Ongoing research project | -
Gap Analysis for Integrated Atmospheric ECV CLImate Monitoring (GAIA-CLIM)
The aim of the GAIA-CLIM project is to improve our ability to use ground-based observations to characterise satellite observations for a number of atmospheric Essential Climate Variables (ECVs). It will use reference quality in situ observations that are metrologically traceable to international standards (SI units) with well-characterised uncertainties. The key outcomes will be a "Virtual Observatory" facility of co-locations and their uncertainties and a report on gaps in capabilities or understanding, which shall be used to inform subsequent Horizon 2020 and Copernicus activities.
ECMWF is primarily involved in Work Package 4: Assessment of reference data in global assimilation systems and characterisation of key satellite datasets.
This work package is concerned with the potential utility of data-assimilation systems used in Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) and reanalyses to use reference-quality data to assess the uncertainties in NWP models, and corresponding forward modelled satellite radiances.
The work package will:
- Use reference-quality data to assess the absolute uncertainty in NWP analyses in order to characterise the uncertainty of selected satellite systems.
- Develop infrastructure for acquisition of reference-quality data, including GRUAN radiosonde data.
- Develop and make available software to enable the intercomparison described above.