Advances in Data Assimilation

Current and Future Observing Systems

2018 Haurwitz Lecture

Increasing demand on the accuracy of 5-day forecast to subseasonal to seasonal (S2S) and climate prediction requires advanced research on coupled modeling between the atmosphere, ocean, land, sea ice, and hydrology. Initialization of these models is an important aspect of forecasting in the coupled system. This session solicits contributions on impacts of new data types on coupled process modeling, impacts of initialization across the coupled interface, coupled data assimilation, and other aspects of initialization in the coupled modeling framework. Submissions representing all spatial scales (i.e., global, regional, mesoscale) are encouraged.

Data Assimilation: Advances in Methodologies

The Robert T. Ryan Symposium will conclude with a cocktail reception welcoming symposium attendees, along with Bob's numerous colleagues and former interns from across the weather enterprise. With a short program hosted by symposium co-chair and AMS Fellow Veronica Johnson of WJLA in Washington, D.C., this casual event will honor Bob for his distinguished career, achievements, and contributions to the American Meteorological Society.

Observing System Simulation Experiments (OSSEs), Part I

Land–atmosphere interactions play a key role in the climate system. The land's role in the weather and climate, its impact on atmospheric means, variability, and feedbacks across a broad range of spatial and temporal scales, ranging from hours to centuries, for past, present, and future climates has been the subject of much recent exploratory research. The meteorological, hydrological, biophysical, biogeochemical, ecosystem and boundary layer processes that underlie the connections between weather/climate and soil moisture, soil temperature, vegetation, snow, and frozen soil, however, are not yet fully understood. The scarcity of relevant observations, the complexity of the underlying processes and feedbacks, and the wide range of scales involved make the necessary investigations challenging. This session focuses on (1) interfaces between weather, climate, ecosystems, and the land branches of the energy, water, and carbon cycles and the impact of land processes on climate variability and change as well as on extreme events (such as droughts and flooding); (2) dynamic, physical, and biogeochemical mechanisms and feedbacks by which the land surface (e.g., soil moisture and temperature, albedo, snow, frozen soil, vegetation) influences surface water and energy balances, atmospheric processes, and climate; (3) short and long-term predictability associated with land–atmosphere–ocean interaction and land initialization (such as soil moisture, soil temperature, snow, etc.); (4) impacts of land-cover and land-use change on climate; (5) land–atmosphere interactions in the context of climate variability and change, and (6) application and analyses of local and large-scale field data and observational networks (such as FLUXNET) and satellite observations for land–atmosphere studies. We welcome papers addressing any of these topics.

Observing System Simulation Experiments (OSSEs)—Part II

Land–atmosphere interactions play a key role in the climate system. The land's role in the weather and climate, its impact on atmospheric means, variability, and feedbacks across a broad range of spatial and temporal scales, ranging from hours to centuries, for past, present, and future climates has been the subject of much recent exploratory research. The meteorological, hydrological, biophysical, biogeochemical, ecosystem, and boundary layer processes that underlie the connections between weather/climate and soil moisture, soil temperature, vegetation, snow, and frozen soil, however, are not yet fully understood. The scarcity of relevant observations, the complexity of the underlying processes and feedbacks, and the wide range of scales involved make the necessary investigations challenging. This session focuses on (1) interfaces between weather, climate, ecosystems, and the land branches of the energy, water, and carbon cycles and the impact of land processes on climate variability and change as well as on extreme events (such as droughts and flooding); (2) dynamic, physical, and biogeochemical mechanisms and feedbacks by which the land surface (e.g., soil moisture and temperature, albedo, snow, frozen soil, vegetation) influences surface water and energy balances, atmospheric processes, and climate; (3) short and long-term predictability associated with land–atmosphere–ocean interaction and land initialization (such as soil moisture, soil temperature, snow, etc.); (4) impacts of land-cover and land-use change on climate; (5) land–atmosphere interactions in the context of climate variability and change, and (6) application and analyses of local- and large-scale field data and observational networks (such as FLUXNET) and satellite observations for land–atmosphere studies. We welcome papers addressing any of these topics. Please contact the session organizers, Yongkang Xue (yxue@geog.ucla.edu), Randy Koster (randal.koster@gsfc.nasa.gov), Michael Ek, (michael.ek@noaa.gov), Joseph A. Santanello (joseph.a.santanello@nasa.gov), and Steven Quiring (quiring.10@osu.edu) for additional information.

