ELDAS Management report 3: December 2002 – May 2003
ELDAS Management report 3:
December 2002 – May 2003
Project ID
EVG2-2001-00013
Date of preparation
18 June 2003
Contents
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Project status
Summary of project progress
Agenda of meetings
References in ELDAS context
1
ELDAS Management report 3: December 2002 – May 2003
2
Project status
The first year progress report of ELDAS was submitted in January 2003 and approved
on 6 May 2003. The report contains an extensive description of:
 The meetings that have taken place (kickoff, 1st progress meeting, SMOS
workshop, GLASS workshop);
 The project progress;
 Status of financial and manpower resources;
 Proposed changes in the workplan:
o WP4300 (GLASS verification) will take place over Europe covering
the year 2000;
o The control simulation in WP5300 will be based on the current
reference system of HIRLAM instead of using an old land surface
parameterization scheme without soil moisture assimilation;
o A crop yield prediction application is added;
o The composition of the External Advisory Board is changed;
o An extra interim meeting is scheduled to take place in September 2003.
In the half year following on the period covered by the 1st progress report the
following issues have emerged, that will be detailed in this management report:
 The discussion on the choice of production and data grids, started during the
progress meeting, is concluded (see the ELDAS website, discussion page)
 Progress was made in the production of radiation and precipitation datasets
 The design of the assimilation system is detailed for each institute where soil
moisture products will be generated, paving the way for operational
implementation in the post-ELDAS period
 A project proposal GEOLAND, submitted in the context of the 6th Framework
program and dealing with (among other issues) land data assimilation of
carbon products and partially inspired on ELDAS has been evaluated
successfully and will soon enter the contract negotiation phase.
In addition to these items, the updated meeting plan and a list of ELDAS-related
publications is presented.
Summary of project progress
Workpackage 2000: Collection of forcing data
For the precipitation database, currently about 20 000 gauges (i.e. many more than
anticipated in the DoW) for the entire ELDAS period October 1999 to December
2000 have been collected and archived in a standardised data format. Additional
efforts have been undertaken to extend the database for future projects to Eastern
European countries. These include a submitted project with the Sea-Air Interaction
and Climate Monitoring Laboratory (Prof. Sergey Gulev) at the Institute of
Oceanography, Moscow as well as a planned co-operation with the Laboratory for
Meteorology, Physics and Biophysics (Prof. D. T. Mihailovic) at the University of
Novi Sad, Serbia. All rain gauge measurements were corrected for systematic
measurement errors, mainly due to wind influences and evaporation loss, and have
been analysed on a 0.2-degree latitude/longitude grid using a OI (kriging) technique.
The precipitation analyses with the corresponding error fields were completed and are
ready to be uploaded into the ECMWF MARS archive. The radar measurements (both
BALTRAD and CERAD) have also been collected for the whole period of the project.
ELDAS Management report 3: December 2002 – May 2003
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First results of the merged BALTRAD/CERAD data, accumulated as well as
transformed to the ELDAS grid, are shown in Fig. 1.
Figure 1: Precipitation fields analysed from bias corrected rain gauges (left), accumulated composite
from BALTRAD and CERAD (middle) as well as difference gauge-radar (right). Date 10 July 2000,
6:00 to 6:00 UTC. Resolution daily/0.2 degree, ELDAS grid, units in mm/day.
The various errors in the radar estimates result in partially huge differences between
the ground truth and the radar estimates of precipitation. This problem will be
overcome by disaggregation of the daily ground truth precipitation analyses using the
radar data, rather than using the radar values directly. VUW has hired new ELDAS
staff (Katharina Brugger) for the topic of radar data processing and correction.
New specialized radar-based datasets for the Torpshammar and Glafsfjorden
catchments in Sweden have been generated based on the BALTRAD gauge
adjustment technique. This technique utilizes systematically corrected gauge
observations to perform a statistical adjustment of the spatial radar information.
Three-hour accumulations have been generated starting October 1, 1999 up to and
ELDAS Management report 3: December 2002 – May 2003
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including December 31, 2002 for these two catchment areas. The results are being
tested and evaluated within the HBV hydrological modelling system at SMHI (see
WP5400).
