Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment NEWS Vol. 12, No. 2 NEWS May 2002 World Climate Research Programme__WCRP LAND-SURFACE DATA ASSIMILATION SYSTEM CONCEPTS ARE EXPANDING (See Articles on Pages 2 and 9) SUPER-PARAMETERIZATIONS: FAST FORWARD TO THE FUTURE David Randall and Marat Khairoutdinov Colorado State University Editor's Note: This is a summary of a talk given at the GCSS-ARM workshop in Kananaskis, Canada. Deficiencies in the representation of cloud- What's New dynamical processes in climate models drive much of the uncertainty surrounding predictions of cli- mate change. This was true 30 years ago and it is • SSG Members and Panel Chairs Highlighted still true now. To take conventional parameterizations • CEOP to benefit from GLDAS much beyond where we are now, it seems likely that we will have to make them very complicated—in • GSWP-2 to Begin this Year some ways much more complicated than Cloud-Sys- • GCSS and GLASS Set Strategies for the Future (Continued on Page 5) COMMENTARY GLDAS: AN IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTION TO CEOP NEW GEWEX SSG MEMBERS ENHANCE INTERDISCIPLINARY AND Paul R. Houser and Matthew Rodell INTERNATIONAL GUIDANCE Soroosh Sorooshian, Chair Hydrological Sciences Branch GEWEX Scientific Steering Group NASA Goddard Space Flight Center The GEWEX Scientific Steering Group (SSG) has Scientists at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center added more new members than usual this cycle after (GSFC) have developed a high-resolution Global Land many years of excellent service from our previous mem- Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) in cooperation with bers. The diversity of this SSG provides an opportunity to researchers at NOAA's National Centers for Environ- enhance our interdisciplinary and international participa- mental Prediction (NCEP). The goal of GLDAS is to tion and guidance of our ongoing projects, as well as produce optimal output fields of land surface states and helping to expand the guidance needed for several of our fluxes by making use of data from advanced observing new developing projects. As usual we strive for a bal- systems (See figure on back page). Errors in land ance of expertise within the hydrology, atmospheric physics surface forcing and parameterization tend to accumulate and radiation, modeling and assimilation, and observational in modeled land stores of water and energy, leading to communities while covering the breadth of international incorrect surface water and energy partitioning. GLDAS aspects. The broad responsibilities we place on the SSG aims to minimize this effect by constraining the models in are indicated in The Terms of Reference: two ways. First, by forcing the land surface primarily by observations (such as precipitation and radiation), the bi- • To formulate the programme for GEWEX, consist- ing of both observation and theory, for understanding ases in atmospheric model-derived forcing are avoided. and eventually modeling the global energy and Second, by employing land surface data assimilation tech- water cycle; niques, observations of land surface storages (soil temperature, soil moisture, and snow depth/cover) can be • To provide scientific guidance for the conduct of GEWEX using advice from individual experts or used to steer unrealistic simulated storages towards real- expert groups, as necessary; ity. These techniques also enable identification and mitigation of observational errors and minimization of the impact of • To formulate the concept of an observing system which would fulfill the data requirements for GEWEX (Continued on page 7) taking into consideration possible national contribu- tions to the programme; Contents • To use existing or, where necessary, propose new mechanisms for assuring the exchange and analy- PAGE Super-Parameterizations: Fast Forward sis of GEWEX data and the dissemination of scientific To The Future 1 results; and Commentary – New GEWEX SSG Members • To establish scientific liaison with relevant organi- Enhance Interdisciplinary and International zations and existing programmes, as appropriate. Guidance 2 I think you will find that our latest membership GLDAS: An Important Contribution to CEOP 2 covers the broad spectrum necessary to provide this GEWEX Scientific Steering Group (SSG) guidance for GEWEX. Not explicitly included within these, Members 3 but implied within the last bullet, is the responsibility to GEWEX Panel Leaders 4 assist in the spread of information about the objectives GCIP Releases WEBS CD-ROM 8 and plans for our projects among the diverse spectrum of European LDAS Established 9 national and international organizations our SSG members Global Soil Wetness Project-2 Begins are involved with. This will also provide a mechanism for This Year 10 the feedback we need to improve our implementation GLASS Workshop Sets New Experimental process. Strategy On Testing Land–Atmosphere Interactions 11 Please note closely on the following pages the names, Mississippi River Climate and Hydrology affiliations and interests of our SSG members and feel Conference 13 free to communicate directly with them, as well as GCSS-ARM Workshop And GCSS Science directly with myself or the IGPO, on ideas, concepts, Team Meeting 14 criticisms, or suggestions for improving any of the many Meetings Calendar 15 aspects of our overall GEWEX Project. 