Impact of Data Assimilation on Simulation of a Monsoonal Heavy Rainfall Event over India Using ARW Modeling System

Author(s):  
Shilpi Kalra ◽  
Sushil Kumar ◽  
A. Routray
2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashish Routray ◽  
Krishna K. Osuri ◽  
Makarand A. Kulkarni

The present study focuses on the performance-based comparison of simulations carried out using nudging (NUD) technique and three-dimensional variational (3DVAR) data assimilation system (3DV) of a heavy rainfall event occurred during 25–28 June 2005 along the west coast of India. The Indian conventional and nonconventional observations are used in the 3DV experiment. Three numerical experiments are conducted using WRF modeling system, the model is integrated upto 54 hours from the initial time 0000 UTC of 25 June 2005. It is noticed that the meteorological parameters are improved in the resulting high-resolution analyses prepared by NUD and 3DV compared to without data assimilation experiment (i.e., called CNTL experiment). However, after the successful inclusion of observations using the 3DVAR data assimilation technique, the model is able to simulate better structure of the convective organization as well as prominent synoptic features associated with the mid-tropospheric cyclones (MTC) than the NUD experiment and well correlated with the observations. The simulated location and intensity of rainfall is also improved in 3DV simulation as compared with other experiments. Similar results are noticed in the root mean squar errors, correlation coefficients, and Equitable Threat Scores between TRMM and model simulated rainfall for all the three experiments.


2011 ◽  
Vol 139 (6) ◽  
pp. 1911-1931 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takuya Kawabata ◽  
Tohru Kuroda ◽  
Hiromu Seko ◽  
Kazuo Saito

Abstract A cloud-resolving nonhydrostatic four-dimensional variational data assimilation system (NHM-4DVAR) was modified to directly assimilate radar reflectivity and applied to a data assimilation experiment using actual observations of a heavy rainfall event. Modifications included development of an adjoint model of the warm rain process, extension of control variables, and development of an observation operator for radar reflectivity. The responses of the modified NHM-4DVAR were confirmed by single-observation assimilation experiments for an isolated deep convection, using pseudo-observations of rainwater at the initial and end times of the data assimilation window. The results showed that the intensity of convection could be adjusted by assimilating appropriate observations of rainwater near the convection and that undesirable convection could be suppressed by assimilating small or no reflectivity. An assimilation experiment using actual observations of a local heavy rainfall in the Tokyo, Japan, metropolitan area was conducted with a horizontal resolution of 2 km. Precipitable water vapor derived from global positioning system data was assimilated at 5-min intervals within 30-min assimilation windows, and surface and wind profiler data were assimilated at 10-min intervals. Doppler radial wind and radar-reflectivity data below the elevation angle of 5.4° were assimilated at 1-min intervals. The 4DVAR assimilation reproduced a line-shaped rainband with a shape and intensity consistent with the observation. Assimilation of radar-reflectivity data intensified the rainband and suppressed false convection. The simulated rainband lasted for 1 h in the extended forecast and then gradually decayed. Sustaining the low-level convergence produced by northerly winds in the western part of the rainband was key to prolonging the predictability of the convective system.


2014 ◽  
Vol 53 (6) ◽  
pp. 1381-1398 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ji-Hyun Ha ◽  
Gyu-Ho Lim ◽  
Suk-Jin Choi

AbstractTo accommodate accurate analyses and forecasts of a heavy rainfall event over the Korean Peninsula, the authors assimilated the GPS radio occultation (RO) data by using the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF) and its three-dimensional variational data assimilation system (3DVAR). The employed datasets are from the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate (COSMIC) and Challenging Minisatellite Payload (CHAMP) missions. The selected case was from late October 2006, which intensively hit the northeastern part of the Korean Peninsula with record-breaking rainfall. In this study, the local refractivity observation operator was used in assimilating GPS RO soundings. The results are more pronounced for the cycling assimilation of GPS RO data than for the one-time data assimilation. From all of the parameters investigated (temperature, geopotential height, specific humidity, and winds), the GPS RO soundings highly modified the moisture distribution in the lower troposphere and also changed the wind field via the model dynamics. For the heavy rainfall forecast, the quantitative accuracy of the precipitation forecast with the GPS RO data assimilation was in good agreement with observations in terms of the maximum rainfall amount and threat scores. The improved forecast in the experiment came from the exact positioning of the low pressure system and its consequent convergence near the rainfall area. When RO data and GPS precipitable water data were assimilated simultaneously, the moisture distribution changed horizontally and vertically such that it increased the amount of rainfall, and an accurate description of the convective system development was feasible.


Author(s):  
Paulo Maurício Moura de Souza ◽  
Eder Paulo Vendrasco ◽  
Ivan Saraiva ◽  
Maximiliano Trindade ◽  
Maria Betânia Leal de Oliveira ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 148 (9) ◽  
pp. 3631-3652
Author(s):  
Pin-Ying Wu ◽  
Shu-Chih Yang ◽  
Chih-Chien Tsai ◽  
Hsiang-Wen Cheng

ABSTRACT Sampling error stems from the use of ensemble-based data assimilation (EDA) with a limited ensemble size and can result in spurious background error covariances, leading to false analysis corrections. The WRF-LETKF radar assimilation system (WLRAS) is performed separately with 256 and 40 members to investigate the characteristics of convective-scale sampling errors in the EDA and its impact on precipitation prediction based on a heavy rainfall event on 16 June 2008. The results suggest that the sampling errors for this event are sensitive to the relationships between the simulated observations and model variables, the intensity of reflectivity, and how the prevailing wind projects to the radial wind in the areas that the radar cannot resolve U or V wind. The sampling errors lead to an underprediction of heavy rainfall when the horizontal localization radius is inadequately large, but this can be mitigated when a more accurate moisture condition is provided. In addition, being able to use a larger vertical localization plays an important role in providing necessary adjustments for representing the vertical thermodynamical structure of convection, which further improves precipitation prediction. A strategy mitigating the impact of sampling errors associated with the limitation of radial wind measurement by inflating the observation error over sensitive areas can bring benefits to precipitation prediction.


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