Issues Regarding the Assimilation of Cloud and Precipitation Data

The assimilation of observations indicative of quantitative cloud and precipitation characteristics is desirable for improving weather forecasts. For many fundamental reasons, it is a more difficult problem than the assimilation of conventional or clear-sky satellite radiance data. These reasons inc...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the atmospheric sciences 2007-11, Vol.64 (11), p.3785-3798
Main Authors: ERRICO, Ronald M, BAUER, Peter, MAHFOUF, Jean-Francois
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics
Clouds
Data assimilation
Earth Sciences
Earth, ocean, space
Exact sciences and technology
External geophysics
Hydrologic data
Meteorology
Motivation
Physics
Physics of the high neutral atmosphere
Precipitation
R&D
Remote sensing
Research & development
Sciences of the Universe
Studies
Weather forecasting
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The assimilation of observations indicative of quantitative cloud and precipitation characteristics is desirable for improving weather forecasts. For many fundamental reasons, it is a more difficult problem than the assimilation of conventional or clear-sky satellite radiance data. These reasons include concerns regarding nonlinearity of the required observation operators (forward models), nonnormality and large variances of representativeness, retrieval, or observation–operator errors, validation using new measures, dynamic and thermodynamic balances, and possibly limited predictability. Some operational weather prediction systems already assimilate precipitation observations, but much more research and development remains. The apparently critical, fundamental, and peculiar nature of many issues regarding cloud and precipitation assimilation implies that their more careful examination will be required for accelerating progress.
ISSN:0022-4928
1520-0469
DOI:10.1175/2006jas2044.1