Using 3D-Var Data Assimilation for Improving the Accuracy of Initial Condition of Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model in Java Region (Case Study : 23 January 2015)

• Main Authors: Novvria Sagita, Rini Hidayati, Rahmat Hidayat, Indra Gustari, Fatkhuroyan Fatkhuroyan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Muhammadiyah University Press 2016-12-01
• Series: Forum Geografi
• Subjects: WRF; initial condition; data assimilation; 3D-Var
• Online Access: http://journals.ums.ac.id/index.php/fg/article/view/2512

Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) is a numerical weather prediction model developed by various parties due to its open source, but the WRF has the disadvantage of low accuracy in weather prediction. One reason of low accuracy  of model is inaccuracy initial condition model to the actual atmospheric conditions. Techniques to improve the initial condition model is the observation data assimilation. In this study, we used three-dimensional variational (3D-Var) to perform data assimilation of some observation data. Observational data used in data assimilation are observation data from basic stations, non-basic stations, radiosonde data, and The Binary Universal Form for the Representation of meteorological data (BUFR) data from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) , and aggregate observation data from all stations. The aim of this study compares the effect of data assimilation with different data observation on January 23, 2015 at 00.00 UTC for Java island region. The results showed that changes root mean square error (RMSE) of surface temperature from 2° C to 1.7° C - 2.4° C, dew point from 2.1o C to 1.9o  C - 1.4o C, relative humidity from 16.1% to 3.5% - 14.5% after the data assimilation.