20070622;RTOFS MODEL UPGRADE: ADMIN NOTICE NOUS41 KWBC]

[Linda Miller]

-------- Original Message --------

758 
NOUS41 KWBC 221224
PNSWSH

TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION NOTICE 07-33...AMENDED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
830 AM EDT FRI JUN 22 2007

TO:       FAMILY OF SERVICES /FOS/ SUBSCRIBERS...NOAA WEATHER 
          WIRE SERVICE /NWWS/ SUBSCRIBERS...EMERGENCY MANAGERS 
          WEATHER INFORMATION NETWORK /EMWIN/ SUBSCRIBERS...     
          OTHER NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE /NWS/ CUSTOMERS AND 
          PARTNERS...NWS EMPLOYEES

FROM:     PAUL HIRSCHBERG
          CHIEF...SCIENCE PLANS BRANCH
          OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY /OST/

SUBJECT:  AMENDED: NATIONAL CENTERS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PREDICTION 
          /NCEP/ REAL TIME OCEAN FORECAST SYSTEM /RTOFS/ MODEL 
          UPGRADE: EFFECTIVE JUNE 5 2007

REFER TO: TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION NOTICE 07-43 

AMENDED TO REMOVE REFERENCE TO PARALLEL DATA SETS AND TO PROVIDE 
A VALID FTP SERVER LINK FOR CURRENT OPERATIONAL RTOFS MODEL 
DATA.

NOTE: NCEP COASTAL OCEAN FORECAST SYSTEM /COFS/ TO BE 
DISCONTINUED 90 DAYS AFTER THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS RTOFS 
UPDATE. SEE DETAILS BELOW. 

EFFECTIVE TUESDAY JUNE 5 2007...BEGINNING WITH THE 1200 
COORDINATED UNIVERSAL TIME /UTC/ RUN...NCEP WILL UPGRADE THE 
RTOFS FORECAST SYSTEM.

THIS UPGRADE IS EXPECTED TO IMPROVE THE RTOFS ANALYSIS AND
FORECAST SKILL AS WELL AS EXTEND THE PRODUCTS SUITE FOR THE
RTOFS ATLANTIC DOMAIN.

DETAILS OF THESE CHANGES ARE AS FOLLOWS:

ALGORITHM CHANGES:  

A. DATA ASSIMILATION 

- FOR SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE: CHANGES IN NUDGING PARAMETERS...
  REMOVAL OF BIAS FOR GOES SST OBSERVATIONS.
- FOR SEA SURFACE HEIGHT: NEW ALGORITHMS TO ASSIMILATE SEA
  SURFACE HEIGHT ANOMALIES FROM JASON AND GFO.
- FOR VERTICAL PROFILES OF TEMPERATURE AND SALINITY: NEW
  ALGORITHMS TO ASSIMILATE TEMPERATURE AND SALINITY PROFILES.

B. HYCOM MODEL

- REMOVE APPROXIMATION TO BOTTOM PRESSURE IN MONTGOMERY
  POTENTIAL CALCULATION.
- IMPROVE STABILITY IN PRESSURE GRADIENT CALCULATIONS.
- THE TWO INVARIANT EXTERNAL MODE BOUNDARY CONDITION IS BEING 
  RE-DEPLOYED.
- FOR WATER FLUXES INTO THE OCEAN /RIVERS AND PRECIPITATION 
  MINUS EVAPORATION/: THE WATER COLUMN MIGHT BE REFRESHED TO  
  ARBITRARY DEPTH...AS NEEDED.  

C. DATA INPUTS AND MODEL PARAMETERS

- USE REVISED AND EXTENDED HYDROBASE CLIMATOLOGY NCEP VERSION 6.
- NUMBER OF VERTICAL LEVELS INCREASED FROM 25 TO 26 WITH 
  IMPROVED DENSITY TARGETS.
- USE REVISED RIVER INFLOW DATA /LOCATION...STRENGTH/ FROM    
  UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY RIVER OUTFLOW DATA IN REAL     
  TIME. 
- REMOVE NOISE IN NET HEAT FLUX.
- IMPROVED VALUES OF TRANSPORT AND SURFACE ELEVATION USED AT
  OPEN BOUNDARIES.

D. PRODUCTS

- USE GRIB FILES ON NATIVE GRIDS.
- USE REGIONAL GRIB FILES FOR GULF OF MEXICO NORTH-WEST
  ATLANTIC /2 SUB-REGIONS/ FOR EFFICIENT TRANSMISSION.

OPERATIONAL RTOFS MODEL DATA OUTPUT CAN BE FOUND AT THE 
FOLLOWING LINK /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/:

FTP://FTP.NCEP.NOAA.GOV/PUB/DATA/NCCF/COM/OFS/PROD/OFS.YYYYMMDD

SAMPLES OF NOWCAST AND FORECAST FIELDS... ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 
AND NOWCAST/FORECAST EVALUATIONS ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT /USE 
LOWER CASE LETTERS/:

     HTTP://POLAR.NCEP.NOAA.GOV/OFS

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS CHANGE...PLEASE CONTACT:

     VERA GERALD 
     NCEP...MARINE MODELING AND ANALYSIS BRANCH  
     CAMP SPRINGS MARYLAND  
     PHONE: 301 763 8000 X7213  
     EMAIL: VERA.GERALD at NOAA.GOV

THIS AND OTHER NWS TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION NOTICES ARE 
AVAILABLE ONLINE AT /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/: 
 
     HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OM/NOTIF.HTM 
 
$$ 
NNNN




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