Assimilation of Remote Sensing Data atECMWF

This seminar will provide an overview of the current status and futureplans of the satellite data usage in the 4D variational (4D-VAR) assimilation system of ECMWF. After a brief introduction of the ECMWF 4D-VAR scheme, a description of the impact of current satellite observations on the performance of the ECMWF model will be given. In particular, the most recent various satellite Observing System Experiments performed at ECMWF will be presented. The end of the presentation will be dedicated to our preparation for assimilating future advanced instruments (AIRS, IASI) as well as our strategy towards the use of cloud/rain related quantities in the 4D-VAR system.