Strategies for coupling global and limited-area ensemble Kalman filter assimilation

This paper compares the forecast performance of four strategies for coupling global and limited area data assimilation: three strategies propagate information from the global to the limited area process, while the fourth strategy feeds back information from the limited area to the global process. Al...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: D. Merkova, I. Szunyogh, E. Ott
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Copernicus Publications 2011-06-01
Series:Nonlinear Processes in Geophysics
Online Access:http://www.nonlin-processes-geophys.net/18/415/2011/npg-18-415-2011.pdf
_version_ 1818344394562994176
author D. Merkova
I. Szunyogh
E. Ott
author_facet D. Merkova
I. Szunyogh
E. Ott
author_sort D. Merkova
collection DOAJ
description This paper compares the forecast performance of four strategies for coupling global and limited area data assimilation: three strategies propagate information from the global to the limited area process, while the fourth strategy feeds back information from the limited area to the global process. All four strategies are formulated in the Local Ensemble Transform Kalman Filter (LETKF) framework. <br><br> Numerical experiments are carried out with the model component of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Global Forecast System (GFS) and the NCEP Regional Spectral Model (RSM). The limited area domain is an extended North-America region that includes part of the north-east Pacific. The GFS is integrated at horizontal resolution T62 (about 150 km in the mid-latitudes), while the RSM is integrated at horizontal resolution 48 km. Experiments are carried out both under the perfect model hypothesis and in a realistic setting. The coupling strategies are evaluated by comparing their deterministic forecast performance at 12-h and 48-h lead times. <br><br> The results suggest that the limited area data assimilation system has the potential to enhance the forecasts at 12-h lead time in the limited area domain at the synoptic and sub-synoptic scales (in the global wave number range of about 10 to 40). There is a clear indication that between the forecast performance of the different coupling strategies those that cycle the limited area assimilation process produce the most accurate forecasts. In the realistic setting, at 12-h forecast time the limited area systems produce more modest improvements compared to the global system than under the perfect model hypothesis, and at 48-h forecast time the global forecasts are more accurate than the limited area forecasts.
first_indexed 2024-12-13T16:45:47Z
format Article
id doaj.art-c8fcfe5c310f48279eef78e205183f35
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1023-5809
1607-7946
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-13T16:45:47Z
publishDate 2011-06-01
publisher Copernicus Publications
record_format Article
series Nonlinear Processes in Geophysics
spelling doaj.art-c8fcfe5c310f48279eef78e205183f352022-12-21T23:38:11ZengCopernicus PublicationsNonlinear Processes in Geophysics1023-58091607-79462011-06-0118341543010.5194/npg-18-415-2011Strategies for coupling global and limited-area ensemble Kalman filter assimilationD. MerkovaI. SzunyoghE. OttThis paper compares the forecast performance of four strategies for coupling global and limited area data assimilation: three strategies propagate information from the global to the limited area process, while the fourth strategy feeds back information from the limited area to the global process. All four strategies are formulated in the Local Ensemble Transform Kalman Filter (LETKF) framework. <br><br> Numerical experiments are carried out with the model component of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Global Forecast System (GFS) and the NCEP Regional Spectral Model (RSM). The limited area domain is an extended North-America region that includes part of the north-east Pacific. The GFS is integrated at horizontal resolution T62 (about 150 km in the mid-latitudes), while the RSM is integrated at horizontal resolution 48 km. Experiments are carried out both under the perfect model hypothesis and in a realistic setting. The coupling strategies are evaluated by comparing their deterministic forecast performance at 12-h and 48-h lead times. <br><br> The results suggest that the limited area data assimilation system has the potential to enhance the forecasts at 12-h lead time in the limited area domain at the synoptic and sub-synoptic scales (in the global wave number range of about 10 to 40). There is a clear indication that between the forecast performance of the different coupling strategies those that cycle the limited area assimilation process produce the most accurate forecasts. In the realistic setting, at 12-h forecast time the limited area systems produce more modest improvements compared to the global system than under the perfect model hypothesis, and at 48-h forecast time the global forecasts are more accurate than the limited area forecasts.http://www.nonlin-processes-geophys.net/18/415/2011/npg-18-415-2011.pdf
spellingShingle D. Merkova
I. Szunyogh
E. Ott
Strategies for coupling global and limited-area ensemble Kalman filter assimilation
Nonlinear Processes in Geophysics
title Strategies for coupling global and limited-area ensemble Kalman filter assimilation
title_full Strategies for coupling global and limited-area ensemble Kalman filter assimilation
title_fullStr Strategies for coupling global and limited-area ensemble Kalman filter assimilation
title_full_unstemmed Strategies for coupling global and limited-area ensemble Kalman filter assimilation
title_short Strategies for coupling global and limited-area ensemble Kalman filter assimilation
title_sort strategies for coupling global and limited area ensemble kalman filter assimilation
url http://www.nonlin-processes-geophys.net/18/415/2011/npg-18-415-2011.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT dmerkova strategiesforcouplingglobalandlimitedareaensemblekalmanfilterassimilation
AT iszunyogh strategiesforcouplingglobalandlimitedareaensemblekalmanfilterassimilation
AT eott strategiesforcouplingglobalandlimitedareaensemblekalmanfilterassimilation