scholarly journals EnVAR for ICON-LAM: observations and quality control

Author(s):  
Mareike Burba ◽  
Sven Ulbrich ◽  
Stefanie Hollborn ◽  
Roland Potthast ◽  
Peter Knippertz

<p>The German Weather Service (DWD) introduces the regional NWP model ICON-LAM (ICON Limited Area Mode) in 2021 to replace the COSMO model. For the ICON-LAM data assimilation, a novel EnVAR (Ensemble VARiational data assimilation) setup is currently evaluated in comparison to the operational deterministic run of KENDA-LETKF (Local Ensemble Transform Kalman Filter). This requires special care as the observation handling differs for the global assimilation (via EnVAR) and the regional assimilation (KENDA). Furthermore, the variational quality control for the regional EnVAR may require a setup differing from the global setup. We will give an introduction to the observation processing in DWD's data assimilation framework (DACE).</p><p>For future development, we give an outlook on how a regional EnVAR can be used for a regional deterministic analysis by using a global ICON ensemble in combination with a regional deterministic ICON-LAM run. This is potentially of interest for DWD's partners with smaller computational capacities, because a regional EnVAR analysis is computationally less expensive than running a full KENDA ensemble assimilation cycle.</p>

2009 ◽  
Vol 137 (2) ◽  
pp. 693-709 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shu-Chih Yang ◽  
Matteo Corazza ◽  
Alberto Carrassi ◽  
Eugenia Kalnay ◽  
Takemasa Miyoshi

Abstract Local ensemble transform Kalman filter (LETKF) data assimilation, three-dimensional variational data assimilation (3DVAR), and four-dimensional variational data assimilation (4DVAR) schemes are implemented in a quasigeostrophic channel model. Their advantages and disadvantages are compared to assess their use in practical applications. LETKF and 4DVAR, which take into account the flow-dependent errors, outperform 3DVAR under a perfect model scenario. Given the same observations, LETKF produces more accurate analyses than 4DVAR with a 12-h window by effectively correcting the fast-growing errors with the flow-dependent background error covariance. Even though 4DVAR performance benefits substantially from using a longer assimilation window, LETKF is also able to achieve a satisfactory accuracy compared to the 24-h 4DVAR analyses. It is shown that the advantage of the LETKF over 3DVAR is a result of both the ensemble averaging and the information about the “errors of the day” provided by the ensemble. The analysis corrections at the end of the 12-h assimilation window are similar for LETKF and the 12-h window 4DVAR, and they both resemble bred vectors. At the beginning of the assimilation window, LETKF analysis corrections obtained using a no-cost smoother also resemble the corresponding bred vectors, whereas the 4DVAR corrections are significantly different with much larger horizontal scales.


2017 ◽  
Vol 145 (11) ◽  
pp. 4575-4592 ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig H. Bishop ◽  
Jeffrey S. Whitaker ◽  
Lili Lei

To ameliorate suboptimality in ensemble data assimilation, methods have been introduced that involve expanding the ensemble size. Such expansions can incorporate model space covariance localization and/or estimates of climatological or model error covariances. Model space covariance localization in the vertical overcomes problematic aspects of ensemble-based satellite data assimilation. In the case of the ensemble transform Kalman filter (ETKF), the expanded ensemble size associated with vertical covariance localization would also enable the simultaneous update of entire vertical columns of model variables from hyperspectral and multispectral satellite sounders. However, if the original formulation of the ETKF were applied to an expanded ensemble, it would produce an analysis ensemble that was the same size as the expanded forecast ensemble. This article describes a variation on the ETKF called the gain ETKF (GETKF) that takes advantage of covariances from the expanded ensemble, while producing an analysis ensemble that has the required size of the unexpanded forecast ensemble. The approach also yields an inflation factor that depends on the localization length scale that causes the GETKF to perform differently to an ensemble square root filter (EnSRF) using the same expanded ensemble. Experimentation described herein shows that the GETKF outperforms a range of alternative ETKF-based solutions to the aforementioned problems. In cycling data assimilation experiments with a newly developed storm-track version of the Lorenz-96 model, the GETKF analysis root-mean-square error (RMSE) matches the EnSRF RMSE at shorter than optimal localization length scales but is superior in that it yields smaller RMSEs for longer localization length scales.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yun Liu ◽  
Eugenia Kalnay ◽  
Ning Zeng ◽  
Ghassem Asrar ◽  
Zhaohui Chen ◽  
...  

