Four-dimensional data assimilation

Bengtsson, L. (1985) Four-dimensional data assimilation. In: Data Assimilation Systems and Observing System Experiments with Particular Emphasis on FGGE. ECMWF, Reading, UK, pp. 1-6.

Abstract/Summary

Numerical weather prediction can be regarded as an initial value problem whereby the governing atmospheric equations are integrated forward from fully determined initial values of the meteorological parameters. However, in spite of the considerable improvements of the observing systems in recent years, the initial values are known only incompletely and inaccurately and one of the major tasks of any forecasting centre is to determine the best possible initial state from available observations.