Evaluation of Chinese Aircraft Meteorological Data Relay (AMDAR) Weather Reports

Jinfeng Ding School of Atmospheric Sciences, and Key Laboratory of Mesoscale Severe Weather, Ministry of Education, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China

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Xiao-Yong Zhuge School of Atmospheric Sciences, and Key Laboratory of Mesoscale Severe Weather, Ministry of Education, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China

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Yuan Wang School of Atmospheric Sciences, and Key Laboratory of Mesoscale Severe Weather, Ministry of Education, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China

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Anyuan Xiong National Meteorological Information Center, China Meteorological Administration, Beijing, China

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Abstract

Aircraft Meteorological Data Relay (AMDAR) weather reports are a type of high spatiotemporal data currently widely used in weather monitoring and prediction. A recent Chinese AMDAR project began in 2003 has made rapid progress. However, the assessment and accuracy of these Chinese AMDAR reports have yet to be thoroughly discussed. A comparison of temperature and wind observations between Chinese AMDAR reports and rawinsonde data between 2004 and 2010 is conducted in this paper. Results demonstrate that the root-mean-square error (RMSE) between these two sets of data is 1.40°C for temperature, 3.56 m s−1 for wind speed, and 28° for wind direction. Because of the particularity of observation and inversion method, comparison results are not only affected by AMDAR measurement and reporting error but also by spatial and temporal representativeness, flight phases, and the environment. This evaluation helps create a complete estimation of the accuracy of Chinese AMDAR in order to assist with data assimilation.

Corresponding author address: Yuan Wang, School of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, 22 Han-kon Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210093, China. E-mail: yuanasm@nju.edu.cn

Abstract

Aircraft Meteorological Data Relay (AMDAR) weather reports are a type of high spatiotemporal data currently widely used in weather monitoring and prediction. A recent Chinese AMDAR project began in 2003 has made rapid progress. However, the assessment and accuracy of these Chinese AMDAR reports have yet to be thoroughly discussed. A comparison of temperature and wind observations between Chinese AMDAR reports and rawinsonde data between 2004 and 2010 is conducted in this paper. Results demonstrate that the root-mean-square error (RMSE) between these two sets of data is 1.40°C for temperature, 3.56 m s−1 for wind speed, and 28° for wind direction. Because of the particularity of observation and inversion method, comparison results are not only affected by AMDAR measurement and reporting error but also by spatial and temporal representativeness, flight phases, and the environment. This evaluation helps create a complete estimation of the accuracy of Chinese AMDAR in order to assist with data assimilation.

Corresponding author address: Yuan Wang, School of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, 22 Han-kon Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210093, China. E-mail: yuanasm@nju.edu.cn
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