The long-term goal of this research is to construct the Navy’s next-generation global numerical weather prediction (NWP) model using new numerical methods specifically designed for distributedmemory and vector computers. To distinguish it from the current Navy global atmospheric model, the navy Operational Global Atmospheric Prediction System (NOGAPS), we shall refer to this new model as the Na...

In common with other global NWP centres, assimilation of radiances from the ATOVS instrument package at the Met Office results in a large benefit to global NWP forecasts (English et al., 2000) and has been used operationally since mid-1999 in the Met Office global 3D-Var system. Recently work has been carried out to assess the impact of using radiances from the AMSU A&B instruments in the UK Me...

Microphysics parameterization plays an important role in Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP). Most NWP models, including the Weather Research Forecast (WRF) model, use single-moment (bulk water) schemes derived based on an assumption of the exponential distribution with a fixed intercept parameter for raindrop size distributions (DSDs) such as the Marshall-Palmer (M-P) DSD model (Marshall and Pa...

As solar thermal and photovoltaic generation begin to have a larger role in electrical generation in California, the California Independent System Operators needs to accommodate their variable nature in its forecasting and dispatching. This project reviews and evaluates current knowledge and models for forecasting solar resources and considers options for improving forecasts through RD&D and ad...

The development of the adjoint of the forecast model and of the adjoint of the data assimilation system (adjointDAS) make feasible the evaluation of the derivative-based forecast sensitivity to DAS input parameters in numerical weather prediction (NWP). The adjoint estimation of the forecast sensitivity to the observation error covariance in the DAS is considered as a practical approach to prov...

This work experiments the potentialities of COSMO/SkyMed (CSK) data in providing interferometric Digital Elevation Model (DEM). We processed a stack of CSK data for measuring with meter accuracy the ground elevation on the available coherent targets, and used these values to check the accuracy of DEMs derived from 5 tandem-like CSK pairs. In order to suppress the atmospheric signal we experimen...

Ground-based microwave radiometry offers a new opportunity to automate upper air observations by providing information on temperature and humidity profiles as well as the integrated water vapour and liquid water amounts with high time resolution. To improve their relatively poor vertical resolution and provide a more complete picture of the vertical profile, radiometer observations can be combi...

Just a few decades ago, almost all ocean wind measurements came from merchant ships; the sparcity of which over the global ocean is well known. Today, many citizens believe that operational numerical weather prediction (NWP) will give us all the wind information we need, until a hurricane suddenly intensifies and changes course, or the delay of monsoon brings drought, or the Pacific Trade Wind ...

The forecast quality from Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models and climate models depends on accurate initialisation. Therefore variables such as latent (LE) and sensible (H) heat flux from the land surface, which provide the lower boundary condition for NWP, need to be as accurate as possible at the beginning of a forecast period. Land Surface Models (LSMs) such as the CSIRO Biosphere Mod...