The effects of assimilating satellite brightness temperature and bogus data on the simulation of Typhoon Kalmaegi (2008)

Abstract

Observational and bogus satellite data are directly assimilated into the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model in simulations of Typhoon Kalmaegi (2008). The data assimilation is performed using the Radiative Transfer for TIROS-N Operational Vertical Sounder (RTTOV) model and the three-dimensional variational data assimilation (3DVAR) technique, with satellite observations taken from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration-16 (NOAA-16) Advanced TIROS Vertical Sounder (ATOVS) system composed of the High-resolution Infrared Radiation Sounder (HIRS), the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-A (AMSU-A), and the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-B (AMSU-B). Data assimilation experiments are initialized at three different times. Improvements in the numerical simulation of the typhoon are discussed in the context of wind, temperature, pressure, and geopotential fields.