Meteorological Analysis

Introduction

The GSFC data analysis group uses NCEP data from 1979 to the present, GSFC Code 910.3 assimilation data, and United Kingdom Meteorological Office assimilation data in conjunction with the GSFC 2-D, 3-D, and trajectory models to enhance our understanding of the dynamics, chemistry, and radiative properties of the middle atmosphere. In particular, we have: 1) characterized the positioning of cold air events (i.e. polar stratospheric clouds) with respect to the polar vortex in both hemispheres at multiple levels, 2) characterized the average behavior of an air parcel inside the vortex, 3) determined the relative differences between NCEP and the GSFC data assimilation, 4) estimated from previous years the amounts of material exchanged between the vortex and the mid-latitudes, and 5) analyzed and modeled the cold air events that occur on the edge of the vortex in both hemispheres.

NCEP (formerly NMC) data

GSFC currently maintains the entire set of NCEP stratospheric analyses from November 1978 to the present. Our climate atlas of these data give a clear picture of the structure of the stratosphere and troposphere. Daily statistics and plots characterize the short term evolution of the stratosphere. The NCEP stratospheric data are obtained from the Climate Analysis Center, and follow a long-term, consistent analysis scheme based on the successive corrections method [Cressman, 1959]. The scheme uses satellite retrievals and radio-sondes on the 70, 50, 30, and 10 hPa layers, and purely satellite retrievals for the 5, 2, 1, and 0.4 hPa levels [Finger et al., 1993]. The satellite data is based on the TIROS operational vertical sounder aboard the NOAA polar orbiter series [Nagatani et al., 1988; Nagatani et al., 1990; Randel, 1987]. These data consist of geopotential heights and temperatures from 1000 to 0.4 hPa. See Trenberth and Olson [1988] for an evaluation of the tropospheric data, and Wu et al. [1987] for an evaluation of the stratospheric data. These analyses also include IR total ozone, tropopause pressure, and tropopause temperature. In addition, the geopotential heights are used to calculate winds, relative vorticity, and potential vorticity on a workstation here at GSFC [Newman et al., 1988; Randel, 1987]. The original NCEP data are available from the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR).

Assimilation data

The Data Assimilation Office (DAO, Code 910.3) has developed a data assimilation which produces global analyses up to 0.4 hPa [Rood, 1989]. A key component of the assimilation is the GSFC developed general circulation model (GCM). The GCM is used with an optimal interpolation scheme such that information is advected from data poor to data rich regions. Unmeasured variables (e.g. vertical velocity) are calculated, and fields such as winds and temperatures are constrained to be consistent with one another. Time continuity is maintained, and generation of excessive inertial gravity waves is avoided by using the incremental analysis update procedure which gradually inserts data over a six hour period as GCM forcing terms. Unlike NCEP's real time forecasting demands, the DAO assimilation is mainly concerned with the production of analyses suitable for a wide variety of studies, such as the re-analysis of long time periods with an unchanging assimilation for climate and weather studies, and providing winds and temperatures for chemistry and transport models. In addition, the DAO assimilation is the only assimilation extending up to 0.4 hPa, and thus provides the only data set suitable for middle atmospheric studies. Moreover, though forecasting is not the main goal, the GCM has been used with striking success for forecasting, most recently during the 1993 ATLAS shuttle experiment, and SPADE aircraft mission. The assimilation has been run for a variety of time periods with two basic grid configurations: a 2.5 longitude by 2 latitude grid with the top analysis level at 30 hPa (known as GEOS-1), and a 5 longitude by 4 latitude grid with the top analysis level at 0.4 hPa (known as STRATAN).

Trajectory Modelling

References

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Last Updated: 1999-10-19
Web Curator: Leslie R. Lait (Raytheon) (lrlait@code916.gsfc.nasa.gov)
Responsible NASA organization/official: Dr. P. K. Bhartia, Atmospheric Chemistry and Dynamics Branch/Head