Chemical Data Assimilation

The program for Atmospheric Composition Remote Sensing & Prediction ACRESP in close collaboration with NCAR/DAReS, explored and built a capability for a chemical data assimilation system, as a tool for studies related to chemical weather and regional to global air quality. Such a system is analogous to systems being developed and applied in the numerical weather prediction (NWP) community.

Ave Arellano, afarellano@email.arizona.edu

The ensemble-based chemical data assimilation system, consisting of regional to global chemical transport models (CAM-Chem, WRF-Chem) in conjunction with DART, enables a joint assimilation of meteorological observations and satellite-derived CO measurements from Measurements Of Pollution In The Troposphere (MOPITT) and aerosol optical depth (AOD) measurements from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, (MODIS). The chemical data assimilation system has been used for near-real time chemical forecasting to support flight planning during the NASA Arctic Research of the Composition of the Troposphere from Aircraft and Satellites ARCTAS. NCAR has a website to describe NCAR support for ARCTAS.

In addition, we are using the same chemical data assimilation, to conduct observing system simulation experiments (OSSEs) aimed at investigating the utility of a satellite constellation of chemical observations in improving air quality predictions. We are also using this framework in defining the science, measurement and instrument requirements for the NASA Instrument Incubator Program CISR carbon monoxide instrument now being considered as candidate technology for the NASA Geostationary Coastal and Air Pollution Events (GeoCAPE) mission.

Select Publications:

  • Arellano, A. F., K. Raeder, J. L. Anderson, P. Hess, L. K. Emmons, D. P. Edwards, G. G. Pfister, T. L. Campos and G. W. Sachse: 2007
    Evaluating model performance of an ensemble-based chemical data assimilation system during INTEX-B field mission,
    Atmos. Chem. Phys., 7, 5695-5710, doi:10.5194/acp-7-5695-2007

  • Edwards, D. P., A. F. Arellano and M. N. Deeter, 2009
    A satellite observation system simulation experiment for carbon monoxide in the lowermost troposphere,
    J. Geophys. Res. 114, D14304, doi:10.1029/2008JD011375

  • Barré, J., B. Gaubert, A. F. J. Arellano, H. M. Worden, D. P. Edwards, M. Deeter, J. L. Anderson, K. D. Raeder, N. S. Collins, S. Tilmes, G. Francis, C. Clerbaux, L. Emmons, G. Pfister, P.-F. Coheur and D. Hurtmans, 2015
    Assessing the impacts of assimilating IASI and MOPITT CO retrievals using CESM-CAM-chem and DART. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 120, no. 19, doi:10.1002/2015JD023467