Michael Rennie has been working at ECMWF since 2011 in the data assimilation of active-remotely sensed meteorological observations. This was mostly focussed on the European Space Agency's Aeolus satellite (Doppler Wind Lidar) project, but more recently on the EarthCARE project. His current research topics include: improving ECMWF analyses and forecasts by the monitoring and data assimilation of cloud-sensitive observations from EarthCARE's ATLID (lidar) instrument; improving the quality of reprocessed Aeolus wind products through developments to the Level-2B (L2B) processing algorithms, settings and calibration; data assimilation and monitoring of reprocessed Aeolus L2B horizontal line-of-sight (HLOS) winds (for reanalysis). He is part of advisory groups for the proposed Aeolus follow-on mission (Aeolus-2/EPS-Aeolus) and the recently selected ESA Earth Explorer Doppler radar mission WIVERN.
- Data assimilation with a focus on space-based lidar instruments, but previously aircraft winds, super-pressure balloon winds and GNSS radio occultation observations
- Impact assessment of space-based lidar winds and optical properties in NWP
- Expertise in the Aeolus L2B wind product and its retrieval and more recently on EarthCARE's ATLID's cloud related products
- Data science
- 2025-present: Working in the EarthCARE DISC on the data assimilation of ATLID (lidar) cloud information and continuing to work on Aeolus
- 2011-2025: Scientist (Senior Scientist since 2023) at ECMWF working on the Aeolus Doppler Wind Lidar project (part of the Aeolus DISC)
- 2005-2010: Scientist at UK Met Office working on the assimilation of GPS radio occultation
- 2001-2005: MSci MA, Natural Sciences Tripos (physics), University of Cambridge
- Member of the Aeolus Science Advisory Group and the DWL (EPS-Aeolus) Science Advisory Group
- Member of the Mission Advisory Group for ESA's recently selected Earth Explorer mission WIVERN
Peer reviewed papers
Marseille, G., de Kloe, J., Marksteiner, U., Reitebuch, O., Rennie, M., and de Haan, S.: NWP calibration applied to Aeolus Mie channel winds, QJRMS, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.4244
Žagar, N., Rennie, M., and Isaksen, L., Uncertainties in Kelvin Waves in ECMWF Analyses and Forecasts: Insights From Aeolus Observing System Experiments, 2021, Geophy. Res. Let., 48, https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL094716
Weiler, F., Rennie, M., Kanitz, T., Isaksen, L., Checa, E., de Kloe, J., Okunde, N., and Reitebuch, O.: Correction of wind bias for the lidar on board Aeolus using telescope temperatures, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 7167–7185, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-7167-2021, 2021.
Rennie, M., Isaksen, L., Weiler, F., de Kloe, J., Kanitz, T., and Reitebuch, O.: The impact of Aeolus wind retrievals on ECMWF global weather forecasts, QJRMS, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1002/qj.4142
Polichtchouk, I, Bechtold, P, Bonavita, M, Forbes, R, Healy, S, Hogan, R, Laloyaux, P, Rennie, M, Stockdale, T, Wedi, N, Diamantakis, M, Flemming, J, English, S, Isaksen, L, Vána, F, Gisinger, S, Byrne, N (2021). “Stratospheric modelling and assimilation”. ECMWF Technical Memoranda 877.
Weiler, F., Kanitz, T., Wernham, D., Rennie, M., Huber, D., Schillinger, M., Saint-Pe, O., Bell, R., Parrinello, T., and Reitebuch, O.: Characterization of dark current signal measurements of the ACCDs used on board the Aeolus satellite, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 5153–5177, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-5153-2021, 2021.
Martin, A., Weissmann, M., Reitebuch, O., Rennie, M., Geiß, A., and Cress, A.: Validation of Aeolus winds using radiosonde observations and numerical weather prediction model equivalents, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 2167–2183, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-2167-2021, 2021.
Rennie, M., and L. Isaksen. (2020). “The NWP Impact of Aeolus Level-2B Winds at ECMWF”. ECMWF Technical Memoranda 864. https://dx.doi.org/10.21957/alift7mhr
Rennie, M. and L. Isaksen. 2020. “Use of Aeolus observations at ECMWF”. ECMWF Newsletter No. 163.
Straume, A.G., M. Rennie, L. Isaksen, J. de Kloe, G.-J. Marseille, A. Stoffelen, T. Flament, et al. (2020). “ESA’s Space-Based Doppler Wind Lidar Mission Aeolus First Wind and Aerosol Product Assessment Results”. Edited by D. Liu, Y. Wang, Y. Wu, B. Gross, and F. Moshary. EPJ Web of Conferences 237: 01007. https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/202023701007
Stoffelen, A., Benedetti, A., Borde, R., Dabas, A., Flamant, P., Forsythe, M., Hardesty, M., Isaksen, L., Källén, E., Körnich, H., Lee, T., Reitebuch, O., Rennie, M., Riishøjgaard, L., Schyberg, H., Straume, A. G., & Vaughan, M. (2020). Wind Profile Satellite Observation Requirements and Capabilities, Bull. American Meteorol. Soc. 101(11), E2005-E2021, from https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/bams/101/11/bamsD180202.xml?rskey=6gD1Gr&result=1.
