A data assimilation approach to discharge estimation from space

River discharge is currently monitored by a diminishing network of gauges, which provide a spatially incomplete picture of global discharges. This study assimilated water level information derived from a fused satellite Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) image and digital terrain model (DTM) with simulations from a coupled hydrological and hydrodynamic model to estimate discharge in an un‐gauged basin scenario. Assimilating water level measurements led to a 79% reduction in ensemble discharge uncertainty over the coupled hydrological hydrodynamic model alone. Measurement bias was evident, but the method still provided a means of improving estimates of discharge for high flows. The study demonstrates the potential of currently available synthetic aperture radar imagery to reduce discharge uncertainty in un‐gauged basins when combined with model simulations in a data assimilation framework, where sufficient topographic data are available. The work is timely because in the near future the launch of satellite radar missions will lead to a significant increase in the volume of data available for space‐borne discharge estimation. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

GAIM电离层同化方法进展

电离层是复杂的空间层结,其变化受太阳活动强度、地球磁场等因素影响。随着空间技术发展的需求,电离层天气变化成为目前空间天气预报最重要的内容之一。最近10年,人们利用卫星在电离层观测方面取得了重大进展,尤其引人注意的是:无线电掩星观测技术正走向应用的新阶段,加上已经建立的全球大量的地基GPS观测网,它们不仅为电离层动力学模式研究提供了丰富的电离层资料,而且为电离层预报提供了很好基础。因此,电离层天气预报成为当前重要的、前瞻性的研究方向,电离层资料同化是电离层预报最重要的研究内容之一。该文系统介绍这方面国际动态,重点是美国的USC/JPL和犹他州大学开展全球电离层同化模型研究、全球电离层同化研究的进展,以及在电离层天气预报中应用的初步成果。     

海洋初始状态对预报2002/03年中太平洋型厄尔尼诺事件的作用

2002/03年厄尔尼诺事件,是暖海温中心出现在赤道中太平洋区域的一种新型厄尔尼诺,即中太平洋型厄尔尼诺。本文基于一个厄尔尼诺预测系统,利用三组回报试验来详细区分海洋表层和次表层初始状态对预报2002/03年中太平洋型厄尔尼诺事件的作用,并由此来探寻对预报厄尔尼诺演变过程最有利的初始条件。回报试验分为三组:(1)仅同化海表温度观测(sea surface temperature;简称SST)来优化海洋表层初始状态(Assim_SST);(2)仅同化海表高度观测(sea level;简称SL)来更新海洋次表层初始状态(Assim_SL);(3)同时同化SST和SL观测来一起更新海洋表层和次表层初始状态(Assim_SST+SL)。回报试验结果表明,三种不同的初始条件都可以使模式提前一年成功地预报2002/03年厄尔尼诺事件,并且"Assim_SST+SL"回报试验的效果最好。三组回报试验结果间的对比表明:海洋表层和次表层初始状态均对成功地预报该事件有重要作用,但其作用分别集中在事件发展的不同阶段。精确的海洋表层初始状态更容易激发模式预报出一次厄尔尼诺事件,而更合理的海洋次表层初始状态则能有效地提高厄尔尼诺事件预报的强度。     

热带风压场平衡特征及其对GRAPES系统中同化预报的影响研究I:平衡特征分析

本文基于GRAPES全球模式的短期预报误差样本,利用赤道波动正规模态研究了热带风、压场平衡特征,并根据这些特征分析了线性平衡方程(LBE)在该区域应用时存在的问题。结果表明:(1)赤道波动能成功解释热带短期预报误差样本的大部分分量,对流层中层为60%~80%,对流层顶和平流层低层为80%以上。(2)在可解释的误差方差中,赤道罗斯贝波(ER)占比仅为30%~55%,其他赤道波动的作用不可忽视。(3)在ER模态基础上引入其他赤道波动会大幅削弱原有风、压场平衡约束,重力惯性波与Kelvin波的作用最为显著。此时,对流层中层位势高度h与u风、v风间的约束接近于零,而平流层低层h-u的平衡特征由Kelvin波主导。(4)LBE主要表达了ER模态下的风、压场平衡特征,与实际情形相比高估了热带风、压场的耦合程度,进一步的改进中需削弱这一虚假平衡,使得热带风、压场分析变得更加独立。     

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.     

Evaluation of radar and automatic weather station data assimilation for a heavy rainfall event in southern China

To improve the accuracy of short-term(0–12 h) forecasts of severe weather in southern China, a real-time storm-scale forecasting system, the Hourly Assimilation and Prediction System(HAPS), has been implemented in Shenzhen, China. The forecasting system is characterized by combining the Advanced Research Weather Research and Forecasting(WRF-ARW)model and the Advanced Regional Prediction System(ARPS) three-dimensional variational data assimilation(3DVAR) package. It is capable of assimilating radar reflectivity and radial velocity data from multiple Doppler radars as well as surface automatic weather station(AWS) data. Experiments are designed to evaluate the impacts of data assimilation on quantitative precipitation forecasting(QPF) by studying a heavy rainfall event in southern China. The forecasts from these experiments are verified against radar, surface, and precipitation observations. Comparison of echo structure and accumulated precipitation suggests that radar data assimilation is useful in improving the short-term forecast by capturing the location and orientation of the band of accumulated rainfall. The assimilation of radar data improves the short-term precipitation forecast skill by up to9 hours by producing more convection. The slight but generally positive impact that surface AWS data has on the forecast of near-surface variables can last up to 6–9 hours. The assimilation of AWS observations alone has some benefit for improving the Fractions Skill Score(FSS) and bias scores; when radar data are assimilated, the additional AWS data may increase the degree of rainfall overprediction.     

