THE IMPACT OF NOAA SATELLITE SOUNDING DATA ON THE SYSTEMATIC FORECAST ERROR OF B-MODEL

This paper is to examine the impact of satellite data on the systematic error of operational B-model in China.Em-phasis is put on the study of the impact of satellite sounding data on forecasts of the sea level pressure field and 500 hPaheight.The major findings are as follows.(1)The B-model usually underforecasts the strength of features in the sea level pressure(SLP)field,i.e.pressuresare too low near high pressure systems and too high near low pressure systems.(2)The nature of the systematic errors found in the 500 hPa height forecasts is not as clear cut as that of the SLPforecasts,but most often the same type of pattern is seen,i.e.,the heights in troughs are not low enough and those inridges are not high enough.(3)The use of satellite data in the B-model analysis/forecast system is found to have an impact upon the model'sforecast of SLP and 500 hPa height.Systematic errors in the vicinity of surface lows/500 hPa troughs over the oceansare usually found to be significantly reduced.A less conclusive mix of positive and negative impacts was found for allother types of features.     

NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF TYPHOON WAVE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF WINNIE （NO. 9711）

In this paper, the wind field provided by a meso-scale atmospheric model is employed. When main physical processes, including wave-current interactions, are considered, the latest version of the third generation wave model SWAN is applied to simulate the typhoon wave generated by Typhoon Winnie. The model results are compared with the TOPEX/POSEIDON and ERS-2 satellite altimeter data and analyzed in details. Then the distribution of wave fields are analyzed, with the results showing that applying SWAN to simulate large-scale domain can also fairly reproduce the observed features of waves and realistically reflect the distribution of typhoon waves.     

Aerosol Data Assimilation Using Data from Fengyun-3A and MODIS:Application to a Dust Storm over East Asia in 2011

Aerosol optical depth(AOD) is the most basic parameter that describes the optical properties of atmospheric aerosols,and it can be used to indicate aerosol content. In this study, we assimilated AOD data from the Fengyun-3 A(FY-3 A) and MODIS meteorological satellite using the Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation three-dimensional variational data assimilation system. Experiments were conducted for a dust storm over East Asia in April 2011. Each 0600 UTC analysis initialized a24-h Weather Research and Forecasting with Chemistry model forecast. The results generally showed that the assimilation of satellite AOD observational data can significantly improve model aerosol mass prediction skills. The AOD distribution of the analysis field was closer to the observations of the satellite after assimilation of satellite AOD data. In addition, the analysis resulting from the experiment assimilating both FY-3 A/MERSI(Medium-resolution Spectral Imager) AOD data and MODIS AOD data had closer agreement with the ground-based values than the individual assimilation of the two datasets for the dust storm over East Asia. These results suggest that the Chinese FY-3 A satellite aerosol products can be effectively applied to numerical models and dust weather analysis.     

A scheme for pixel-scale aerodynamic surface temperature over hilly land

Hilly-land satellite pixel-scale aerodynamic surface temperatures (AdST) are investigated using LAS (Large Aperture Scintillometer) and meteorological observations during 21-22 May 2001, indicating that the calculated temperatures are predominantly subject to estimated roughness lengths and, to a less extent, to estimated Bowen ratios, with errors to within 3.0 K between the AdST calculations and hilly radiometric surface temperatures retrieved from satellite data with the split window model. The errors depend heavily on the model used and the zenith angles and azimuth of the satellite and sun with respect to the observational site.     

A Regional Ocean Reanalysis System for Coastal Waters of China and Adjacent Seas

A regional ocean reanalysis system for the coastal waters of China and adjacent seas has been developed by the National Marine Data and Information Service(NMDIS).It produces a dataset package called CORA (China ocean reanalysis).The regional ocean model used is based on the Princeton Ocean Model with a generalized coordinate system(POMgcs).The model is parallelized by NMDIS with the addition of the wave breaking and tidal mixing processes into model parameterizations.Data assimilation is a sequential three-dimensional variational(3D-Var) scheme implemented within a multigrid framework.Observations include satellite remote sensing sea surface temperature(SST),altimetry sea level anomaly(SLA),and temperature/salinity profiles.The reanalysis fields of sea surface height,temperature,salinity,and currents begin with January 1986 and are currently updated every year. Error statistics and error distributions of temperature,salinity and currents are presented as a primary evaluation of the reanalysis fields using sea level data from tidal gauges,temperature profiles,as well as the trajectories of Argo floats.Some case studies offer the opportunity to verify the evolution of certain local circulations.These evaluations show that the reanalysis data produced provide a good representation of the ocean processes and phenomena in the coastal waters of China and adjacent seas.     

