The three-dimensional variational data assimilation （3DVar） system of the Weather Research and Forecasting （WRF） model （WRF-Var） is further developed with a physical initialization （PI） procedure to assimilate...The three-dimensional variational data assimilation （3DVar） system of the Weather Research and Forecasting （WRF） model （WRF-Var） is further developed with a physical initialization （PI） procedure to assimilate Doppler radar radial velocity and reflectivity observations. In this updated 3DVar system, specific humidity, cloud water content, and vertical velocity are first derived from reflectivity with PI, then the model fields of specific humidity and cloud water content are replaced with the modified ones, and finally, the estimated vertical velocity is added to the cost-function of the existing WRF-Var （version 2.0） as a new observation type, and radial velocity observations are assimilated directly by the method afforded by WRF-Var. The new assimilation scheme is tested with a heavy convective precipitation event in the middle reaches of Yangtze River on 19 June 2002 and a Meiyu front torrential rain event in the Huaihe River Basin on 5 July 2003. Assimilation results show that the increments of analyzed variables correspond well with the horizontal distribution of the observed reflectivity. There are positive increments of cloud water content, specific humidity, and vertical velocity in echo region and negative increments of vertical velocity in echo-free region where the increments of horizontal winds present a clockwise transition. Results of forecast experiments show that the effects of adjusting cloud water content or vertical velocity directly with PI on forecast are not obvious. Adjusting specific humidity shows better performance in forecasting the precipitation than directly adjusting cloud water content or vertical velocity. Significant improvement in predicting precipitation as well as in reducing the model＇s spin-up time are achieved when radial velocity and reflectivity observations are assimilated with the new scheme.展开更多
Radar data, which have incomparably high temporal and spatial resolution, and lightning data, which are great indicators of severe convection, have been used to improve the initial field and increase the accuracies of...Radar data, which have incomparably high temporal and spatial resolution, and lightning data, which are great indicators of severe convection, have been used to improve the initial field and increase the accuracies of nowcasting and short-term forecasting. Physical initialization combined with the three-dimensional variational data assimilation method(PI3 DVarrh) is used in this study to assimilate two kinds of observation data simultaneously, in which radar data are dominant and lightning data are introduced as constraint conditions. In this way, the advantages of dual observations are adopted. To verify the effect of assimilating radar and lightning data using the PI3 DVarrh method, a severe convective activity that occurred on 5 June 2009 is utilized, and five assimilation experiments are designed based on the Weather Research and Forecasting(WRF) model. The assimilation of radar and lightning data results in moister conditions below cloud top, where severe convection occurs;thus, wet forecasts are generated in this study.The results show that the control experiment has poor prediction accuracy. Radar data assimilation using the PI3 DVarrh method improves the location prediction of reflectivity and precipitation, especially in the last 3-h prediction, although the reflectivity and precipitation are notably overestimated. The introduction of lightning data effectively thins the radar data, reduces the overestimates in radar data assimilation, and results in better spatial pattern and intensity predictions. The predicted graupel mixing ratio is closer to the distribution of the observed lightning,which can provide more accurate lightning warning information.展开更多
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos.40805044 and 40305779.
文摘The three-dimensional variational data assimilation （3DVar） system of the Weather Research and Forecasting （WRF） model （WRF-Var） is further developed with a physical initialization （PI） procedure to assimilate Doppler radar radial velocity and reflectivity observations. In this updated 3DVar system, specific humidity, cloud water content, and vertical velocity are first derived from reflectivity with PI, then the model fields of specific humidity and cloud water content are replaced with the modified ones, and finally, the estimated vertical velocity is added to the cost-function of the existing WRF-Var （version 2.0） as a new observation type, and radial velocity observations are assimilated directly by the method afforded by WRF-Var. The new assimilation scheme is tested with a heavy convective precipitation event in the middle reaches of Yangtze River on 19 June 2002 and a Meiyu front torrential rain event in the Huaihe River Basin on 5 July 2003. Assimilation results show that the increments of analyzed variables correspond well with the horizontal distribution of the observed reflectivity. There are positive increments of cloud water content, specific humidity, and vertical velocity in echo region and negative increments of vertical velocity in echo-free region where the increments of horizontal winds present a clockwise transition. Results of forecast experiments show that the effects of adjusting cloud water content or vertical velocity directly with PI on forecast are not obvious. Adjusting specific humidity shows better performance in forecasting the precipitation than directly adjusting cloud water content or vertical velocity. Significant improvement in predicting precipitation as well as in reducing the model＇s spin-up time are achieved when radial velocity and reflectivity observations are assimilated with the new scheme.
基金the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2017YFC1502102)National Natural Science Youth Fund of China (41905089)。
文摘Radar data, which have incomparably high temporal and spatial resolution, and lightning data, which are great indicators of severe convection, have been used to improve the initial field and increase the accuracies of nowcasting and short-term forecasting. Physical initialization combined with the three-dimensional variational data assimilation method(PI3 DVarrh) is used in this study to assimilate two kinds of observation data simultaneously, in which radar data are dominant and lightning data are introduced as constraint conditions. In this way, the advantages of dual observations are adopted. To verify the effect of assimilating radar and lightning data using the PI3 DVarrh method, a severe convective activity that occurred on 5 June 2009 is utilized, and five assimilation experiments are designed based on the Weather Research and Forecasting(WRF) model. The assimilation of radar and lightning data results in moister conditions below cloud top, where severe convection occurs;thus, wet forecasts are generated in this study.The results show that the control experiment has poor prediction accuracy. Radar data assimilation using the PI3 DVarrh method improves the location prediction of reflectivity and precipitation, especially in the last 3-h prediction, although the reflectivity and precipitation are notably overestimated. The introduction of lightning data effectively thins the radar data, reduces the overestimates in radar data assimilation, and results in better spatial pattern and intensity predictions. The predicted graupel mixing ratio is closer to the distribution of the observed lightning,which can provide more accurate lightning warning information.
