Specification of the Moisture Mass and Wind Field in the Southern Hemisphere Using GNSS and EOS Data

Specification of the moisture, mass and wind field in the southern hemisphere is being improved by use of GNSS data and Earth Observations from Space (EOS). Recently RMIT University and Geoscience Australia have worked with the Bureau of Meteorology to improve moisture analysis by generating real-time GNSS Zenith Total Delay (ZTD) data over the Australia region. These ZTD data have been used in NWP to improve moisture analysis at both the mesoscale and global scale and are now used by the Bureau of Meteorology's operational forecast system. Specification of the mass field is currently supported by a data-base including an increasing number of hyperspectral infrared Sounders and 11 microwave sounders and in relation to wind, availability of near real time, Advanced Himawari Imager (AHI) data is allowing the local generation of full disk error characterised winds (Atmospheric Motion Vectors) for operational application every 10 minutes. The important contributions some of these new data make to analysis and forecasting are discussed. In particular, the impact the locally generated ZTD data can have on moisture analysis and rainfall prediction will be noted, as will the impact of the near continuous, locally generated, ten-minute wind data from Himawari-8 on analysis and forecasting.