EMC/HPC/MPC/NCO/CPC Synergy Meeting Highlights 01/06/03

This meeting was led by Peter Manousos and was attended by Geoff DiMego, Jim Hoke, Hua-Lu Pan, Dave Michaud, John Ward, Larry Burroughs, Ed Danaher, Curt Janota, and Bill Bua.

1. IBM SP and CCS

John Ward reported that the moratorium on the current system (IBM SP) will continue until the new machine (Central Computer System or CCS) becomes operational (anticipated to occur in March). The CCS is now running in parallel with the SP, however when the CCS becomes operational this spring the operational side of the SP will be dismantled. The development side of the SP will then remain in use by EMC through September to complete the 25-year regional reanalysis. It should be noted that although the CCS will be operational in the spring, contractually IBM can make modifications to the system until July 1.

2. Notes from EMC

a. Global Modeling Group: Hua-Lu Pan reported that the current parallel run of the GFS running using NOAA-17 data. Imminently NOAA 16 data and hi-res QuickScat data will be added as well. The radiation scheme will be replaced with a new scheme comparable with that utilized in the ECMWF. The current scheme was developed originally in the 1960s. The GFDL hurricane model will be upgraded before June to test the T254 resolution and use of the ½ degree SST analysis. The physics package will also be improved to that used by the GFS, which should mitigate the over development of systems in a vertically sheared environment.

b. Mesoscale Modeling Group: Geoff DiMego reported that the EtaX is running on both the B side of the SP and on the development side “FROST” of the CCS. This includes a bundle with these changes

•         inclusion of WSR 88D radial wind velocities

•         inclusion of GOES cloud top pressures

•         inclusion of NOAA 16 and 17 radiances

•         changes to the 3DVar

•         changes to cloud micro physics including changes to radiative properties of clouds

Monitoring of the EtaY continues (the current operational configuration of the Eta, run at 32km off of the GDAS initialization). Some runs the EtaY look almost identical to the GFS, but other times it’s markedly different. This suggests that for some runs the difference in solution is due mainly to initialization differences between the EDAS and GDAS, whereas for other runs, the differences in solutions stem from the model differences. Also, preparation for Fire WX runs has begun using the Non-Hydrostatic Mesoscale Model (NMM), and sometime later this year the NMM will be upgraded to be compatible with the WRF model.

c. Global Ensembles: Nothing reported.

d. Short Range Ensembles: Nothing reported.

e. Marine Modeling and Analysis Branch (MMAB): Larry Burroughs reported that a north Pacific hurricane wave model will be developed using the same grid as the north Pacific version. Also, work has begun on an ocean model for the North Atlantic basin which extends from 28 S to 70 N and from the coast of the Americas to the coasts of Europe and Africa. A regional model covering from 10 to 50 N and including the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico is being developed in conjunction with the basin model.

3. Input to EMC and other information from Operational Centers

HPC and MPC: (from the operational staff) in general the models have been handling this winter’s pattern much better than the previous two winters.

4. Next Meeting Proposed Monday February 3^rd, 2003 at noon in room 209.