The NWP SAF Workshop on Satellite Observations of the Earth System Interfaces was held from 19 to 22 November 2024 at ECMWF. The workshop focused on advancing the exploitation of satellite data in NWP, emphasizing the importance of interface observations that are sensitive to multiple components like the atmosphere, land, sea ice, snow, and the ocean. Key recommendations include enhancing the use of existing and new satellite observations, leveraging machine learning for complex surfaces, and promoting coupled data assimilation for better exploitation of interface observations. The workshop highlighted the need for collaboration among scientific communities and space agencies to address challenges and improve the use of satellite data in NWP. To read the full summary, please go to our Training and Outreach page.

A new monitoring page is now available to provide near real time updates on the reception status of the main satellite data sources used for NWP applications. This page aims to enhance transparency and accessibility for users, ensuring they have the latest information readily available. Please visit the Overview of data availability and timeliness status page for further information.

The main changes in IRSPP v1.3 are (i) to support the IRS test data released by EUMETSAT in July 2024, (ii) to remove obsolete HT-FRTC functionality (which is no longer supported in RTTOV) and substitute equivalent functionality for PC-RTTOV, (iii) to update the output BUFR sequence following user feedback. Further details at https://nwp-saf.eumetsat.int/site/software/irspp/

The near-real time data availability monitoring has been extended to also provide timeliness information displayed on a geographical map plot. This is available for each monitored instrument four times daily for data in 6 hour time windows around 00 UTC, 06 UTC, 12 UTC, 18 UTC. The plots are based on DWD’s timeliness information. The new display feature may be used. to judge the data coverage available for a certain geographical area within a needed timeliness threshold. Please visit the NRT availability monitoring / timeliness web page to access the plots.

Interface observations refer to observations that are sensitive to multiple Earth system components, including atmosphere, land, sea ice, snow, and the ocean. They are key for Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) and reanalysis. In a coupled data assimilation framework, used in Earth system approaches, satellite-sensed interface observations have the unique potential to simultaneously constrain the various Earth system components, providing consistent initial and boundary conditions to Earth system prediction models.

Topics:
– provide an overview of the various interface observations which are available to the NWP community as well as of the forward models which are being developed or are already in use to exploit this type of observations,
– assess the state-of-the-art on the use of interface observations both in retrievals and in coupled data assimilation systems and
– understand the direction in which the scientific community is taking this important and complex problem.

The workshop will take place at ECMWF, Reading, UK, on 19-22 November 2024. This is an in-person event and is by invitation only (if you have not been invited and wish to attend the event, please contact events@ecmwf.int).

For further details, please check https://events.ecmwf.int/event/420/