Data Assimilation: Advances in Methodologies—Part I

Land–atmosphere interactions play a key role in the climate system. The land's role in the weather and climate, its impact on atmospheric means, variability, and feedbacks across a broad range of spatial and temporal scales, ranging from hours to centuries, for past, present, and future climates has been the subject of much recent exploratory research. The meteorological, hydrological, biophysical, biogeochemical, ecosystem, and boundary layer processes that underlie the connections between weather/climate and soil moisture, soil temperature, vegetation, snow, and frozen soil, however, are not yet fully understood. The scarcity of relevant observations, the complexity of the underlying processes and feedbacks, and the wide range of scales involved make the necessary investigations challenging. This session focuses on (1) interfaces between weather, climate, ecosystems, and the land branches of the energy, water, and carbon cycles and the impact of land processes on climate variability and change as well as on extreme events (such as droughts and flooding); (2) dynamic, physical, and biogeochemical mechanisms and feedbacks by which the land surface (e.g., soil moisture and temperature, albedo, snow, frozen soil, vegetation) influences surface water and energy balances, atmospheric processes, and climate; (3) short- and long-term predictability associated with land–atmosphere–ocean interaction and land initialization (such as soil moisture, soil temperature, snow, etc.); (4) impacts of land-cover and land-use change on climate; (5) land–atmosphere interactions in the context of climate variability and change, and (6) application and analyses of local- and large-scale field data and observational networks (such as FLUXNET) and satellite observations for land–atmosphere studies. We welcome papers addressing any of these topics. Please contact the session organizers, Yongkang Xue (yxue@geog.ucla.edu), Randy Koster (randal.koster@gsfc.nasa.gov), Michael Ek, (michael.ek@noaa.gov), Joseph A. Santanello (joseph.a.santanello@nasa.gov), and Steven Quiring (quiring.10@osu.edu) for additional information.

We encourage all attendees to take the opportunity to grab a snack and coffee and spend this extended afternoon break networking with colleagues and viewing the hundreds of posters on display in the poster hall. Poster displays are grouped by conference and change each day.

Land–atmosphere interactions play a key role in the climate system. The land's role in the weather and climate—its impact on atmospheric means, variability, and feedbacks across a broad range of spatial and temporal scales, ranging from hours to centuries, for past, present, and future climates—has been the subject of much recent exploratory research. The meteorological, hydrological, biophysical, biogeochemical, ecosystem and boundary layer processes that underlie the connections between weather/climate and soil moisture, soil temperature, vegetation, snow, and frozen soil, however, are not yet fully understood. The scarcity of relevant observations, the complexity of the underlying processes and feedbacks, and the wide range of scales involved make the necessary investigations challenging. This session focuses on (1) interfaces between weather, climate, ecosystems, and the land branches of the energy, water, and carbon cycles and the impact of land processes on climate variability and change as well as on extreme events (such as droughts and flooding); (2) dynamic, physical, and biogeochemical mechanisms and feedbacks by which the land surface (e.g., soil moisture and temperature, albedo, snow, frozen soil, vegetation) influences surface water and energy balances, atmospheric processes, and climate; (3) short- and long-term predictability associated with land–atmosphere–ocean interaction and land initialization (such as soil moisture, soil temperature, snow, etc.); (4) impacts of land-cover and land-use change on climate; (5) land–atmosphere interactions in the context of climate variability and change, and (6) application and analyses of local- and large-scale field data and observational networks (such as FLUXNET) and satellite observations for land–atmosphere studies. We welcome papers addressing any of these topics. Please contact the session organizers, Yongkang Xue (yxue@geog.ucla.edu), Randy Koster (randal.koster@gsfc.nasa.gov), Michael Ek (michael.ek@noaa.gov), Joseph A. Santanello (joseph.a.santanello@nasa.gov), and Steven Quiring (quiring.10@osu.edu) for additional information.

