EMC/HPC/MPC/NCO/CPC Synergy Meeting Highlights 03/29/04


This meeting was led by Peter Manousos and was attended by Geoff DiMego, Hua Lu Pan,

Dave Plummer, Curt Janota, Zoltan Toth, John Ward, Pete Caplan, Dave Michaud, Jim Hoke, Ed Danaher, Larry Burroughs, Keith Brill, Stephen Jascourt, and Bill Bua.


1. CCS

John Ward reported that the upgrade will be completed between July and December of this year. Installation will occur on July 21 but the operational implementation after full testing and migration of codes and scripts, etc. may take until the end of the calendar year. Meanwhile, NCO is working on implementations for the DGEX, air quality, coupled atmosphere-ocean climate model, WRF ensemble, SREF upgrade, GFDL hurricane model upgrade, RUC package, and CDC MOS (very long range) for use by CPC, among other things.


2. Notes from EMC

a. Global Modeling Group: This will also allow a better derivation of max/min temperature for these time ranges. A faster version of code along with testing use of a hybrid sigma/pressure vertical coordinate system and an upgrade to GDAS from spectral to gridpoint statistical interpolation (i.e. from SSI to GSI) is featured in the next parallel version. The faster code is being tested in anticipation of a horizontal resolution increase to T382 (planned for implementation after the CCS upgrade).


b. Mesoscale Modeling Group: Geoff DiMego reported a final Eta bundle will contain proper modifications to the land/surface and short wave radiation packages before conversion to WRF. WRF ensembles in the high-resolution window slot will use only 2 members instead of 6 until the computer changes have been implemented. Those two members will be the NCEP mass core with NCEP physics (e.g. like NMM) and the NCAR mass core with selection of physics chosen by NCAR.


DGEX - evaluations will be due from participants on April 20th.


c. Global Ensemble Prediction System: Zoltan reported that the project involving CMC remains on schedule (details found in previous synergy meeting highlights). By September, CMC ensemble output will be posted in like fashion to the NCEP global ensemble output. Also, a meeting will be conducted at WWB May 18-20 between NCEP service center users of ensemble data, EMC, and NCO on data flow and production of ensemble data at NCEP. Hua-Lu reported that the Global Ensembles being run 4x/day now require output in 6 hourly increments to the end of the cycle (past Day 7 - instead of the current 12hr increments) in order to make combined products from 6z/18z members together with 0z/12z members.


d. Short Range Ensemble Forecast (SREF) Group: Geoff DiMego reported that the SREFx (details available on previous synergy meeting highlights) is targeted for late May or early June. It will still not be sent over SBN to AWIPS at that time. An evaluation notice from NCO to users is pending.


e. Marine Modeling and Analysis Branch (MMAB): Larry Burroughs reported that the process to transition to the new suite of ocean models by 2007 continues (North Atlantic Basin model is targeted for Sept 2004 followed by a global ocean model, then the Pacific, and finally HI.


3. Input from WFOs and NCEP Service Centers to EMC

WFO ARX - HPC relayed an observation from the ARX SOO noting a cold bias in Eta in BL over snow. Question was if the recently implemented bundle addressed this performance characteristic. Geoff Dimego responded that the NEXT bundle will address this issue.


NCEP AWC - HPC relayed a request from the development group at AWC on inclusion of additional fields in model grids typically transmitted to AWC. Since these fields are already produced on a higher resolution grid than obtained by AWC the issue became how to optimize use of data flow and data processing capabilities as well as storage paradigms at NCEP. An action was taken to request addressing of this issue as an additional agenda item at the upcoming meeting in May at WWB.



4. Next Meeting is planned Monday, April 26st 2004 at noon in room 209.