Use of Surface Observations to Estimate Upper Air Humidity for the Objective Analysis of Relative Humidity over Indian Region

In the present study objective analyses of relative humidity (RH) at surface and at the levels of 850,700 and 500 hPa have been made using Gandin’s (1963) optimum interpolation scheme. As the horizontal resolution of the radiosonde stations is rather inadequate for upper air humidity analysis, a scheme has been developed, following Rasmussen (1982) to estimate the upper air RH from the surface observations like surface RH, present weather and cloud cover. The relative humidities at the levels 850, 700 and 500 hPa were related to the surface observations through three separate regression relations. The RH values at 850, 700 and 500 hPa levels were estimated from the surface RH, cloud coverage and present weather using the above regression relations and subsequently the objective analyses at 00 GMT for the period from 4 July to 8 July 1979, were made using these estimated data along with the observed radiosonde data. Objective analyses were also made for the same period using only the radiosonde data for comparison to study the impact of those estimated data. Root mean square errors were computed for all the five days by interpolating RH at the observing stations from the objectively analysed field and comparing them with the actually observed RH to examine how best the analyses (with and without estimated data) fitted the observations. Lastly they were compared with satellite cloud pictures. This study shows that the estimated upper air RH values have positive impact on the analysis of upper air RH and could be used over radiosonde date sparse region and even over oceanic regions.     

THE DOWNSCALING FORECASTING OF SEASONAL PRECIPITATION IN GUANGDONG BASED ON CLIMATE FORECAST SYSTEMS PRODUCTS

The Climate Forecast Systems （CFS） datasets provided by National Centers for Environmental Prediction （NCEP）, which cover the time from 1981 to 2008, can be used to forecast atmospheric circulation nine months ahead. Compared with the NCEP datasets, CFS datasets successfully simulate many major features of the Asian monsoon circulation systems and exhibit reasonably high skill in simulating and predicting ENSO events. Based on the CFS forecasting results, a downscaling method of Optimal Subset Regression （OSR） and mean generational function model of multiple variables are used to forecast seasonal precipitation in Guangdong. After statistical analysis tests, sea level pressure, wind and geopotential height field are made predictors. Although the results are unstable in some individual seasons, both the OSR and multivariate mean generational function model can provide good forecasting as operational tests score more than sixty points. CFS datasets are available and updated in real time, as compared with the NCEP dataset. The downscaling forecast method based on the CFS datasets can predict three seasons of seasonal precipitation in Guangdong, enriching traditional statistical methods. However, its forecasting stability needs to be improved.     

Evaluation of Global Gridded Precipitation and Temperature Datasets against Gauged Observations over the Upper Tekeze River Basin,Ethiopia

The availability of satellite and reanalysis climate datasets and their applicability have been greatly promoted in hydro-climatic studies. However, such climatic products are still subject to considerable uncertainties and an evaluation of the products is necessary for applications in specific regions. This study aims to evaluate the reliability of nine gridded precipitation and temperature datasets against ground-based observations in the upper Tekeze River basin(UTB) of Ethiopia from 1982 to 2016. Precipitation, maximum temperature(T_(max)), minimum temperature(T_(min)), and mean temperature(T_(mean)) were evaluated at daily and monthly timescales. The results show that the best estimates of precipitation are from the Eart H2 Observe, WFDEI, and ERA-Interim reanalysis data Merged and Bias-corrected for the Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project(EWEMBI), and the Climate Hazards Group Infra Red Precipitation with Station data(CHIRPS) datasets. The percentage biases and correlation coefficients(CCs) are within ±15% and 0.5, respectively, for both EWEMBI and CHIRPS at the two timescales. All products underestimate the drought conditions indicated by the standardized precipitation index(SPI), while the EWEMBI and CHIRPS datasets show higher agreement with the observations than other datasets. The Tmean estimates produced by the ECMWF ReAnalysis version 5(ERA5) and the Climate Hazards Group Infra Red Temperature with Station data(CHIRTS) are the closest to the observations, with CCs of 0.65 and 0.55, respectively, at the daily timescale. The CHIRTS and EWEMBI datasets show better representations of Tmax(T_(min)), with CCs of 0.69(0.72) and 0.62(0.68), respectively,at the monthly timescale. The temperature extremes are better captured by the ERA5(T_(mean)), CHIRTS(T_(max)), and EWEMBI(T_(min)) datasets. The findings of this study provide useful information to select the most appropriate dataset for hydrometeorological studies in the UTB and could help to improve the regional representation of global datasets.     

