Forecast experiments with the NASA/GLA stratospheric/tropospheric data assimilation system

For the first time, a four-dimensional stratospheric/tropospheric data assimilation system with a top analysis level at 0.4 mb has been developed and used to produce physically consistent gridded analyses for the stratosphere as well as the troposphere for a period during the First GARP Global Experiment (FGGE) and Limb Infrared Monitor of the Stratosphere (LIMS) (November 1978-May 1979). The system consists of a two-dimensional optimum interpolation analysis with 18 mandatory pressure levels and a 19-level fourth order stratospheric/tropospheric general circulation model with a horizontal resolution of 4 (latitude) by 5 deg (longitude) and a top at 0.3 mb. The system allows the utilization of stratospheric data including LIMS, Tiros-N retrievals, rocketsondes and vertical temperature profile radiometer soundings in addition to the other FGGE level 2b data. These data are analyzed every six hours. In order to examine the quality of the analyzed data, forecast experiments starting from different analyses are performed for the period of the stratospheric sudden warming of late February 1979. The results indicate that by employing the present four-dimensional assimilation approach, the medium-range forecast skill for this event is improved.