C波段雷达在新疆区域数值预报系统中的应用初探

基于新疆区域数值预报系统（Desert Oasis Gobi Rapid Analysis Forecast System,下称DOGRAFS）,开展了同化C波段雷达资料对2010年10月6日发生在新疆的一次强降水过程预报结果影响的试验分析。其中设计包括不同化任何资料、同化常规资料、同化雷达反射率因子、同化雷达径向风、同时同化反射率因子和径向风五组试验,重点分析了雷达资料同化对此次天气过程降水、温度以及风速模拟效果的影响。结果表明：（1）同化雷达径向风和同时同化径向风和反射率因子相对于其他三组试验,对降水预报的TS和ETs评分更高;（2）相对于其他三组试验,同化雷达径向风和同时同化径向风和反射率因子对模式垂直方向上的温度、风速预报偏差具有一定的改善效果;（3）对于地面2 m温度和10 m风速而言,同化常规观测资料比其他四组试验预报的平均偏差和均方根误差更小;其它四组试验误差相当,差别不明显,表明同化雷达对近地面层温度和风的影响不明显。本研究旨在探索C波段雷达观测资料在新疆区域数值预报系统中的适用性,为今后雷达观测资料在业务系统中的应用提供参考。     

土壤湿度对卫星辐射率资料直接同化的影响

本研究利用WRF模式及其三维变分同化系统实现了对NOAA-16 AMSU-A微波资料的直接同化,针对2010年6月19日江西地区的一次强降水过程开展模拟与同化试验,并利用中国区域土壤湿度同化系统(CLSMDAS—China Land Soil Moisture Data Assimilation System)输出的土壤湿度值替换NCEP(National Centers for Environmental Prediction)资料中的土壤湿度,研究土壤湿度初值对辐射率资料直接同化中观测场与背景场偏差调整的影响。结果表明:采用CLSMDAS输出土壤湿度初值条件下模拟的亮温值与实际观测值更为接近,经过质量控制和偏差订正后更多的观测资料能够进入到同化系统中,说明改进的土壤湿度初值条件下观测算子的计算值得到正的调整,对低层地表通道的改进效果明显,尤其以50.3 GHz的窗区通道3的结果最为理想;针对此次强降水过程中24 h累积降水分布的模拟结果,CLSMDAS输出土壤湿度初值条件下同化AMSU-A资料,能够较为准确的把握整个雨带的走向、大雨以上级别降水的落区范围、降水中心落区及强度等。说明准确的土壤湿度初值能够改进卫星辐射率资料的同化结果,进而提高数值模式的模拟预报能力。     

GPS掩星资料三维变分同化对台风模式预报的改进试验

本文尝试了GPSRO COSMIC资料在中尺度数值模式中的应用,利用COSMIC资料受云和降水影响较小,且有高数据精度、高垂直分辨率等优点,以改善模式初始场,进而提高预报准确度。模式采用中尺度气象模式WRF V3.0.1版本及其三维变分同化系统3DVAR,利用NCEP再分析资料、GTS资料和COSMIC资料对2009年第8号台风"莫拉克"登陆台湾岛前到登陆台湾岛的过程进行了模拟试验,并对温度、露点温度、对流有效位能等要素进行了诊断分析。试验结果表明:该项试验成功将COSMIC资料同化进模式,加深对"莫拉克"热力结构特征的了解,有效改善台风降水和路径预报,其中仅屏东县单点降水预报提高600 mm左右,24 h预报路径误差提高80 km以上。同时对提高台风强度预报起到积极作用。     

Assimilating the LAI Data to the VEGAS Model Using the Local Ensemble Transform Kalman Filter: An Observing System Simulation Experiment

Information on the spatial and temporal pat- terns of surface carbon flux is crucial to understanding of source/sink mechanisms and projection of future atmospheric CO2 concentrations and climate. This study presents the construction and implementation of a terrestrial carbon cycle data assimilation system based on a dynamic vegetation and terrestrial carbon model Vegetation-Global-Atmosphere-Soil （VEGAS） with an advanced assimilation algorithm, the local ensemble transform Kalman filter （LETKF, hereafter LETKF-VEGAS）. An observing system simulation experiment （OSSE） framework was designed to evaluate the reliability of this system, and numerical experiments conducted by the OSSE using leaf area index （LAI） observations suggest that the LETKF -VEGAS can improve the estimations of leaf carbon pool and LAI significantly, with reduced root mean square errors and increased correlation coefficients with true values, as compared to a control run without assimilation. Furthermore, the LETKF-VEGAS has the potential to provide more accurate estimations of the net primary productivity （NPP） and carbon flux to atmosphere （CFta）.