Impact of the variational assimilation of ground-based GNSS zenith total delay into AROME-Morocco model

Fatima Zahra Hdidou; Soumia Mordane; Patrick Moll; Jean-François Mahfouf; Hassnae Erraji; Zaineb Dahmane

doi:10.1080/16000870.2019.1707854

Impact of the variational assimilation of ground-based GNSS zenith total delay into AROME-Morocco model

Tellus

Volume 72 (2020): Issue 1

By: Fatima Zahra Hdidou, Soumia Mordane, Patrick Moll, Jean-François Mahfouf, Hassnae Erraji and Zaineb Dahmane

Open Access

|Jan 2020

Abstract

The impact of assimilating zenith total delay (ZTD) observations from the Moroccan ground-based Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) network into the high-resolution operational model AROME-Morocco (2.5 km) is assessed over one month. The objective is to investigate the impact on moisture field and rainy event forecasts in a three-dimensional variational (3D-Var) data assimilation framework with a 3-hour cycling. As a first step, a pre-processing of ZTD observations is performed for quality control and bias correction and it points out that all GNSS stations available in the network can be potentially assimilated. Then, two parallel experiments, with and without assimilation of GNSS ZTD, are performed during February–March 2018, for 48-hour lead times. Compared against other observation systems of humidity (radiosonde and surface network), a small and beneficial improvement is found in the atmospheric moisture short-range forecast, despite the limited number of GNSS stations over Morocco. The impact of assimilating GNSS ZTD data on precipitation forecasts is evaluated both subjectively and objectively. The objective precipitation scores against daily rain gauge observations show that the impact is mixed, positive for larger rainfall accumulations and neutral to negative for smaller rainfall accumulations. A specific evaluation for a case study of a rain event highlights an improvement in terms of intensity and location of precipitating areas when GNSS ZTD observations are assimilated.

