An Efficient Bi-Gaussian Ensemble Kalman Filter for Satellite Infrared Radiance Data Assimilation

2020 ◽  
Vol 148 (12) ◽  
pp. 5087-5104
Author(s):  
Man-Yau Chan ◽  
Jeffrey L. Anderson ◽  
Xingchao Chen

AbstractThe introduction of infrared water vapor channel radiance ensemble data assimilation (DA) has improved numerical weather forecasting at operational centers. Further improvements might be possible through extending ensemble data assimilation methods to better assimilate infrared satellite radiances. Here, we will illustrate that ensemble statistics under clear-sky conditions are different from cloudy conditions. This difference suggests that extending the ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) to handle bi-Gaussian prior distributions may yield better results than the standard EnKF. In this study, we propose a computationally efficient bi-Gaussian ensemble Kalman filter (BGEnKF) to handle bi-Gaussian prior distributions. As a proof-of-concept, we used the 40-variable Lorenz 1996 model as a proxy to examine the impacts of assimilating infrared radiances with the BGEnKF and EnKF. A nonlinear observation operator that constructs radiance-like bimodal ensemble statistics was used to generate and assimilate pseudoradiances. Inflation was required for both methods to effectively assimilate pseudoradiances. In both 800- and 20-member experiments, the BGEnKF generally outperformed the EnKF. The relative performance of the BGEnKF with respect to the EnKF improved when the observation spacing and time between DA cycles (cycling interval) are increased from small values. The relative performance then degraded when observation spacing and cycling interval become sufficiently large. The BGEnKF generated less noise than the EnKF, suggesting that the BGEnKF produces more balanced analysis states than the EnKF. This proof-of-concept study motivates future investigation into using the BGEnKF to assimilate infrared observations into high-order numerical weather models.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tarkeshwar Singh ◽  
Francois Counillon ◽  
Jerry F. Tjiputra ◽  
Mohamad El Gharamti

<p>Ocean biogeochemical (BGC) models utilize a large number of poorly-constrained global parameters to mimic unresolved processes and reproduce the observed complex spatio-temporal patterns. Large model errors stem primarily from inaccuracies in these parameters whose optimal values can vary both in space and time. This study aims to demonstrate the ability of ensemble data assimilation (DA) methods to provide high-quality and improved BGC parameters within an Earth system model in idealized twin experiment framework.  We use the Norwegian Climate Prediction Model (NorCPM), which combines the Norwegian Earth System Model with the Dual-One-Step ahead smoothing-based Ensemble Kalman Filter (DOSA-EnKF). The work follows on Gharamti et al. (2017) that successfully demonstrates the approach for one-dimensional idealized ocean BGC models. We aim to estimate five spatially varying BGC parameters by assimilating Salinity and Temperature hydrographic profiles and surface BGC (Phytoplankton, Nitrate, Phosphorous, Silicate, and Oxygen) observations in a strongly coupled DA framework – i.e., jointly updating ocean and BGC state-parameters during the assimilation. The method converges quickly (less than a year), largely reducing the errors in the BGC parameters and eventually it is shown to perform nearly as well as that of the system with true parameter values. Optimal parameter values can also be recovered by assimilating climatological BGC observations and challenging sparse observational networks. The findings of this study demonstrate the applicability of the approach for tuning the system in a real framework.</p><p> </p><p><strong>References</strong>:</p><p>Gharamti, M. E., Tjiputra, J., Bethke, I., Samuelsen, A., Skjelvan, I., Bentsen, M., & Bertino, L. (2017). Ensemble data assimilation for ocean biogeochemical state and parameter estimation at different sites. Ocean Modelling, 112, 65-89.</p>


2014 ◽  
Vol 142 (2) ◽  
pp. 716-738 ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig S. Schwartz ◽  
Zhiquan Liu

Abstract Analyses with 20-km horizontal grid spacing were produced from parallel continuously cycling three-dimensional variational (3DVAR), ensemble square root Kalman filter (EnSRF), and “hybrid” variational–ensemble data assimilation (DA) systems between 0000 UTC 6 May and 0000 UTC 21 June 2011 over a domain spanning the contiguous United States. Beginning 9 May, the 0000 UTC analyses initialized 36-h Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF) forecasts containing a large convection-permitting 4-km nest. These 4-km 3DVAR-, EnSRF-, and hybrid-initialized forecasts were compared to benchmark WRF forecasts initialized by interpolating 0000 UTC Global Forecast System (GFS) analyses onto the computational domain. While important differences regarding mean state characteristics of the 20-km DA systems were noted, verification efforts focused on the 4-km precipitation forecasts. The 3DVAR-, hybrid-, and EnSRF-initialized 4-km precipitation forecasts performed similarly regarding general precipitation characteristics, such as timing of the diurnal cycle, and all three forecast sets had high precipitation biases at heavier rainfall rates. However, meaningful differences emerged regarding precipitation placement as quantified by the fractions skill score. For most forecast hours, the hybrid-initialized 4-km precipitation forecasts were better than the EnSRF-, 3DVAR-, and GFS-initialized forecasts, and the improvement was often statistically significant at the 95th percentile. These results demonstrate the potential of limited-area continuously cycling hybrid DA configurations and suggest additional hybrid development is warranted.


