Recent progress in the use of satellite data in NWP
EYRE, J.R. ; English, S.J. ; BUTTERWORTH, P. ; RENSHAW, R.J. ; RIDLEY, J.K. ; Ringer, M. A.
In 1999 there was substantial progress in our application of satellite sounding data within the global NWP system: initial assimilation of ATOVS data (via an intermediate 1D-Var system) into the 3D-Var analysis in March 1999, followed in July by inclusion of tropospheric ATOVS data over Siberia and in October the direct assimilation of TOVS/ATOVS radiances into 3D-Var. We also improved our use of satellite winds and started to assimilate wind speed information from SSM/I (retrieved through a 1D-Var scheme). All these changes were supported by forecast impact trials, the results of which are summarised. Promising results have been obtained in preliminary research to improve tropical analyses through assimilation by latent heat nudging of precipitation estimates derived from geostationary imagery. Two EUMETSAT Satellite Application Facilities (SAFs) in which we are involved kicked off during the year. Future plans include: efforts to improve our exploitation of ATOVS and SSMI/I data; preparations to assimilate data from advanced infrared sounders, AIRS and IASI; preparations for data from new scatterometers, QUIKSCAT and ASCAT; preparation (in readiness for 4D-Var) to assimilate geostationary radiance data; and activities to exploit GPS observations, both radio occultation data and satellite-?to-?ground estimates of total column water vapour.
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