2 May 2002 GEWEX SCIENTIFIC STEERING GROUP (SSG) MEMBERS The SSG provides scientific guidance in formulating the program for GEWEX and advises the Joint Scientific Committee of the World Climate Research Programme of progress achieved in the implementation of GEWEX and scientific advances in the understanding of the global energy and water cycle. The following are the current members of the SSG, chaired by Soroosh Sorooshian. Soroosh Sorooshian Chair, GEWEX SSG Regents Professor/Director, SAHRA Hydrology and Water Resources University of Arizona E-mail: [email protected] Areas of Interest: Semi-arid hydrology, precipitation and rainfall-runoff modeling, remote sensing applications in hydrology, optimization and system analysis. Thomas Ackerman Robert Atlas Chief Scientist Head, Data Assimilation Office Atmospheric Radiation NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Measurement Program E-mail: [email protected] United States Department of Energy E-mail: [email protected] Areas of Interest: Synoptic and dy- namic meterorology, data assimilation, Areas of Interest: Atmospheric radia- applications of space-based data to nu- tive transfer and remote sensing. merical weather prediction, observing system simulation experiments. Maria Assunção F. Silva Dias Lars Gottschalk Professor, Tekn., Dr. Professor, Department of Department of Geophysics Atmospheric Sciences Univerity of Oslo Vice-Director, Institute of Astronomy, E-mail: [email protected] Geophysics, and Atmospheric Sciences University of São Paulo, Brazil Areas of Interest: Mapping of large-scale E-mail: [email protected] variations in hydrologic characteristics, pro- Areas of Interest: Mesoscale meteorol- cess-based distributed models, stochastic ogy with focus on convective systems, local circulation, interpolation methods, extreme value analysis biosphere-atmosphere interactions, and scale interactions. and risk assessment, effect of environmental and climate change on water resources. Anthony Hollingsworth Yann Kerr Head of Research and Deputy Director Head, Global Monitoring Unit and Lead European Centre for Medium-Range Investigator for the Weather Forecasts SMOS Mission (ESA) E-mail: [email protected] Centre d’Etudes Spatiales de la BIOsphère (CESBIO) Areas of Interest: Numerical weather predic- E-mail: [email protected] tion, both deterministic and stochastic; data assimilation; use of satellite data. Areas of Interest: Theory and techniques for microwave and thermal infrared remote sensing of the Earth, with emphasis on hydrology and energy budgets. May 2002 3 GEWEX SCIENTIFIC STEERING GROUP (SSG) MEMBERS (Continued) Zurab Kopaliani Kenji Nakamura Deputy Director Professor The State Hydrological Institute Hydrospheric Atmospheric St. Petersburg, Russia Research Center E-mail: [email protected] Nagoya University E-mail: [email protected] Areas of Interest: Human impact on river systems and water resources, water bal- Areas of Interest: Satellite remote sensing ance, hydrological and hydraulic modeling, of the atmosphere and precipitation computations and forecasting river channel changes and sedimen- systems. tation, river responses to water projects. David Randall Kuniyoshi Takeuchi Professor Professor, Department of Civil and Department of Atmospheric Science Environmental Engineering, Colorado State University Yamanashi University E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Areas of Interest: Clouds and climate Areas of Interest: Water resource systems. modeling. Ulrich Schumann Guoxiong Wu Professor, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Professor, Institute of Raumfahrt (DLR), Atmospheric Physics Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chair, Academic Committee, Oberpfaffenhofen National Key Laboratory of E-mail: [email protected] Atmospheric Sciences and Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Areas of Interest: Atmospheric physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences cloud physics, aircraft emissions, turbulence, E-mail: [email protected] lidar, radar, mesoscale and global atmospheric dynamics and climate. Areas of Interest: Climate and weather dynamics. GEWEX PANEL LEADERS GEWEX RADIATION PANEL GEWEX MODELING AND PREDICTION PROJECTS William Rossow, Chair Jan Polcher, Chair NASA Goddard Institute for