4-D Techniques For Evaluation Of Atmospheric Model Forecasts

Evaluating model performance is difficult in light of the amount of data which is output that is to be compared to an analysis for verification. Examining 2-D plots of many different parameters at several levels is tedious. This information must then be mentally integrated in an attempt to understand where problems may exist. The use of 4-D displays can greatly aid in evaluations by presenting the output of the model as a volume instead of 2-D slices. A capability for 4-D displays of meteorological data is being developed at the Space Science and Engineering Center. The Man-computer Interactive Data Access System (McIDAS) is used for all aspects of the analysis: this includes acquiring data, running the model, storing the output and displaying the results. A version of the Australian Regional Analysis and Forecast Modules were applied to the eastern portion of the USA and adjacent Atlantic Ocean. This assimilation system is being used to analyze intensive observing periods during the GALE (Genesis of Atlantic Lows Experiment) field experiment.