Evaluation of Reanalysis Products with in situ GPS Sounding Observations in the Eastern Himalayas

Abstract

Previous studies have shown that reanalysis products contain large uncertainties in the Tibetan Plateau(TP),and the biases are location dependent.Therefore,these products must be evaluated with in situ observations prior to their applications.In this study,the authors compare the results of several reanalysis projects with independent sounding observations recorded in the Yarlung Tsangpo River valley in the Eastern Himalayas in June 2010.These reanalysis projects include Climate Forecast System Reanalysis(CFSR),Interim European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts Reanalysis(ERA- Interim),Japanese 25-year Reanalysis(JRA-25),Modern Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications(MERRA),National Center for Environmental Prediction and the Department of Energy Reanalysis 2(NCEP-R2),and NCEP Final Analysis(FNL).Statistical quantities such as average,mean bias(MB),root-mean-square difference(RMSD),and correlation coefficient(R) of temperature,specific humidity,u-wind,and v-wind between 100 hPa and 650 hPa were calculated.The authors determined that the performance of each product differed with variables at different levels.The average profiles of the variables were captured by the reanalysis products,with large biases appearing at lower levels.ERA-Interim and NCEP-R2 showed the best and worst performances,respectively,for all variables.This study suggests that users should select appropriate reanalysis products according to their specific purposes for TP research.