Data Assimilation of Radar Non-precipitation Information for Quantitative Precipitation Forecasting

초록

This study defines non-precipitation information as areas with weak precipitation or cloud particles that radar cannot detect due to weak returned signals, and suggests methods for its utilization in data assimilation. Previous studies have demonstrated that assimilating radar data from precipitation echoes can produce precipitation in model analysis and improve subsequent precipitation forecast. However, this study also recognizes the non-precipitation information as valuable observation and seeks to assimilate it to suppress spurious precipitation in the model analysis and forecast. To incorporate non-precipitation information into data assimilation, we propose observation operators that convert radar nonprecipitation information into hydrometeor mixing ratios and relative humidity for the Weather Research and Forecasting Data Assimilation system (WRFDA). We also suggest a preprocessing method for radar non-precipitation information. A single-observation experiment indicates that assimilating non-precipitation information fosters an environment conducive to inhibiting convection by lowering temperature and humidity. Subsequently, we investigate the impact of assimilating nonprecipitation information to a real case on July 23, 2013, by performing a subsequent 9-hour forecast. The experiment that assimilates radar non-precipitation information improves the model's precipitation forecasts by showing an increase in the Fractional Skill Score (FSS) and a decrease in the False Alarm Ratio (FAR) compared to experiments in which do not assimilate non-precipitation information.

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