Cycle 30r1summary of changes

1 February 2006

Horizontal changed

• Atmospheric
  • HRES: T_L799
  • ENS: T_L399
• Wave
  • HRES: 0.36 degrees
  • ENS: 0.5 degrees
  • LAW: 0.1 degrees

Vertical changed

• Atmospheric
  • HRES: L91
  • ENS: L62

• HRES
• ENS
• Wave

• Increase wave spectral resolution to 24 directions and 30 frequencies (from 12 and 25 respectively) for the EPS ocean wave model.
• Use of grid-point humidity and ozone in 4D-Var.
• Revised coefficients (version 2.3) for the linearised ozone chemistry scheme, supplied by Daniel Cariolle, CERFACS.
• Use of Jason altimeter wave height data and ENVISAT ASAR spectra in the wave model data assimilation. ERS-2 SAR spectra are no longer assimilated.

• small but statistically significant improvements to deterministic 500 hPa height forecasts over Europe and for both extra-tropical hemispheres out to day 6.
• overall impact on weather parameters is modest
• precipitation scores over Europe are consistently improved, in particular for large daily rainfall amounts
• tropical temperature and wind forecasts are generally better when verified against radiosondes
• tropical cyclone position and intensity forecasts are improved in the high resolution system with some spectacular results for intense hurricanes
• increased number of observations used in the assimilation with better analysis and background departure statistics
• beneficial impact on the ocean wave analyses.
• improvements in the ocean wave forecasts

ENS

• overall benefit of the higher resolution for the ENS is reflected in the results for the probability scores which are consistently improved for 500hPa height anomalies
•  improvement of the evaluation of precipitation events over Europe with respect to the Brier and ROC area scores

• Atmospheric: 127
• Ocean wave: 116
• Limited-area ocean wave: 216