EMC/HPC/MPC/NCO/CPC Synergy Meeting Highlights 07/29/03


This meeting was led by Peter Manousos and was attended by the following: Curt Janota, Pete Caplan, Geoff Dimego, Jun Du, John Ward, Joe Sienkiewicz, Bill Bua, Steve Jascourt, Ed Danaher, Keith Brill, and Larry Burroughs.


1. IBM SP and CCS

John Ward reported that the CCS has been stable and that the EPA frames have been integrated into the system. The NPAC Hurricane Wave Model will be implemented on the CCS in a few weeks. NCO will be looking into how the Global Ensemble Members are distributed to AWIPS (currently AWIPS is receiving the first 84 hours of the Global Ensemble Output in 6 hour increments rather than 168 hours of output in 12 hour increments). The IFPS SST request for additional data to be transmitted over the SBN is now being worked through OS&T.


2. Notes from EMC

a. Global Modeling Group: Pete Caplan reported that the long wave radiation package parallel test was completed on July 17 and will be briefed to the NCEP Director on August 1st. The upgraded GFS will be implemented some time in August if it is approved. Additionally, a new parallel with upgrades to the GDAS is now running.

Retrospective tests addressing the grid scale feed back issue are focused on high order diffusion with short wavelengths. This would selectively suppress relatively small scale features such as these grid-point bulls eyes. So far, results have been inconclusive.


b. Mesoscale Modeling Group: Geoff Dimego reported that the spring bundle of the Eta (as described in previous Synergy Meeting Notes and in great detail at http://wwwt.emc.ncep.noaa.gov/mmb/tpb.spring03/TPB_6-17-03.htm ) is being finalized. This will also include additional output fields and grib precision changes. The fall bundle is running experimentally at 32km resolution with new short wave radiation scheme, a change in the precip assimilation scheme to reduce a slight low bias, modification in the 3DVar to ignore surface temperatures, and some changes to the convective scheme to have the BMJ exhibit more precipitation structure without degrading the equitable threat scores. Geoff also stated that a 25 year reanalysis effort is about 50% complete and should be completed by October 1st. This project is being overseen by NOAA Office of Global Programs and is being accomplished using EDAS at 3 hourly temporal and 32km horizontal resolution from 1979-2003.


c. Short Range Ensemble Forecast (SREF) Group: Jun Du reported that by late summer (a little after Labor Day) an additional five Eta 48km members with KF convection has long been running in parallel and will finally be added into SREF production, increasing the ensemble members from 10 to 15. Bufr sounding data will be made available from the 10 Eta members (buffer output will not be produced initially for the 5 RSM members due vertical resolution differences between the RSM and Eta members. Prior to the CCS holiday moratorium the horizontal resolution of the SREF system will be increased to 32km resolution and their physics packages updated to the current versions in the operational GFS (for RSM, which is several years behind) and Eta (which was current until the July 8, 2003 operational Eta implementation). Further, a variety of physics packages will be used to generate the Eta and RSM members.

The summer Department of Energy (DOE) experiment with a separate set of 32-km SREF ensemble members will be retained at least in part through winter 2003-04. The Winter Weather Experiment III will have access to these other ensemble members.


d. Marine Modeling and Analysis Branch (MMAB): Larry Burroughs reiterated that

visibility fields produced from the GFS 4x/day are being run in parallel. The NCEP Director will be briefed on the North Pacific Hurricane model in early August so that it may be implemented immediately thereafter.


3. Notes from HPC

The Winter Weather Experiment (WWE3) will be conducted a third consecutive winter, starting on October 1, 2003 (WFOs in the intermountain west will be involved this time, hence the earlier starting date). HPC will produce graphics in support of this experiment using both operational, NCEP Global Ensemble, and SREF output.


4. Next Meeting Monday August 25th, 2003 at noon in room 209.