References

Bennitt, G. V. and Jupp, A. 2012. Operational assimilation of GPS zenith total delay observations into the UK Met Office numerical weather prediction models. Mon. Wea. Rev. 140, 2706–2719. doi:10.1175/MWR-D-11-00156.1
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Bevis, M., Businger, S., Herring, T. A., Rocken, C., Anthes, R. A. and co-authors. 1992. GPS meteorology: remote sensing of atmospheric water vapor using the global positioning system. J. Geophys. Res. 97, 15787–15801. doi:10.1029/92JD01517
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Bock, O., Keil, C., Richard, E., Flamant, C. and Bouin, M. N. 2005. Validation of precipitable water from ECMWF model analyses with GPS and radiosonde data during the MAP SOP. Q. J. R. Meteorol. Soc. 131, 3013–3016. doi:10.1256/qj.05.27
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Brousseau, P., Berre, L., Bouttier, F. and Desroziers, G. 2011. Background-error covariances for a convective-scale data assimilation system: AROME-France 3D-Var. Q. J. R. Meteorol. Soc. 137, 409–422. doi:10.1002/qj.750
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Bubnová, R., Hello, G., Bénard, P. and Geleyn, J.-F. 1995. Integration of the fully elastic equations cast in the hydrostatic pressure terrain-following in the framework of the ARPEGE/ALADIN NWP system. Mon. Wea. Rev. 123, 515–535. doi:10.1175/1520-0493(1995)123<;0515:IOTFEE>2.0.CO;2
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Courtier, P., Thépaut, J.-N. and Hollingsworth, A. 1994. A strategy for operational implementation of 4D-VAR using an incremental approach. Q. J. R. Meteorol. Soc. 120, 1367–1387. doi:10.1002/qj.49712051912
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Cucurull, L., Vandenberghe, F., Barker, D., Vilaclara, E. and Rius, A. 2004. Three-dimensional variational data assimilation of ground-based GPS ZTD and meteorological observations during the 14 December 2001 storm event over the Western Mediterranean area. Mon. Wea. Rev. 132, 749–763. > 2.0.CO;2. doi:10.1175/1520-0493(2004)132<;0749:TVDAOG>2.0.CO;2
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Cuxart, J., Bougeault, P. and Redelsperger, J.-L. 2000. A turbulence scheme allowing for mesoscale and large-eddy simulations. Q. J. R. Meteorol. Soc. 126, 1–30. doi:10.1002/qj.49712656202
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Dach, R., Lutz, S., Walser, P. and Fridez, P. 2015. Bernese GNSS software version 5.2. User manual. Astronomical Institute, University of Bern, Switzerland, Bern Open Publishing.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
De Pondeca, M. and Zou, X. 2001. A case study of the variational assimilation of GPS Zenith Delay observations into a mesoscale model. J. Appl. Meteor. 40, 1559–1576. doi:10.1175/1520-0450(2001)040<;1559:ACSOTV>2.0.CO;2
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Ducrocq, V., Ricard, D., Lafore, J.-P. and Orain, F. 2002. Storm-scale numerical rainfall prediction for five precipitating events over France: on the importance of the initial humidity field. Wea. Forecasting 17, 1236–1256. doi:10.1175/1520-0434(2002)017<;1236:SSNRPF>2.0.CO;2
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Fouquart, Y. and Bonnel, B. 1980. Computation of solar heating of the earth’s atmosphere: a new parameterization. Beitr. Phys. Atmos. 53, 35–62.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Gendt, G., Dick, G., Reigber, C., Tomassini, M., Liu, Y. and co-authors. 2004. Near real time GPS water vapor monitoring for numerical weather prediction in Germany. J. Meteorol. Soc. Jpn. 82, 370–391.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Guerova, G., Jones, J., Douša, J., Dick, G., de Haan, S. and co-authors. 2016. Review of the state of the art and future prospects of the ground-based GNSS meteorology in Europe. Atmos. Meas. Tech. 9, 5385–5406. doi:10.5194/amt-9-5385-2016
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Hdidou, F. Z., Mordane, S. and Sbii, S. 2018. Global positioning systems meteorology over Morocco: accuracy assessment and comparison of zenith tropospheric delay from global positioning systems and radiosondes. Met. Apps. 25, 606–613. doi:10.1002/met.1725
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Knippertz, P., Christoph, M. and Speth, P. 2003. Long-term precipitation variability in Morocco and the link to the large-scale circulation in recent and future climates. Meteorol. Atmos. Phys. 83, 67–88. doi:10.1007/s00703-002-0561-y
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Kuo, Y.-H., Zou, X. and Guo, Y.-R. 1996. Variational assimilation of precipitable water using a nonhydrostatic mesoscale adjoint model. Part I: Moisture retrieval and sensitivity experiments. Mon. Wea. Rev. 124, 122–147. doi:10.1175/1520-0493(1996)124<;0122:VAOPWU>2.0.CO;2
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Lac, C., Chaboureau, J.-P., Masson, V., Pinty, J.-P., Tulet, P. and co-authors. 2018. Overview of the Meso-NH model version 5.4 and its applications. Geosci. Model Dev. 11, 1929–1969. doi:10.5194/gmd-11-1929-2018
