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Assimilation of HY-2A scatterometer sea surface wind data in a 3DVAR data assimilation system—A case study of Typhoon Bolaven

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Abstract

The scatterometer (SCAT) on-board China’s HY-2A satellite has the capability to provide high resolution wind vector information over the global ocean surface. These wind vector data produced by the HY-2A scatterometer (HY-2A SCAT) are available to the data assimilation system with real-time information of high accuracy. In this paper, two experiments are designed to investigate the impact of HY-2A SCAT data in the three-dimensional variational assimilation system for the Weather Research and Forecast model (WRF 3DVAR). The powerful Typhoon Bolaven, which struck South Korea in August 2012, is selected for this case study. The results clearly demonstrate that HY-2A SCAT data can effectively complement the scarce observations over the ocean surface and improve the prediction of the wind and pressure fields of a typhoon. The case study of Typhoon Bolaven exhibits the significant and positive impact of HY-2A SCAT data on the numerical prediction of the tropical cyclone track.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, 410073, China

    Yi Yu, Weimin Zhang, Zhongyuan Wu, Xiaoqun Cao & Mengbin Zhu

  2. State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China

    Xiaofeng Yang

Authors
  1. Yi Yu
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  2. Weimin Zhang
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  3. Zhongyuan Wu
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  4. Xiaofeng Yang
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  5. Xiaoqun Cao
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  6. Mengbin Zhu
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yi Yu.

Additional information

Yi Yu received a B.S. degree in Computer Science and Technology from Hunan University, Changsha, China, in 2005 and an M.S. degree from National University of Defense Technology (NUDT), Changsha, China, in 2011.

During her M.S. degree program from 2008–2011, she researched the assimilation of high-resolution infrared sounders observation. Her research interests include infrared hyper-spectral processing, assimilation of scatterometers, and fast radiative transfer model studies.

Dr. Yu is a Ph. D. candidate in the College of Computer at NUDT.

Weimin Zhang received a B.S. degree from the Department of Mathematics at Sichuan University, Chengdu, China, in 1986 and a Ph.D. from the College of Computer at the National University of Defense Technology (NUDT), Changsha, China, in 2006.

Since 1989, he has been a teacher in the Institute of Software in the College of Computer at NUDT. He has participated in the development of the Yin He Global Spectral Model (YHGSM) and the four-dimensional variational (4DVAR) data assimilation system constrained by the global spectral model. His research interests include data assimilation, parallel computation, and numerical weather prediction.

Prof. Zhang is a doctoral supervisor. He was also a researcher in the College of Computer at NUDT.

Zhongyuan Wu received an M.S. degree from the Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China, in 2011.

During his M.S. degree program, he researched the assimilation of radar data and numerical weather prediction. His research interests include the data assimilation of satellite observations and software development.

Mr. Wu has been an Assistant Engineer in the College of Computer at National University of Defense Technology.

Xiaofeng Yang received a B.S. degree in Environmental Science from Sichuan University, Chengdu, China, in 2005 and a Ph.D. degree in Cartography and Geographic Information Systems from the Institute of Remote Sensing Applications (IRSA), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China, in 2010.

During his Ph.D. program, 2009–2010, he was a Visiting Research Scientist with the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science, University of Maryland, College Park. From 2010 to 2012, he was an Assistant Researcher at IRSA/ CAS.

Since 2013, he has been with RADI/CAS as an Associate Researcher. His research interests include satellite oceanography, synthetic aperture radar image processing, and marine atmospheric boundary layer process studies. He has also participated in the development of various types of operational ocean products in China coastal waters from environmental satellite data.

Dr. Yang is a member of IEEE. He has also served as a reviewer of several international academic journals.

Xiaoqun Cao received B.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Meteorology from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) University of Science and Technology in 2002 and 2007, respectively.

During his Ph.D. program, he participated in the development of the Yin He Global Spectral Model (YHGSM). His research interests include large-scale scientific computing, numerical weather prediction, and data assimilation of satellite observations.

Since 2007, Dr. Cao has been an Assistant Professor in the College of Computer in the National University of Defense Technology.

Mengbin Zhu received a B.S. degree from Tsinghua University, Beijing, China, in 2010 and a M.S. degree in Computer Science and Technology from the National University of Defense Technology (NUDT), Changsha, in 2012.

During his graduate degree program, 2010–2012, he implemented the assimilation of GPS radio occultation data in a 4DVAR system.

Since 2013, Dr. Zhu has been a Ph.D. candidate in the Institute of Software in the College of Computer at NUDT.

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Yu, Y., Zhang, W., Wu, Z. et al. Assimilation of HY-2A scatterometer sea surface wind data in a 3DVAR data assimilation system—A case study of Typhoon Bolaven. Front. Earth Sci. 9, 192–201 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11707-014-0461-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11707-014-0461-8

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