DART/WRF sensitivity plot Forecast sensitivity analysis provides an objective means of evaluating how initial condition errors affect a forecast and where to gather additional observations to reduce forecast errors. Most sensitivity studies use the adjoint of a linearized forecast model to determine the gradient of a forecast metric with respect to the initial conditions. Adjoints suffer from a number of difficulties including coding, linearity assumptions, and moist processes. Ensemble-based sensitivity analysis provides an attractive alternative to adjoint-based methods because it combines data assimilation and sensitivity analysis in a consistent manner. This image illustrates the effect of zonal winds aloft on the position of Hurricane Katrina. [link to more information]

Ryan Torn, torn@atmos.albany.edu