Abstract. We developed a Carbon data assimilation system to estimate the surface carbon fluxes using the Local Ensemble Transform Kalman Filter and atmospheric transfer model of GEOS-Chem driven by the MERRA-1 reanalysis of the meteorological fields based on the Goddard Earth Observing System Model, Version 5 (GEOS-5). This assimilation system is inspired by the method of Kang et al. [2011, 2012], who estimated the surface carbon fluxes in an Observing System Simulation Experiment (OSSE) mode, as evolving parameters in the assimilation of the atmospheric CO2, using a short assimilation window of 6 hours. They included the assimilation of the standard meteorological variables, so that the ensemble provided a measure of the uncertainty in the CO2 transport. After introducing new techniques such as variable localization, and increased observation weights near the surface, they obtained accurate carbon fluxes at grid point resolution. We developed a new version of the LETKF related to the Running-in-Place (RIP) method used to accelerate the spin-up of EnKF data assimilation [Kalnay and Yang, 2010; Wang et al., 2013, Yang et al., 2014]. Like RIP, the new assimilation system uses the no-cost smoothing algorithm for the LETKF [Kalnay et al., 2007b], which allows shifting at no cost the Kalman Filter solution forward or backward within an assimilation window. In the new scheme a long observation window (e.g., 7-days or longer) is used to create an LETKF ensemble at 7-days. Then, the RIP smoother is used to obtain an accurate final analysis at 1-day. This analysis has the advantage of being based on a short assimilation window, which makes it more accurate, and of having been exposed to the future 7-days observations, which accelerates the spin up. The assimilation and observation windows are then shifted forward by one day, and the process is repeated. This reduces significantly the analysis error, suggesting that this method could be used in other data assimilation problems.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soledad Osores ◽  
Juan Ruiz ◽  
Arnau Folch ◽  
Estela Collini

Abstract. Quantitative volcanic ash cloud forecasts are prone to uncertainties coming from the source term quantification (e.g. eruption strength or vertical distribution of the emitted particles), with consequent implications on operational ash impact assessment. We present an ensemble-based data assimilation and forecast system for volcanic ash dispersal and deposition aimed at reducing uncertainties related to eruption source parameters. The FALL3D atmospheric dispersal model is coupled with the Ensemble Transform Kalman Filter (ETKF) data assimilation technique by combining ash mass loading observations with ash dispersal simulations in order to obtain a better joint estimation of 3D ash concentration and source parameters. The ETKF-FALL3D data assimilation system is evaluated performing Observation System Simulation Experiments (OSSE) in which synthetic observations of fine ash mass loadings are assimilated. The evaluation of the ETKF-FALL3D system considering reference states of steady and time-varying eruption source parameters shows that the assimilation process gives both better estimations of ash concentration and time-dependent optimized values of eruption source parameters. The joint estimation of concentrations and source parameters leads to a better analysis and forecast of the 3D ash concentrations. Results show the potential of the methodology to improve volcanic ash cloud forecasts in operational contexts.


2011 ◽  
Vol 139 (2) ◽  
pp. 566-572 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meng Zhang ◽  
Fuqing Zhang ◽  
Xiang-Yu Huang ◽  
Xin Zhang

Abstract This study compares the performance of an ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) with both the three-dimensional and four-dimensional variational data assimilation (3DVar and 4DVar) methods of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model over the contiguous United States in a warm-season month (June) of 2003. The data assimilated every 6 h include conventional sounding and surface observations as well as data from wind profilers, ships and aircraft, and the cloud-tracked winds from satellites. The performances of these methods are evaluated through verifying the 12- to 72-h forecasts initialized twice daily from the analysis of each method against the standard sounding observations. It is found that 4DVar has consistently smaller error than that of 3DVar for winds and temperature at all forecast lead times except at 60 and 72 h when their forecast errors become comparable in amplitude, while the two schemes have similar performance in moisture at all lead times. The forecast error of the EnKF is comparable to that of the 4DVar at 12–36-h lead times, both of which are substantially smaller than that of the 3DVar, despite the fact that 3DVar fits the sounding observations much more closely at the analysis time. The advantage of the EnKF becomes even more evident at 48–72-h lead times; the 72-h forecast error of the EnKF is comparable in magnitude to the 48-h error of 3DVar/4DVar.


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