中国近海海平面变化趋势的对比分析

本文分析了近40年的中国近海验潮站资料海表面高度的线性变化趋势,并与卫星高度计资料进行了对比。通过对验潮站资料的分析发现,中国海域无论是近40年(1970~2013年)、还是近20年(1993~2013年)海平面均显著上升。各海区近20年的海平面上升有加速的趋势,且各时段上升速率大于全球平均海平面上升率。但是,受到海平面的年际和年代际变化的影响,近10年海平面上升趋势放缓。同时,本文也分析了不同季节海平面变化的趋势,北部海域秋季最大,冬季最小;南海海域春季最大,秋季最小。通过AVISO资料和验潮站资料的对比可以发现,AVISO资料在描述近20年海平面变化的线性趋势上与验潮站资料接近,较大的差异主要是由验潮站地表发生升降引起的。同时,通过对比也发现了用验潮站资料估算海域平均的海平面高度变化会有一定的误差,在黄海、渤海、东海海域验潮站估计的数值偏高,而在南海海域则偏低。     

On Measurements of the Tide at Churchill,Hudson Bay

Since the late 1990s the semi-diurnal tide at Churchill, on the western shore of Hudson Bay, has been decreasing in amplitude, with M₂ amplitudes falling from approximately 154?cm in 1998 to 146?cm in 2012 and 142?cm in 2014. There has been a corresponding small increase in phase lag. Mean low water, decreasing throughout most of the twentieth century, has levelled off. Although the tidal changes could reflect merely a malfunctioning tide gauge, the fact that there are no other measurements in the region and the possibility that the tide is revealing important environmental changes calls for serious investigation. Satellite altimeter measurements of the tide in Hudson Bay are complicated by the seasonal ice cover; at most locations less than 40% of satellite passes return valid ocean heights and even those can be impacted by errors from sea ice. Because the combined TOPEX/Poseidon, Jason-1, and Jason-2 time series is more than 23 years long, it is now possible to obtain sufficient data at crossover locations near Churchill to search for tidal changes. The satellites sense no changes in M₂ that are comparable to the changes seen at the Churchill gauge. The changes appear to be localized to the harbour, or to the Churchill River, or to the gauge itself.     

耦合模式中潮汐对北大西洋模拟的影响研究

将8个主要平衡分潮加入到耦合模式中,对比研究潮汐对北大西洋模拟影响。由于潮汐的引入,模式模拟SST在北大西洋中纬度区域偏差显著减小,高纬度区域SST降温明显。SST模拟的改变使潮汐试验的海表净热通量模拟误差下降了约30%,但高纬度海冰显著增加。模式中引入潮汐对北大西洋上层环流,尤其是西边界流的路径模拟改进显著,这是SST及海表净热通量模拟改变的主要原因。同时,北大西洋上层和深层西边界流在潮汐的作用下,都表现出环流减弱的特点,这也使得大西洋经向翻转环流在26.5°N处上层2 km的输送减弱,与观测数据更为接近。较弱的大西洋经向翻转环流导致海洋热量在中低纬度聚集而无法输送到高纬度区域,这是造成潮汐试验模拟的海温在中低纬度偏高、高纬度偏低的原因,较弱的热输送也同时导致了潮汐试验中北半球海冰面积增加。     

Airborne radar measurements of ocean wave spectra and wind speed during the grand banks ERS‐1 SAR wave experiment

Abstract

Measurements of ocean directional wave spectra, significant wave height, and wind speed over the Grand Banks of Newfoundland were made using the combined capabilities of the radar ocean wave spectrometer (ROWS) and scanning radar altimeter (SRA). The instruments were flown aboard the NASA P‐3A aircraft in support of the Grand Banks ERS‐1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Wave Experiment. The NASA sensors use proven techniques, which differ greatly from SAR, for estimating the directional long‐wave spectrum; thus they provide a unique set of measurements for use in evaluating SAR performance. ROWS and SRA data are combined with spectra from the SAR aboard the Canadian Centre for Remote Sensing (CCRS) CV‐580 aircraft, the first‐generation Canadian Spectral Ocean Wave Model (CSOWM) hindcast, and other available in situ measurements to assess the ERS‐1 SAR's ability to correctly resolve wave field components along a 200‐ to 300‐km flight line for four separate satellite passes. Given the complex seas present on the Grand Banks, the complementary nature of viewing the sea spectrum from the perspectives of multiple sensors and a wave prediction model is apparent. The data intercomparisons show the ERS‐1 SAR to be meeting the expected goals for measuring swell, but the data also show evidence of this remote sensor's inability to detect the shorter waves travelling in the azimuth or along‐track direction. Example SAR spectra simulations are made using a non‐linear forward transform with ROWS measurements as input. Additionally, surface wind and wave height estimates made using the ROWS altimeter channel are presented. These data demonstrate the utility of operating the system in its new combined altimeter and spectrometer configuration.     

