ALBERT

Description: The Physical-space/Finite-volume Data Assimilation System (fvDAS) is the next generation global atmospheric data assimilation system in development at the Data Assimilation Office at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. It is based on a new finite-volume general circulation model jointly developed by NASA and NCAR, and on the Physical-Space Statistical Analysis System (PSAS) developed at the DAO. In this talk we will describe the general system formulation, the adaptive quality control and general aspects of the error covariance modeling. The NASA-NCAR GCM is a completely new model which replaces the CEOs GCM used in the previous GEOS-1/2/3 Data Assimilation systems. A particular configuration of adaptive Statistical Quality Control and the Physical-space Statistical Analysis System (PSAS) are currently implemented in DAO's operational Data Assimilation System. However, the unique finite-volume formulation of the NASA-NCAR GCM, combined with the generality of the observation-space formulation of PSAS, provides for a very simple and accurate model-analysis interface. The system assimilates a variety of conventional and satellite observations. In particular, TOVS Level 1B radiances are assimilated using a 1-D variational scheme, both in clear sky and cloudy conditions. Computationally, the fvDAS runs approximately 10 times faster than the operational GEOS-Terra system. We will show that the next-generation fvDAS has much improved observation-minus-6hr forecast (O-F) statistics, as well as 5-day forecast skills. Top of the atmosphere radiation fields are in closer agreement with CERES measurements, with realistic precipitation and moisture fields. We will also show that the finite-volume formulation of the fvDAS produce assimilated fields which are more suitable for driving constituent transport models.

Description: Observations of constituents from satellite, aircraft and sondes can be utilized to develop diagnostics of various aspects of tropical transport. These include tropical mid-latitude isolation, the seasonal transport from the upper tropical troposphere to the mid-latitude lowermost stratosphere, the seasonal cycle of the tropical total ozone and its variability. These diagnostics will be applied to constituent fields from an off-line chemistry and transport model (CTM) driven by winds from two sources. These are the Finite Volume Community Climate Model (FV-CCM), a general circulation model that uses the NCAR CCM physics and the Lin and Rood dynamical core, and an assimilation system developed by the Data Assimilation Office at the Goddard Space Flight Center that uses the FV-CCM at its core. Signatures of the quasi-biennial oscillation present in the observations will be emphasized to understand differences between the two model transports and the transport inferred from the observations.

Description: Global distribution of dust in the atmosphere has been simulated using the NASA Goddard chemical transport model (GEOS-CTM) to help retrieve the aerosol optical thickness from TOMS absorbing aerosol index. The model contains a dust module which accounts for sources and removal processes. The transport is driven by the assimilated meteorological fields generated by the NASA Goddard Earth Observing System Data Assimilation System (GEOS DAS). One of the key parameters, in the retrieval algorithm of optical thickness from Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) data, is the vertical profile of aerosols. During the period 10- 19 September 1994, Lidar on-space Technology Experiment (LITE) was flown on space shuttle Discovery. The 53 hours of data collected cover the lower atmosphere from the earth surface to 20 kilometers altitude and from 57 N to 57 S with a high resolution of about 15 meters. The model results are compared with LITE data over the source regions of dust (Africa, Middle East, Asia, Australia) and in the remote troposphere (Atlantic and Pacific). The simulated horizontal distribution is compared with TOMS absorbing aerosol index. Finally the calculated optical thickness will be assessed with ground based sun-photometers (AERONET).

Description: A simple extension of the Held-Suarez (H-S) forcing that is capable of producing a realistic general circulation not only in the troposphere but also the stratosphere and the mesosphere will be presented. Similar to the original H-S forcing, an annual-mean like radiative equilibrium temperature is used. This extension is an ideal test bed for gravity wave drag parameterizations. It is also an inexpensive test bed for studying the mechanism of the Quasi-Biannual oscillations (QBO) and the "age spectrum" of the dynamical core formulation. The "mean climate" as well as the natural variability of the middle atmosphere as simulated by the NASA Data Assimilation Office finite-volume dynamical core under this forcing will be shown.

Description: This report presents the results of distributions of tropospheric sulfate, Pb-210 and their precursors from a global 3-D model. This model is driven by assimilated meteorological fields generated by the Goddard Data Assimilation Office. Model results are compared with observations from surface sites and from multiplatform field campaigns of Pacific Exploratory Missions (PEM) and Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE). The model generally captures the seasonal variation of sulfate at the surface sites, and reproduces well the short-term in-situ observations. We will discuss the roles of various processes contributing to the sulfate levels in the troposphere, and the roles of sulfate aerosol in regional and global radiative forcing.