (e.g., the threat score) used in the high-resolution verification of precipitation are affected by a “double penalty” caused by slight spatial or temporal displacements, which can lead to misleading evaluations. The fractions skill score (FSS) is a popular spatial verificaiton measure that can be used to solve these problems. It can determine useful and skillful scores by neighborhood analysis, which can be used to monitor the performance of operational forecasts. However, the FSS provides different scores at each spatial scale and it is difficult to obtain a definite score for the assessment of precipitation to analyze the temporal variabilities of daily forecasts. We previously reported a modified FSS assessment method and showed that a particular analysis scale had a significant advantage in the verification of operational forecasts of precipitation. To compensate for the lack of artificial definition in the analysis scale, we report here a new integrated score that satisfies a Gaussian weight function to average the FSS over all scales. We describe the advantages of the new score in the verification of forecasts of daily and hourly precipitation, taking forecast products from the GRAPES regional model and quantitative precipitation estimation products from the National Meteorological Information Center during June and July 2017 and investigating the differences between these results and those obtained with the traditional category score. We found that a value of 0.5 can be used as a standard for the skillful FSS in the forecast of heavy rainfall. The integrated score can maintain all the advantages seen in previous studies in the verification of daily and hourly precipitation and show excellent application prospects. The long-term verification including different seasons also find that the score can effectively improve the identification characteristics of the assessment.     

Mesoscale predictability of moist baroclinic waves: Variable and scale-dependent error growth

This study seeks to quantify the predictability of different forecast variables at various scales through spectral analysis of the difference between perturbed and unperturbed cloud-permitting simulations of idealized moist baroclinic waves amplify- ing in a conditionally unstable atmosphere. The error growth of a forecast variable is found to be strongly associated with its reference-state （unperturbed） power spectrum and slope, which differ significantly from variable to variable. The shallower the reference state spectrum, the more spectral energy resides at smaller scales, and thus the less predictable the variable since the error grows faster at smaller scales before it saturates. In general, the variables with more small-scale components （such as vertical velocity） are less predictable, and vice versa （such as pressure）. In higher-resolution simulations in which more rigorous small-scale instabilities become better resolved, the error grows faster at smaller scales and spreads to larger scales more quickly before the error saturates at those small scales during the first few hours of the forecast. Based on the reference power spectrum, an index on the degree of lack （or loss） of predictability （LPI） is further defined to quantify the predictive time scale of each forecast variable. Future studies are needed to investigate the scale- and variable-dependent predictability under different background reference flows, including real case studies through ensemble experiments.     

Impacts of a Large-scale Adaptive Blending Scheme for CMA-MESO on Regional Forecasts-A Case Study of Typhoon Haima

Large-scale atmospheric information plays an important role in the regional model for the forecasts of weather such as tropical cyclone (TC). However, it is difficult to be fully represented in regional models due to domain size and a lack of observation data, particularly at sea used in regional data assimilation. Blending analysis has been developed and implemented in regional models to reintroduce large-scale information from global model to regional analysis. Research of the impact of this large-scale blending scheme for the Global / Regional Assimilation and PrEdiction System (CMA-MESO) regional model on TC forecasting is limited and this study attempts to further progress by examining the adaptivity of the blending scheme using the two-dimensional Discrete Cosine Transform (2D-DCT) filter on the model forecast of Typhoon Haima over Shenzhen, China in 2016 and considering various cut-off wavelengths. Results showed that the error of the 24-hour typhoon track forecast can be reduced to less than 25 km by applying the scale-dependent blending scheme, indicating that the blending analysis is effectively able to minimise the large-scale bias for the initial fields. The improvement of the wind forecast is more evident for u-wind component according to the reduced root mean square errors (RMSEs) by comparing the experiments with and without blending analysis. Furthermore, the higher equitable threat score (ETS) provided implications that the precipitation prediction skills were increased in the 24h forecast by improving the representation of the large-scale feature in the CMA-MESO analysis. Furthermore, significant differences of the track error forecast were found by applying the blending analysis with different cut-off wavelengths from 400 km to 1200 km and the track error can be reduced less than by 10 km with 400 km cut-off wavelength in the first 6h forecast. It highlighted that the blending scheme with dynamic cut-off wavelengths adapted to the development of different TC systems is necessary in order to optimally introduce and ingest the large-scale information from global model to the regional model for improving the TC forecast. In this paper, the methods and data applied in this study will be firstly introduced, before discussion of the results regarding the performance of the blending analysis and its impacts on the wind and precipitation forecast correspondingly, followed by the discussion of the effects of different blending scheme on TC forecasts and the conclusion section.     