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Lafore, J. P., Stein, J., Asencio, N., Bougeault, P., Ducrocq, V. and co-authors. 1998. The meso-NH atmospheric simulation system. Part I: adiabatic formulation and control simulations. Ann. Geophys. 16, 90–109. doi:10.1007/s00585-997-0090-6
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Lindskog, M., Ridal, M., Thorsteinsson, S. and Ning, T. 2017. Data assimilation of GNSS zenith total delays from a Nordic processing centre. Atmos. Chem. Phys. 17, 13983–13998. doi:10.5194/acp-17-13983-2017
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Macpherson, S. R., Deblonde, G., Aparicio, J. M. and Casati, B. 2008. Impact of NOAA ground-based GPS observations on the Canadian regional analysis and forecast system. Mon. Wea. Rev. 136, 2727–2746. doi:10.1175/2007MWR2263.1
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Mahfouf, J. F., Ahmed, F., Moll, P. and Teferle, N. F. 2015. Assimilation of zenith total delays in the AROME France convective scale model: a recent assessment. Tellus A 67, 26106. doi:10.3402/tellusa.v67.26106
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Masson, V. 2000. A physically-based scheme for the urban energy budget in atmospheric models. Bound. Layer Meteorol. 94, 357–397. doi:10.1023/A:1002463829265
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Masson, V., Le Moigne, P., Martin, E., Faroux, S., Alias, A. and co-authors. 2013. The SURFEXv7.2 land and ocean surface platform for coupled or offline simulations of earth surface variables and fluxes. Geosci. Model Dev. 6, 929–960. doi:10.5194/gmd-6-929-2013
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Mlawer, E. J., Taubman, S. J., Brown, P. D., Iacono, M. J. and Clough, S. A. 1997. Radiative transfer for inhomogeneous atmospheres: RRTM, a validated correlated-k model for the longwave. J. Geophys. Res. 102, 16663–16682. doi:10.1029/97JD00237
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Noilhan, J. and Mahfouf, J.-F. 1996. The ISBA land surface parameterization scheme. Glob. Planet. Change 13, 145–159. doi:10.1016/0921-8181(95)00043-7
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Pinty, J.-P. and Jabouille, P. 1998. A mixed-phased cloud parameterization for use in a mesoscale non-hydrostatic model: Simulations of a squall line and of orographic precipitation. Preprints, In: Conference on Clouds Physics, Everett, WA, Amer. Meteor. Soc., 217–220.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Poli, P., Moll, P., Rabier, F., Desroziers, G., Chapnik, B. and co-authors. 2007. Forecast impact studies of zenith total delay from European near-real-time GPS stations in Meteo-France 4D-Var. J. Geophys. Res. 112, D06114.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Saastamoinen, J. 1972. Contributions to the theory of atmospheric refraction. Bull. Geodesique. 105, 279–298. doi:10.1007/BF02521844
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Sahlaoui, Z. and Mordane, S. 2019. Radar rainfall estimation in Morocco: quality control and gauge adjustment. Hydrology 6, 41. doi:10.3390/hydrology6020041
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Sánchez-Arriola, J., Lindskog, M., Thorsteinsson, S. and Bojarova, J. 2016. Variational bias correction of GNSS ZTD in the HARMONIE modeling system. J. Appl. Meteor. Climatol. 55, 1259–1276. doi:10.1175/JAMC-D-15-0137.1
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Seity, Y., Brousseau, P., Malardel, S., Hello, G., Bénard, P. and co-authors. 2011. The AROME-France convective-scale operational model. Mon. Wea. Rev. 139, 976–991. doi:10.1175/2010MWR3425.1
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Smith, E. K. and Weintraub, S. 1953. The constants in the equation for the atmospheric refractive index at radio frequencies. Proc. IRE 41, 1035–1037. doi:10.1109/JRPROC.1953.274297
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Termonia, P., Fischer, C., Bazile, E., Bouyssel, F., Brožková, R. and co-authors. 2018. The ALADIN system and its canonical model configurations AROME CY41T1 and ALARO CY40T1. Geosci. Model Dev. 11, 257–281. doi:10.5194/gmd-11-257-2018
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Vedel, H. and Huang, X. 2004. Impact of ground based GPS data on numerical weather prediction. JMSJ. 82, 459–472. doi:10.2151/jmsj.2004.459
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Yan, X., Ducrocq, V., Jaubert, G., Brousseau, P. and Poli, P. and co-authors. 2009. The benefit of GPS zenith delay assimilation to high-resolution quantitative precipitation forecasts: a case-study from COPS IOP9. Q. J. R. Meteorol. Soc. 135, 1788–1800. doi:10.1002/qj.508
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Zou, X. and Kuo, Y. H. 1996. Rainfall assimilation through an optimal control of initial and boundary conditions in a limited-area mesoscale model. Mon. Wea. Rev. 124, 2859–2882. doi:10.1175/1520-0493(1996)124<;2859:RATAOC>2.0.CO;2
Open DOI Search in Google Scholar Back to article