OSSEs, Observation Sensitivity and Impact Experiments

Observing Systems, Part I

Observing Systems, Part II

This session encompasses advances in soil moisture observations, assimilation of soil moisture observations, the development and application of land data assimilation systems (LDAS), and new DA methods. Advances in the development and application of land data assimilation systems (LDAS), which merge ground- or satellite-based observations with land surface estimates from coupled land–atmosphere or offline land surface models are discussed within this session. Both soil moisture and non-soil-moisture characteristics provide crucial input for land surface interactions, hydrologic processes, boundary layer meteorology, mobility models, and climate. The most cutting edge methods for soil moisture sensing at various spatial and temporal scales are continually changing. Data assimilation of soil moisture and inclusion of soil state characteristics in forecast modeling present significant challenges due to the variability in observations, observation types, uncertainty associated with observations, and observational coverage. Contributions may include studies that evaluate or refine land DA methods; studies that assess the impact of the assimilation on the quality of the LDAS products, and/or apply LDAS within operational or routinely run forecasting/hindcasting systems; contributions that incorporate LDAS into coupled land–atmosphere systems are particularly encouraged; studies that explore assimilation of novel and/or multiple observation types; improvements and advances in in situ and proximal observation techniques and data processing; novel methods and applications for soil strength and soil crust investigations; satellite remote sensing observation and data processing techniques; use of high performance computing (HPC) for modeling soil state characteristics, improving data assimilation techniques; verification and validation efforts for spatiotemporally varying data using distinctly different data sources; performance of land surface models as compared to in situ, proximal, and remotely sensed soil moisture; data assimilation techniques for soil moisture. Searchable terms: soil moisture, land surface interactions, spatial and temporal variability, in situ and remote sensing. All topic areas are invited to include a description of the importance of communication to enable collaboration and the sharing of scientific knowledge, the importance of collaboration in advancing subject matter knowledge, enabling field work, and model development with respect to improving the science.

Data Assimilation: Advances in Methodologies, Part II

We encourage all attendees to take the opportunity to grab a snack and coffee and spend this extended afternoon break networking with colleagues and viewing the hundreds of posters on display in the poster hall. Poster displays are grouped by conference and change each day.

This session encompasses advances in soil moisture observations, assimilation of soil moisture observations, the development and application of land data assimilation systems (LDAS), and new DA methods. Advances in the development and application of land data assimilation systems (LDAS), which merge ground- or satellite-based observations with land surface estimates from coupled land–atmosphere or offline land surface models are discussed within this session. Both soil moisture and non-soil-moisture characteristics provide crucial input for land surface interactions, hydrologic processes, boundary layer meteorology, mobility models, and climate. The most cutting edge methods for soil moisture sensing at various spatial and temporal scales are continually changing. Data assimilation of soil moisture and inclusion of soil state characteristics in forecast modeling present significant challenges due to the variability in observations, observation types, uncertainty associated with observations, and observational coverage. Contributions may include studies that evaluate or refine land DA methods; studies that assess the impact of the assimilation on the quality of the LDAS products, and/or apply LDAS within operational or routinely run forecasting/hindcasting systems; contributions that incorporate LDAS into coupled land–atmosphere systems are particularly encouraged; studies that explore assimilation of novel and/or multiple observation types; improvements and advances in in situ and proximal observation techniques and data processing; novel methods and applications for soil strength and soil crust investigations; satellite remote sensing observation and data processing techniques; use of high performance computing (HPC) for modeling soil state characteristics, improving data assimilation techniques; verification and validation efforts for spatiotemporally varying data using distinctly different data sources; performance of land surface models as compared to in situ, proximal, and remotely sensed soil moisture; data assimilation techniques for soil moisture. Searchable terms: soil moisture, land surface interactions, spatial and temporal variability, in situ and remote sensing. All topic areas are invited to include a description of the importance of communication to enable collaboration and the sharing of scientific knowledge, the importance of collaboration in advancing subject matter knowledge, enabling field work, and model development with respect to improving the science.

Observing Systems and Numerical Simulations

Data Assimilation: Advances in Methodologies, Part III

Data Assimilation: Advances in Methodologies, Part IV

The CYGNSS constellation of eight satellites was successfully launched on 15 December 2016 into a low inclination (tropical) Earth orbit. Each satellite carries a four-channel bi-static radar receiver that measures GPS signals scattered by the ocean, from which ocean surface roughness, near-surface wind speed, and air–sea latent heat flux are estimated. The measurements are unique in several respects, most notably in their ability to penetrate through all levels of precipitation, made possible by the low frequency at which GPS operates, and in the frequent sampling of tropical cyclone intensification and of the diurnal cycle of winds, made possible by the large number of satellites. Engineering commissioning of the constellation was successfully completed in March 2017 and the mission is currently in the early phase of science operations.   Level 2 science data products have been developed for near-surface (10 m referenced) ocean wind speed, ocean surface roughness (mean square slope), and latent heat flux. Level 3 gridded versions of the L2 products have also been developed. A set of Level 4 products have also been developed specifically for direct tropical cyclone overpasses. These include the storm intensity (peak sustained winds) and size (radius of maximum winds), its extent (34, 50, and 64 knot wind radii), and its integrated kinetic energy. Assimilation of CYGNSS L2 wind speed data into the HWRF hurricane weather prediction model has also been developed. Early on-orbit scientific results by the mission science team and others will presented.

Observation Sensitivity and Impact Experiments, Part I

Observation Sensitivity and Impact Experiments, Part II