Improved assimilation of data from China's FY-3A Microwave Temperature Sounder (MWTS)

Title
Improved assimilation of data from China's FY-3A Microwave Temperature Sounder (MWTS)
Technical memorandum
Date Published
02/2011
Secondary Title
ECMWF Technical Memoranda
Number
642
Author
Qifeng Lu
W. Bell
Peter Bauer
Niels Bormann
C. Peubey
Alan Geer
Publisher
ECMWF
Abstract The FY-3A MWTS suffers from radiometer non-linearities and uncertainties in passband centre frequencies. Corrections have been developed, and are assessed here by comparing re-calibrated MWTS data with equivalent AMSU-A observations. The corrections are effective in improving the first guess departure statistics for MWTS, relative to the original un-corrected data, to values close to those for AMSU-A equivalent channels. In observing system experiments MWTS observations improve the first guess fits for AMSU-A observations. Forecast verification shows a systematic improvement by using the re-calibrated data, for example forecasts of 200 hPa geopotential are improved to Day 4 in the SH by approximately 1%.
URL https://www.ecmwf.int/en/elibrary/75476-improved-assimilation-data-chinas-fy-3a-microwave-temperature-sounder-mwts
DOI 10.21957/4grqj1vwq
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