The Time and Regime Dependencies of Sensitive Areas for Tropical Cyclone Prediction Using the CNOP Method

This study examines the time and regime dependencies of sensitive areas identified by the conditional nonlinear optimal perturbation(CNOP) method for forecasts of two typhoons.Typhoon Meari(2004) was weakly nonlinear and is herein referred to as the linear case,while Typhoon Matsa(2005) was strongly nonlinear and is herein referred to as the nonlinear case.In the linear case,the sensitive areas identified for special forecast times when the initial time was fixed resembled those identified for other forecast times.Targeted observations deployed to improve a special time forecast would thus also benefit forecasts at other times.In the nonlinear case,the similarities among the sensitive areas identified for different forecast times were more limited.The deployment of targeted observations in the nonlinear case would therefore need to be adapted to achieve large improvements for different targeted forecasts.For both cases,the closer the forecast time,the higher the similarities of the sensitive areas.When the forecast time was fixed,the sensitive areas in the linear case diverged continuously from the verification area as the forecast period lengthened,while those in the nonlinear case were always located around the initial cyclones.The deployment of targeted observations to improve a special forecast depends strongly on the time of deployment.An examination of the efficiency gained by reducing initial errors within the identified sensitive areas confirmed these results.In general,the greatest improvement in a special time forecast was obtained by identifying the sensitive areas for the corresponding forecast time period.     

数值预报误差订正技术中相似-动力方法的发展

Due to the increasing requirement for high-level weather and climate forecasting accuracy, it is necessary to exploit a strategy for model error correction while developing numerical modeling and data assimilation techniques. This study classifies the correction strategies according to the types of forecast errors, and reviews recent studies on these correction strategies. Among others, the analogue-dynamical method has been developed in China, which combines statistical methods with the dynamical model, corrects model errors based on analogue information, and effectively utilizes historical data in dynamical forecasts. In this study, the fundamental principles and technical solutions of the analogue-dynamical method and associated development history for forecasts on different timescales are introduced. It is shown that this method can effectively improve medium- and extended-range forecasts, monthly-average circulation forecast, and short-term climate prediction. As an innovative technique independently developed in China, the analogue- dynamical method plays an important role in both weather forecast and climate prediction, and has potential applications in wider fields.     

Evaluation of the Historical Sampling Error for Global Models

Various ensemble-based schemes are employed in data assimilation because they can use the ensemble to estimate the flow-dependent background error covariance. The most common way to generate the real-time ensemble is to use an ensemble forecast; however, this is very time-consuming. The historical sampling approach is an alternative way to generate the ensemble,by picking some snapshots from historical forecast series.With this approach, many ensemble-based assimilation schemes can be used in a deterministic forecast environment. Furthermore, considering the time that it saves, the method has the potential for operational application.However, the historical sampling approach carries with it a special kind of sampling error because, in a historical forecast, the way to integrate the ensemble members is different from the way to integrate the initial conditions at the analysis time(i.e., forcing and lateral boundary condition differences, and ‘warm start' or ‘cold start' differences). This study analyzes the results of an experiment with the Global Regional Assimilation Prediction System-Global Forecast System(GRAPES-GFS), to evaluate how the different integration configurations influence the historical sampling error for global models. The results show that the sampling error is dominated by diurnal cycle patterns as a result of the radiance forcing difference.Although the RMSEs of the sampling error are small, in view of the correlation coefficients of the perturbed ensemble, the sampling error for some variables on some levels(e.g., low-level temperature and humidity, stratospheric temperature and geopotential height and humidity), is non-negligible. The results suggest some caution must be applied, and advice taken, when using the historical sampling approach.     

