No Arabic abstract
For most statistical postprocessing schemes used to correct weather forecasts, changes to the forecast model induce a considerable reforecasting effort. We present a new approach based on response theory to cope with slight model changes. In this framework, the model change is seen as a perturbation of the original forecast model. The response theory allows us then to evaluate the variation induced on the parameters involved in the statistical postprocessing, provided that the magnitude of this perturbation is not too large. This approach is studied in the context of simple Ornstein-Uhlenbeck models, and then on a more realistic, yet simple, quasi-geostrophic model. The analytical results for the former case help to pose the problem, while the application to the latter provide a proof-of-concept and assesses the potential performances of response theory in a chaotic system. In both cases, the parameters of the statistical postprocessing used - an Error-in-Variables Model Output Statistics (EVMOS) - are appropriately corrected when facing a model change. The potential application in an operational environment is also discussed.
Statistical postprocessing techniques are nowadays key components of the forecasting suites in many National Meteorological Services (NMS), with for most of them, the objective of correcting the impact of different types of errors on the forecasts. The final aim is to provide optimal, automated, seamless forecasts for end users. Many techniques are now flourishing in the statistical, meteorological, climatological, hydrological, and engineering communities. The methods range in complexity from simple bias corrections to very sophisticated distribution-adjusting techniques that incorporate correlations among the prognostic variables. The paper is an attempt to summarize the main activities going on this area from theoretical developments to operational applications, with a focus on the current challenges and potential avenues in the field. Among these challenges is the shift in NMS towards running ensemble Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) systems at the kilometer scale that produce very large datasets and require high-density high-quality observations; the necessity to preserve space time correlation of high-dimensional corrected fields; the need to reduce the impact of model changes affecting the parameters of the corrections; the necessity for techniques to merge different types of forecasts and ensembles with different behaviors; and finally the ability to transfer research on statistical postprocessing to operations. Potential new avenues will also be discussed.
Coherent jets with most of the kinetic energy of the flow are common in atmospheric turbulence. In the gaseous planets these jets are maintained by incoherent turbulence excited by small-scale convection. Large-scale coherent waves are sometimes observed to coexist with the jets; a prominent example is Saturns hexagonal North polar jet (NPJ). The mechanism responsible for forming and maintaining such a turbulent state remains elusive. The coherent planetary-scale component of the turbulence arises and is maintained by interaction with the incoherent small-scale turbulence component. Theoretical understanding of the dynamics of the jet/wave/turbulence coexistence regime is gained by employing a statistical state dynamics (SSD) model. Here, a second-order closure implementation of a two-layer beta-plane SSD is used to develop a theory that accounts for the structure and dynamics of the NPJ. Asymptotic analysis of the SSD equilibrium in the weak jet damping limit predicts a universal jet structure in agreement with NPJ observations. This asymptotic theory also predicts the wavenumber (six) of the prominent jet perturbation. Analysis with this model of the jet/wave/turbulence regime dynamics reveals that jet formation is controlled by the effective value of $beta$; the required value of this parameter for correspondence with observation is obtained. As this is a robust prediction it is taken as an indirect observation of a deep poleward sloping stable layer beneath the NPJ. The slope required is obtained from observations of NPJ structure as is the small-scale turbulence excitation required to maintain the jet. The observed jet structure is then predicted by the theory as is the wave-six disturbance. This wave, which is identified with the least stable mode of the equilibrated jet, is shown to be primarily responsible for equilibrating the jet with the observed structure and amplitude.
In this study the influence of stratification on surface tidal elevations in a two-layer analytical model is examined. The model assumes linearized, non-rotating, shallow-water dynamics in one dimension with astronomical forcing and allows for arbitrary topography. Using a natural modal separation, both large scale (barotropic) and small scale (baroclinic) components of the surface tidal elevation are shown to be comparably affected by stratification. It is also shown that the topography and basin boundaries affect the sensitivity of the barotropic surface tide to stratification significantly. This paper, therefore, provides a framework to understand how the presence of stratification impacts barotropic as well as baroclinic tides, and how climatic perturbations to oceanic stratification contribute to secular variations in tides. Results from a realistic-domain global numerical two-layer tide model are briefly examined and found to be qualitatively consistent with the analytical model results.
This paper describes several applications in astronomy and cosmology that are addressed using probabilistic modelling and statistical inference.
Changes in the atmospheric composition alter the magnitude and partitioning between the downward propagating solar and atmospheric longwave radiative fluxes heating the Earths surface. These changes are computed by radiative transfer codes in Global Climate Models, and measured with high precision at surface observation networks. Changes in radiative heating signify changes in the global surface temperature and hydrologic cycle. Here, we develop a conceptual framework using an Energy Balance Model to show that first order changes in the hydrologic cycle are mainly associated with changes in solar radiation, while that in surface temperature are mainly associated with changes in atmospheric longwave radiation. These insights are used to explain a range of phenomena including observed historical trends, biases in climate model output, and the inter-model spread in climate change projections. These results may help identify biases in future generations of climate models.