Computer ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 48 (11) ◽  
pp. 15-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takemasa Miyoshi ◽  
Keiichi Kondo ◽  
Koji Terasaki

2015 ◽  
Vol 143 (12) ◽  
pp. 5073-5090 ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig H. Bishop ◽  
Bo Huang ◽  
Xuguang Wang

Abstract A consistent hybrid ensemble filter (CHEF) for using hybrid forecast error covariance matrices that linearly combine aspects of both climatological and flow-dependent matrices within a nonvariational ensemble data assimilation scheme is described. The CHEF accommodates the ensemble data assimilation enhancements of (i) model space ensemble covariance localization for satellite data assimilation and (ii) Hodyss’s method for improving accuracy using ensemble skewness. Like the local ensemble transform Kalman filter (LETKF), the CHEF is computationally scalable because it updates local patches of the atmosphere independently of others. Like the sequential ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF), it serially assimilates batches of observations and uses perturbed observations to create ensembles of analyses. It differs from the deterministic (no perturbed observations) ensemble square root filter (ESRF) and the EnKF in that (i) its analysis correction is unaffected by the order in which observations are assimilated even when localization is required, (ii) it uses accurate high-rank solutions for the posterior error covariance matrix to serially assimilate observations, and (iii) it accommodates high-rank hybrid error covariance models. Experiments were performed to assess the effect on CHEF and ESRF analysis accuracy of these differences. In the case where both the CHEF and the ESRF used tuned localized ensemble covariances for the forecast error covariance model, the CHEF’s advantage over the ESRF increased with observational density. In the case where the CHEF used a hybrid error covariance model but the ESRF did not, the CHEF had a substantial advantage for all observational densities.


Author(s):  
Nicolas Papadakis ◽  
Etienne Mémin ◽  
Anne Cuzol ◽  
Nicolas Gengembre

Author(s):  
M. Zupanski ◽  
S. J. Fletcher ◽  
I. M. Navon ◽  
B. Uzunoglu ◽  
R. P. Heikes ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 931-944
Author(s):  
Johann M. Lacerda ◽  
Alexandre A. Emerick ◽  
Adolfo P. Pires

2005 ◽  
Vol 133 (6) ◽  
pp. 1710-1726 ◽  
Author(s):  
Milija Zupanski

Abstract A new ensemble-based data assimilation method, named the maximum likelihood ensemble filter (MLEF), is presented. The analysis solution maximizes the likelihood of the posterior probability distribution, obtained by minimization of a cost function that depends on a general nonlinear observation operator. The MLEF belongs to the class of deterministic ensemble filters, since no perturbed observations are employed. As in variational and ensemble data assimilation methods, the cost function is derived using a Gaussian probability density function framework. Like other ensemble data assimilation algorithms, the MLEF produces an estimate of the analysis uncertainty (e.g., analysis error covariance). In addition to the common use of ensembles in calculation of the forecast error covariance, the ensembles in MLEF are exploited to efficiently calculate the Hessian preconditioning and the gradient of the cost function. A sufficient number of iterative minimization steps is 2–3, because of superior Hessian preconditioning. The MLEF method is well suited for use with highly nonlinear observation operators, for a small additional computational cost of minimization. The consistent treatment of nonlinear observation operators through optimization is an advantage of the MLEF over other ensemble data assimilation algorithms. The cost of MLEF is comparable to the cost of existing ensemble Kalman filter algorithms. The method is directly applicable to most complex forecast models and observation operators. In this paper, the MLEF method is applied to data assimilation with the one-dimensional Korteweg–de Vries–Burgers equation. The tested observation operator is quadratic, in order to make the assimilation problem more challenging. The results illustrate the stability of the MLEF performance, as well as the benefit of the cost function minimization. The improvement is noted in terms of the rms error, as well as the analysis error covariance. The statistics of innovation vectors (observation minus forecast) also indicate a stable performance of the MLEF algorithm. Additional experiments suggest the amplified benefit of targeted observations in ensemble data assimilation.


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