Data Assimilation

Activity leaders

Quentin Errera
Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB)

John McCormack
Naval Research Laboratory

Activity description

Data assimilation requires knowledge of measurement and model errors, which, in turn, require knowledge of the true ‘underlying system’: the middle atmosphere. Therefore, advancement of assimilation techniques requires interaction of assimilators with dynamicists, chemists and users of assimilation products. During annual workshops we bring together assimilators, users of assimilation products, and experts in modelling, measurements and process studies.

Past Workshop themes have included: stratosphere-troposphere coupling; assessment of reanalyses; seamless prediction and model error; chemical data assimilation; gravity wave parameterization; transport errors in assimilated winds.

The Data Assimilation Working Group is also heavily involved in the WCRP modelling panels WGCM and WGNE, and was a key component of the SPARC International Polar Year (IPY) project.

Recurrent themes of past SPARC Data Assimilation workshops have led to the setup of two SPARC activities, namely:

–

Published results

SPARC Newsletter No. 47, 2016, p. 12: The 2015 SPARC Reanalysis Intercomparison Project (S-RIP) workshop and the 11th SPARC data assimilation workshop, by Q. Errera, M. Fujiwara, and B. Legras

SPARC Newsletter No. 44, 2015, p. 31: Report on the 10th SPARC Data Assimilation Workshop and the 2014 SPARC Reanalysis Intercomparison Project (S-RIP) workshop in Washington DC, USA, by Q. Errera, M. Fujiwara, C. Long, and D. Jackson.

SPARC Newsletter No. 38, 2012, p. 9: Report on the 8th SPARC Data Assimilation Workshop, by D. Jackson and S. Polavarapu.

SPARC Newsletter No. 38, 2012, p. 14: A proposal of the SPARC Reanalysis / Analysis Intecomparison Project, by M. Fujiwara et al.

SPARC Newsletter No. 36, 2011, p. 5: Report on the 7th Data Assimilation Workshop: “Stratosphere-Troposphere Coupling and Tropospheric Constituent Assimilation”.

SPARC Newsletter No. 34, 2010, p. 15: Report on the 6th Data Assimilation Workshop: “Seamless prediction and Model Error”

SPARC Newsletter No. 30, 2008, p. 27: Report on the Joint SPARC Workshop in Data Assimilation and International Polar Year

SPARC Newsletter No. 28, 2007, p. 12: Report on the SPARC Data Assimilation Workshop, 2-4 October 2006, ESTEC, Noordwijk, The Netherlands, by S. Polavarapu, H. Eskes and T. G. Shephard.

SPARC Newsletter No. 26, 2006, p. 20: Report on the Joint SPARC Workshop on Data Assimilation and Stratospheric Winds, 12-15 September 2005, Banff, Canada, by S. Polavarapu and T. G. Shephard.

Meetings

13th SPARC Data Assimilation Workshop
25-27 October 2017 (joint session with S-RIP on the 25th)
ECMWF, Reading, UK

12th SPARC Data Assimilation Workshop
17-19 October 2016 (joint session with S-RIP on the 19th)
The Inn at Laurel Point, Victoria, BC, Canada

11th SPARC Data Assimilation Workshop
14-16 October 2015
Pierre and Marie Curie University, Paris, France

10th SPARC Data Assimilation Workshop
8-10 September 2014
NCEP, Maryland, USA

9th SPARC Data Assimilation Workshop
11-13 June 2012
Socorro, New Mexico, USA

SPARC Workshop on Data Assimilation
20-22 June 2011
Brussels, Belgium

SPARC Data Assimilation Workshop
21-23 June 2010
Met Office, Exeter, UK
See Programme; presentations available upon request