As reported in the 1st progress report, the surface radiation data base based on the
ELDORADO scheme was prepared and is ready for uploading in the MARS archive.
Results were verified against in situ observations in The Netherlands and two BSRN
ground stations, and show a clear improvement relative to first guess model output. A
scientific paper on the ELDORADO scheme is in progress.
Heating rate data were postprocessed for the area and period around the MUREX
campaign, and a test data assimilation exercise was carried out at ECMWF. The
exercise shows encouraging positive impact of satellite derived heating rates on the
soil moisture product. Preparations for the ELDAS demonstration database did not
advance significantly since the 1st progress report.
Workpackage 3000: The data assimilation infrastructure
At ECMWF, MeteoFrance and DWD detailed workplans of the implementation of the
ELDAS land data assimilation systems in a pre-operational infrastructure were
prepared and discussed in the ELDAS community. In summary:
 During ELDAS, ECMWF will run the system as a collection of single column
models. In an operational post-ELDAS implementation, the full 3D-code will
be used. Strategies have been developed to keep the cost of the (offline) land
data assimilation system within an affordable range.
 At MeteoFrance a detailed workplan on the implementation has been prepared
(accessible via the ELDAS web-site). In contrast to earlier plans, not a limited
area weather model bu a global model with stretched grid (comparable spatial
resolution over Europe as in the original workplan) will be implemented, to
facilitate the use of existing infrastructure and future operational
implementation
 At DWD it is considered to run the ELDAS system at a local computer instead
of at the ECMWF computer to avoid complex software migration. An
assimilation on the ELDAS grid for the period 1 May to 1 July 2000 was
started, based on the operational DWD setup. This is mainly to get the system
working and to provide (preliminary) products for evaluation. For the final
ELDAS version the extra forcing fields and new soil model still need to be
incorporated.
ECMWF has published one scientific publication on the single column data
assimilation work, including the assimilation of microwave data, and has another
manuscript ready for submission. The microwave emission model was recoded to
meet ECMWF software standards. At MeteoFrance a PhD-thesis was published,
dealing with the design and evaluation of the land data assimilation system in an
operational setting.
At KNMI a new surface land use data base for ELDAS has been prepared, based on
the ECOCLIMAP land use classification developed at MeteoFrance. The new surface
fields are accessible at the ELDAS website and will allow a fairer and more detailed
comparison between various land surface scheme results.
Also a common interpolation software package has been developed by KNMI and
disseminated via the ELDAS-website. The software allows spatial interpolation of
soil and forcing fields between regular and rotated lat/lon grids.
ELDAS Management report 3: December 2002 – May 2003
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Workpackage 4000: Validation of soil moisture fields
The validation plan (version 5) was approved at the 1st progress meeting and is
accessible at the ELDAS web-site. Most validation data were acquired, and test data
from trial runs of ELDAS systems are being collected for preliminary analysis and
software preparation. In addition, results from the ELDORADO radiation scheme will
be subjected to an independent evaluation using in situ data. Ten years of SSM/I data
were processed for future validation work.
Workpackage 5000: Demonstration workpackages
For WP5300, many preparations have already been carried out:
 improvements and refinements of the surface parameterization and analysis in
the HIRLAM reference system. The surface treatment in the HIRLAM system
was upgraded twice since the start of ELDAS. These upgrades correspond to
the implementation of the tiling approach and an explicit description of soil
moisture freezing/thawing. Additionaly, the statistics for the optimal
interpolation of 2-metre temperature and relative humidity have been revised
and recomputed.
 A preliminary one-year assimilation experiment was executed with the
HIRLAM reference system to detect possible remaining bugs and to assess its
performance in seasonal time scales. The integration was conducted with
lower horizontal resolution than the one planned for the ELDAS experiment.
The ELDAS control experiment will be very similar (except domain and
resolution) to the one described here.
 A second assimilation experiment will be conducted with the 2D-VAR soil
moisture analysis based on Balsamo et al (2002). Work to install the 2D-VAR
SM assimilation code within the HIRLAM framework has proceeded
significantly.
INM-staff will be hired for 15 months to carry out the bulk of the work in the context
of WP5300. The position was announced, and the candidate is expected to start in
September 2003.