快速更新循环同化系统的背景场误差协方差日变化特征研究及初步应用

目前多数快速更新循环同化系统在各分析时刻常使用固定的背景场误差协方差。为在快速更新循环同化系统中采用日变化的背景场误差协方差,基于RMAPS-ST系统分析了其夏季和冬季日变化背景场误差协方差特征,并进行了同化及预报对比试验。结果表明,该系统夏、冬两季的背景场误差协方差均呈现出明显的日变化特征,且夜间各变量(U、V、T、RH)的误差标准差与特征值均大于日间,反映模式系统夜间的预报误差大于日间;而夏季各变量误差标准差和特征值大于冬季,也说明系统在夏季的模式预报误差比冬季大;连续3 d的循环同化试验初步表明,采用日变化背景场误差协方差可以提高同化及预报效果。     

全球资料同化中误差协方差三维结构的准确估计与应用Ⅰ:观测空间协方差的准确估计

观测误差与背景误差协方差在四维资料同化和业务资料分析系统中起到决定性作用,它决定着观测信息与背景初猜值信息的相对重要性以及这些信息在空间及不同变量间的扩展方式。由于实际大气的真值并不知道,需要发展不同的技巧来估计观测误差与背景误差协方差,其中在观测空间利用观测与背景初猜值之差来分离观测误差与背景误差协方差的方法估计出的结果较为准确,其估计出的观测误差可直接用于资料分析系统中,背景误差可作为标尺来度量其他方法估计结果的可靠性。文章采用国家气象中心T213L31全球中期分析预报系统的6 h预报作为背景初猜场及同时段冬夏两个季节的北半球探空,利用贝塞尔函数拟合方法来分离观测误差与背景误差协方差,并比较了东亚区、北美区、欧洲区3个探空资料均匀密集区的区域与季节变化结果。结果表明,观测空间拟合方法所要求的水平均质、各向同性在欧洲区和北美区成立程度较好,在东亚区略差,使用时需要斟酌。此外均方差区域间差别较大,在冬季明显大于夏季,温度场偏大0.2 K,风场偏大0.9 m/s。温度场在400 hPa以下与150 hPa以上,背景误差略小于观测误差,而在200—300 hPa,背景误差略大一些。风场的特点与温度场比较一致。温度与风场背景误差主要集中在前40波,并在20波左右达到最大,水平相关季节区域差别不大,而温度垂直相关比风场窄,两者相关范围比较大的波数主要集中在前20波。此外利用贝塞尔函数拟合方法获得结果的分析表明,在质量场中不同区域季节间温度误差的稳定性要明显好于高度场,涡度散度的稳定性要明显好于流函数和势函数,特别是对于特征长度更为明显。这表明利用贝塞尔函数拟合方法获得的结果对校准在全球资料同化中采用温度、涡度散度作为资料同化的分析变量具有一定的优势。     

Mesoscale predictability of mei-yu heavy rainfall

Recently reported results indicate that small amplitude and small scale initial errors grow rapidly and subsequently contaminate short-term deterministic mesoscale forecasts. This rapid error growth is dependent on not only moist convection but also the flow regime. In this study, the mesoscale predictability and error growth of mei-yu heavy rainfall is investigated by simulating a particular precipitation event along the mei-yu front on 4-6 July 2003 in eastern China. Due to the multi-scale character of th...     

尺度分解技术在定量降水临近预报检验中的应用

采用2004年Casati提出的强度-尺度检验技术,选取2008年汛期代表不同类型降水(对流云降水、层状云降水、混合云降水)的4个降水过程,从尺度分解角度入手,对"世界气象组织天气研究计划——北京奥运会预报示范项目"(WWRP B08FDP)项目中4个I临近预报参加系统(BJANC,GRAPES-SWIFT,STEPS,CARDS)的1h定量降水预报进行时空尺度分解检验,研究降水预报技巧与降水时空尺度和强度之间的关系。结果表明:尽管目前国际先进的临近预报系统的水平分辨率已高达1～2km,但其有技巧的临近预报能力主要集中于空间尺度大于32km、时间尺度大于1h的降水系统,而对小于这些尺度的降水系统预报能力仍非常有限;在不同时空尺度的临近预报降水误差中,60%以上的误差来自于空间尺度小于8km的降水,85%以上的误差来自于时间尺度小于1h的降水,传统的外推技术不能满足这些较小时空尺度降水预报的需求,要发展有效的预报方法来提高较小时空尺度降水的预报能力。将基于外推的临近预报和基于稠密观测资料、快速更新的数值预报的潜势预报相结合可能是一条有效的解决途径。     