M.Šavli, J.de Kloe, G.-J.Marseille, M.Rennie, N.Žagar and N.Wedi , Q. J. R. Meteorol. Soc. 145 , 3499 (2019). doi:10.1002/qj.v145.725 . doi: 10.1002/qj.3634
Dharmalingam S, Plougonven R, Hertzog A, Podglajen A, Rennie M, Isaksen L, Kébir S. Accuracy of Balloon Trajectory Forecasts in the Lower Stratosphere. Atmosphere. 2019; 10(2):102. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos10020102
L. Isaksen and M. Rennie, 2018. “ECMWF assesses pioneering Aeolus wind data”. ECMWF Newsletter No. 157.
Illingworth A, Battaglia A, Bradford J, Forsythe M, Joe P, Kollias P, Lean K, Lori M, Mahfouf JF, Mello S, Midthassel R, Munro Y, Nicol J, Potthast R, Rennie M, Stein T, Tanelli S, Tridon F, Walden C, Wolde M, 2018, WIVERN: A NEW SATELLITE CONCEPT TO PROVIDE GLOBAL IN-CLOUD WINDS, PRECIPITATION AND CLOUD PROPERTIES, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society (in press)
Horányi, A., Cardinali, C., Rennie, M. and Isaksen, L. (2015), The assimilation of horizontal line-of-sight wind information into the ECMWF data assimilation and forecasting system. Part II: The impact of degraded wind observations. Q.J.R. Meteorol. Soc., 141: 1233–1243. doi:10.1002/qj.2551
Horányi, A., Cardinali, C., Rennie, M. and Isaksen, L. (2015), The assimilation of horizontal line-of-sight wind information into the ECMWF data assimilation and forecasting system. Part I: The assessment of wind impact. Q.J.R. Meteorol. Soc., 141: 1223–1232. doi:10.1002/qj.2430
Rennie MP 2010. The impact of GPS radio occultation assimilation at the Met Office. QJRMS Vol. 136 No. 646 pp. 116-131.
Buontempo C, Jupp A, Rennie MP 2008. Operational NWP assimilation of GPS radio occultation data. Atmos. Sci. Lett. 9: 129–133.
Technical reports and conference papers:
Aeolus DISC TN “The NWP impact of Aeolus Level-2B winds at ECMWF”, AED-TN-ECMWF-NWP-025, v3.0, August 2021
Rennie MP, 2017, An Assessment of the expected quality of Aeolus Level-2B Wind products, ILRC 28 conference paper
Rennie MP, de Kloe J, 2017, Assessment of Level-2B wind errors resulting from realistic simulation of ISR/IRC/AUX_RBC calibration chain, ESA technical note, TN17.1
Rennie MP, 2017, CCN6 results: further Chain-of-Processors testing of L2B results and testing of the CCN6 L2B processor algorithm updates, ESA technical note, TN17.4
Rennie MP, 2016, Advanced monitoring of Aeolus winds, ESA technical note, TN16
Rennie MP, 2015, Aeolus L2B-processing of A2D airborne campaign data, ESA technical note, TN8.3
Rennie MP, 2015, Prospects for wind lidar assimilation, Seminar on Use of Satellite Observations in Numerical Weather Prediction, 8-12 September 2014, Conference Paper
Rennie MP, 2014, Testing the behaviour of wind retrievals with the new E2S simulation options, ESA technical note, TN17.3
Rennie MP, Dabas A, 2014, End-to-end testing of the continuous mode L2B processor, ESA technical note, TN15.3
Horányi, A., Rennie, M., Isaksen, L., 2013, The expected NWP impact of Aeolus wind observations, ECMWF Newsletter Feature Article.
Rennie MP, de Kloe J, 2013, Aeolus observational requirements and the measurement grouping algorithm, ESA technical note, TN15.2
Rennie MP, 2013, Inventory of Aeolus Target Assimilation Systems, ESA technical note, TN15.1
Rennie MP 2010. Investigation into the consistency of radiosonde and GPSRO observations and their application in NWP at the Met Office. F R&D Technical Report No. 541. Met Office: Exeter, UK.
Rennie MP 2008. The assimilation of GPS Radio Occultation measurements at the Met Office. Proc. GRAS SAF Workshop on Applications of GPS radio occultation measurements, ECMWF, 16-18 June 2008.
Rennie MP 2008. The assimilation of GPS radio occultation data into the Met Office global model. F R&D Technical Report No. 510. Met Office: Exeter, UK.