Forecast Skill and Computational Cost of the Correlation Models in 3DVAR Data Assimilation

Abstract

Many background error correlation (BEC) models in data assimilation are formulated in terms of a positive-definite smoothing operator B which simulates the action of correlation matrix on a vector in state space. To estimate the efficiency of such approach, numerical experiments with the Gaussian and spline models have been conducted. Here I is the identity operator and nu is the diffusion tensor, whose spatial variability is derived from the forecast field and m is the spline approximation order. Performance of these BEC representations are compared in the framework of numerical experiments with real 3dVar data assimilation into the Navy Coastal Ocean model (NCOM) in the Western Tropical Pacific. It is shown that both BEC models have similar forecast skills over a two-month time period, whereas the second-order spline model is several times more efficient computationally if the cost function is minimized in the state space.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Nov 30, 2012
Accession Number
ADA571293

Entities

People

  • Hans Ngodock
  • I. Shulman
  • M. Carrier
  • Max Yaremchuk
  • Scott Smith

Organizations

  • United States Naval Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Algorithms
  • Assimilation
  • Atmospheric Sciences
  • Computational Fluid Dynamics
  • Computations
  • Covariance
  • Data Science
  • Diffusion
  • Earth Sciences
  • Efficiency
  • Equations
  • Errors
  • Information Science
  • Military Research
  • Sea Surface Temperature
  • Statistics
  • Surface Temperature

Readers

  • Approximation Theory.
  • Atmospheric Science/Meteorology
  • Computational Modeling and Simulation

Technology Areas

  • Space