A comparison of conventional and passive microwave sea‐ice datasets for Hudson Bay

Abstract

A sea‐ice dataset derived from passive microwave data acquired by the Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer (SMMR) is compared with a conventional sea‐ice dataset from Ice Branch, Atmospheric Environment Service, Canada. The conventional set uses data from several sources including ships of opportunity, reconnaissance aircraft, satellite photographs and climate stations. The comparison was made for a 3‐year period from 1979 to 1981 over Hudson Bay, an area that is covered with first‐year ice only. For 8 of the 12 months of the year, monthly area‐average ice concentrations are within one tenth; larger differences are evident during periods of melting and freeze‐up. Extensive ponding on first‐year ice during the melt season is interpreted as open water by the SMMR algorithm, leading to significant “errors” in the passive microwave dataset. By comparing the two datasets, we were able to show the extent of ponding on the ice for a complete seasonal melt cycle. During freeze‐up the algorithm, under some conditions, provides a better estimate of the amount of ice than a conventional dataset owing to the difficulty of observing the presence of new ice.     

Oceanic tides over the Newfoundland and Scotian Shelves from TOPEX/POSEIDON altimetry

Abstract

A modified response analysis in the form of an orthotide parametrization is used to derive major semi‐diurnal and diurnal tidal constituents over the Newfoundland and Scotian Shelves from TOPEX/POSEIDON altimeter data. The orthotide formulation simultaneously solves for eight major semi‐diurnal and diurnal constituents, and has an accuracy of better than ～1.5 cm for each constituent. Tidal elevations are derived from the altimeter data on the ascending and descending satellite ground tracks, and interpolated using the method of statistical interpolation. The semi‐diurnal constituents (M₂, S₂ and N₂) compare favourably with available in‐situ observations and a numerical model. The diurnals (K₁ and O₁) are not as accurate as the semi‐diurnals, especially in the nearshore environment. The paper demonstrates the ability of TOPEX/POSEIDON altimetry to provide accurate tidal data over a continental shelf.     

全球多源海冰密集度融合资料研制试验

为了发展一套全球多源海冰密集度逐日融合资料,以欧洲气象卫星应用组织(EUMETSAT)海洋海冰应用中心(OSI SAF)海冰密集度数据、中国国家卫星气象中心(NSMC)的MWRI和VIRR全球海冰密集度数据、美国国家冰雪数据中心(NSIDC)的NISE海冰密集度数据、美国国家冰中心(NIC)的IMS北半球海冰数据为观测...     

Computed and observed ocean topography: A comparison

This paper presents determinations of ocean topography using spacecraft altimeter techniques. The first direct spacecraft observations of sea-surface topography were made in late 1973 during the Skylab mission. Comparisons of the topography derived from the altimeter data with the computed topography based upon the Goddard Space Flight Center Earth Gravity Model, GEM-8, derived from satellite tracking data and surface gravity data show differences of a few meters.With the presently orbiting altimeter system on the Geos-3 spacecraft, relative variations over a few hundred kilometers along the orbital track can now be detected to a few decimeters. Numerous short-wavelength features which reflect large variations of the ocean floor have been observed to a relative precision of a meter or better with Geos-3. For example, the Blake-Bahama Basin off the coast of Florida is about 4000 m lower than the continental shelf. The sea surface of the basin, as measured by the Geos-3 altimeter, is about 8 m lower than that of the continental shelf. Further, a height change of over 20 m has been measured over the Puerto Rican Trench relative to the height of the mean sea level at Puerto Rico.Preliminary results of on-going studies indicate that geostrophic height variations, for example, due to ocean currents (the Gulf Stream has an expected variation of around 1.5 m over 100 km) will be detectable using spaceborne altimeters.