Rocketsonde buoy system : observing system simulation experiments ...

• Main Author: Spagnol, Giancarlo John
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: University of British Columbia 2009
• Subjects: Arctic
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.14288/1.0052550; https://doi.library.ubc.ca/10.14288/1.0052550

The research presented here provides measurements of the negative impact of the Pacific and Arctic data voids on numerical weather predictability downstream over North America, and the extent to which the detrimental effects can be mitigated with rocket soundings from anchored buoys within the Rocketsonde Buoy System (RBS). The goals include the optimum deployment locations in the Pacific data void, rocketsonde sensor requirements, optimum height of the sounding profiles, number and configuration of the RBS array, real-time management requirements, daily launch times, launch periods during the year, number of rockets per buoy, and resulting buoy size. Observing System Simulation Experiments (OSSEs) are performed that assimilate virtual rocket soundings into an initial weather analysis and then measure the resulting change in forecast skill relative to reference forecasts. OSSEs are performed for 1 day in 2001, 21 days in 2002, 19 days in 2003 and 6 days in 2004. Reference forecast results are studied for 382 ...