Data Assimilation Meetings at Reading
| Date | Meeting type | Speakers |
| 6 Feb 2013 | Internal speaker |
Nicola Pounder (University of Reading) A variational retrieval scheme for observing stratucumuls with lidar. The A-Train of satelites demonstrated the value of satelite instrument synergy and, following on from that, the soon-to-be-launched EathCARE satelite has instrument synergy at the core of its design. Optimal estimation provides an ideal environment for synergistic retrievals as multiple obervations and retrieved parameters can be easily included alongside physical constraints and error estimates calculated. I will present the liquid part of a variational retrieval scheme being developed for EarthCARE and tested on the A-Train. We include a fast forward model of multiply scattered lidar returns and adiabatic constraints as well as considering regularisation and additional constraints. I will discuss these constraints and uncertainty estimates. By forward modelling multiply scattered lidar returns and including adiabatic constraints we are able to observe cloud properties down to ~25 optical depths compared to ~3 optical depths using direct return alone. I will show some preliminary validation using A-Train data. |