For WP5400, the hydrological models to be used for Swedish case studies have been
set up. Also preliminary hydrological modelling trials using gauge-adjusted radar
precipitation have been carried out for the summer/autumn 2000 case studies.
Agenda of meetings
Special session at EGS General Assembly in Nice, April 2003
Like in 2002, a special session was devoted to hydrology data assimilation at
catchment and regional scale during the General Assembly of the European
Geophysical Society in Nice (April 2003). The session was co-convened by the
ELDAS project coordinator. 3 ELDAS related presentations were included in the
session (see reference list).
Extra interim meeting
To facilitate the exchange of forcing data and soil moisture production, an extra
interim meeting will be held in Toulouse on 17-18 September. Representatives from
ECMWF, DWD, MeteoFrance, INM, KNMI and Alterra will attend this meeting.
ELDAS Management report 3: December 2002 – May 2003
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Second progress meeting
The 2nd progress meeting is scheduled to take place at INM in Madrid on 10 and 11
December 2003. Details will be updated on the ELDAS web-site.
References in ELDAS context:
Balsamo, G. (2003): Analysis of soil moisture in a mesoscale weather prediction
model; PhD thesis of the University of Toulouse III "Paul Sabatier" and
University of Genoa; available at Météo-France/CNRM/GMAP 42, AV. Coriolis
31057, Toulouse, France, 167p.
Balsamo, G., F. Bouyssel and J. Noilhan (2003): Analysis of soil moisture on a
mesoscale weather prediction model; solicited presentation session HS16
European Geophysical Society General Assembly, Nice, 7-11 April 2003
Brugger K., 2003: Wetterradardaten zur Dissaggregation von täglichen
Niederschlägen über Europa. Seminarvortrag (in German), Department for
Meteorology and Geophysics, University of Vienna, 29 April 2003, Vienna,
Austria.
Rubel, F., P. Skomorowski, and M. Kottek, 2003: Highly resolved precipitation
forcing for ELDAS (European Land Data Assimilation System to Predict Floods
and Droughts). Poster presented at the EGS-AGU-EUG Joint Assembly Nice,
France, 06-12 April 2003. Online available at http://www-med-physik.vuwien.ac.at/staff/rub/abs.htm
Seuffert, G., H. Wilker, P. Viterbo, J.-F. Mahfouf, M. Drusch and J.-C. Calvet (2003):
Soil moisture analysis combining screen-level parameters and microwave
brightness temperature: a test with field data; ECMWF TechMemo 403 (see
http://www.ecmwf.int/publications/library/ecpublications/_pdf/tm403.pdf)
Seuffert, G., H. Wilker, P. Viterbo, J.-F. Mahfouf, M. Drusch and J.-C. Calvet (2003):
Soil moisture analysis combining screen-level parameters and microwave
brightness temperature: a test with field data; Geophysical Research Letters 30,
1498 (see http://www.agu.org/pubs/crossref/2003/2003GL017128.shtml)
Seuffert, G., P. Viterbo, J.-F. Mahfouf and H. Wilker: A soil moisture analysis system
for the ELDAS-Project; Poster presented at the AGU fall meeting, San Fransisco,
USA, 6-10 December 2002 (see http://www.knmi.nl/samenw/eldas )
Skomorowski, P., 2003: The Austrian contribution to the EU-Project ELDAS. Lecture
given at the Department for Meteorology and Geophysics, University of Vienna,
1 April 2003. http://www-med-physik.vu-wien.ac.at/staff/skomo.htm
Van den Hurk, B. et al.: Overview of the European Land Data Assimilation (ELDAS)
project; Poster presented at the AGU fall meeting, San Fransisco, USA, 6-10
December 2002 (see http://www.knmi.nl/samenw/eldas)
Van den Hurk, BJJM, D. Meetschen, F. Ament and M. Drusch, 2003: Estimation of
surface radiation from METEOSAT and the ECMWF forecast model; Poster
presented at the EGS-AGU-EUG Joint Assembly Nice, France, 06-12 April 2003
(see http://www.knmi.nl/samenw/eldas/figures/ELDORADOposter.pdf)