All-sky Microwave Imagers' Radiance Observations Assimilation with GEOS-5: Testing and Further Development

Space-borne microwave imager instruments have been measuring the Earth's atmospheric hydrological properties with high accuracy and spatial resolution. Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO) at NASA has developed procedures to incorporate these observations from Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) microwave imager (TMI) and Global Precipitation Mission (GPM) microwave imager (GMI) in the Goddard Earth Observation System model (GEOS-5) atmospheric data assimilation system (GSI) in clear-sky conditions. Alongside, GMAO is developing all-sky radiance data assimilation algorithms within GSI in order to improve GEOS-5's weather and climatological analysis. In this talk, we will show month-long experiments in which both clear-sky and cloudy GMI, TMI and other microwave imager radiance data are assimilated along with other observation data sets in GEOS-5. The talk will focus on evaluating results after assimilating microwave imager observations under all-sky conditions against results before using these data under cloudy conditions. We will discuss the impact of these data on atmospheric humidity, cloud, and wind as well as precipitation in GEOS-5's analysis and on its forecast skills.