基于时空不确定性的对流尺度集合预报效果评估检验

针对对流尺度天气系统的高度非线性特征和高分辨率模式预报结果存在时、空不确定性现象,以及当前邻域概率法主要考虑高分辨率预报结果的空间位移误差,而不能有效解决预报结果存在时间超前与滞后问题,将时间因素引入到邻域概率法中,结合一次强飑线过程进行对流尺度集合预报试验,并基于改进后的新型邻域概率法与分数技巧评分,对降水预报进行了不同时、空尺度的效果评估检验。结果表明:（1）邻域集合概率法和概率匹配平均法在极端降水的分数技巧评分远高于传统集合平均,弥补了集合平均对极端降水预报能力偏低的缺陷。（2）对于此类飑线过程的对流尺度天气系统而言,邻域半径为15—45 km的空间尺度能够改善降水位移误差的空间不确定性,并使其预报效果达到最优,其中15—30 km的邻域半径对于尺度更小的大量级降水事件预报能力更强。（3）对流尺度降水预报考虑时间尺度与降水强度存在着对应关系,不同时间尺度可以捕获到不同量级降水的时间不确定性。同时,时间尺度与空间尺度对于降水预报效果的影响是相互关联的。（4）改进的邻域概率法能够同时体现高分辨率模式预报结果在对流尺度降水事件上存在的时、空不确定性,实现了对流尺度降水在时、空尺度上的综合评估,并能为不同量级降水提供与其时、空尺度相匹配的概率预报结果。      

GRAPES_Meso背景误差特征及应用

基于2015年6月—2016年5月GRAPES_Meso有限区域中尺度数值预报模式产品,采用美国国家气象中心（NMC）方法和高斯函数拟合方案统计中国区域的背景误差和水平相关尺度随纬度、高度和季节的变化特征。结果表明:控制变量的背景误差与水平相关尺度不仅随高度和纬度有明显变化,其中非平衡Exner气压和比湿具有明显的局地性和季节变化特征。非平衡Exner气压的背景误差在青藏高原地区较大,且冬季最大,夏季最小。比湿背景误差在低纬度热带季风区较大,且夏季最大,冬季最小。非平衡Exner气压和比湿的水平相关尺度在冬季最大,夏季最小。同时文中采用随高度变化的水平相关尺度替换GRAPES-3DVar中单一尺度参数,1个月的分析和模式预报试验表明,6 h的位势高度预报在对流层有明显改进;风场分析及其12 h内的预报在平流层改进明显;对24 h不同量级降水的预报有显著正贡献,也显著改善24 h内的小雨、中雨和大雨的空报现象,明显改善12~24 h特大暴雨的漏报现象。     

混合误差协方差用于集合平方根滤波同化的试验

在集合卡尔曼滤波方法中, 根据预报集合统计提供的依流型而变的预报误差协方差对同化起到决定性的作用。但在集合样本容量不足及模式存在系统误差时, 由预报集合估计的预报误差协方差会出现明显偏差。既要减小这种估计偏差对同化产生的影响而又不增加计算量, 一种可供选择的方法是将定常或准定常的高斯型预报误差协方差和由预报集合估计的预报误差协方差加权平均用于集合卡尔曼滤波同化。利用浅水方程模式, 通过观测系统模拟试验检验在不同的模式误差、 集合成员数以及观测密度条件下, 将这种混合预报误差协方差矩阵用于在集合平方根滤波的效果。试验结果表明, 当预报集合成员数较多而模式又无误差时, 不必采用混合的预报误差协方差矩阵, 否则, 采用混合的预报误差协方差矩阵都有可能改进分析和预报。混合预报误差协方差的最优的权重系数与模式误差关系密切, 模式误差越大, 定常预报误差协方差的权重越大。最优的权重系数与集合成员数及观测密度也有一定关系。