High Resolution LDAS Experiment Using URMA and GLDAS Products

Land data assimilation system aims for providing more consistent data sets with ongoing observation system as well as climatologically consistent records.  The next generation LDAS is expected to take advantages of upgraded versions of Land Surface Models (LSMs), enhanced meteorological forcing data sets, more robust soil moisture initialization, updated model specific parameter sets and an advanced snow data assimilation scheme.  In this experiment, we are using NCEP’s products from the UnRestricted Mesoscale Analysis (URMA) that includes the latest upgrades in the URMA system to analyze meteorological observations and modeled products. This product provides more accurate and high resolution (2.5 km, hourly) forcing datasets, for example temperature, specific humidity, surface pressure, and wind data sets, to run the LDAS. Other required forcings are used from GLDAS analysis. The experiment is run over CONUS and Alaska at approximately 2.5-km resolutions. We will present results of fluxes and water budget components from the newly run high resolution LDAS experiment and compare against existing NLDAS and GLDAS outcomes.