ECMWF launched radiosondes in the Arctic, which collected weather data. The radiosondes will combine forecast observations, in order to estimate of the current state of the Earth system. This will provide weather forecasts and part of the Year of Polar Prediction (YOPP).
The radiosonde data are distributed via the Global Telecommunication System (GTS), and are automatically used in ECMWF’s data assimilation system.
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To determine if the radiosondes are successful, ECMWF will conduct ‘data denial’ experiments, in which the extra radiosonde data are removed from the data assimilation. Similar investigations will be made for other types of observations in the Arctic, and also for satellite observations.
With soundings available from 16 stations up to six times a day, atmospheric conditions in the Arctic can be studied better than has been possible until now.
YOPP is part of the Polar Prediction Project, an initiative within the World Meteorological Organization’s World Weather Research Programme (WWRP).
YOPP includes three special observing periods, the first of which started on 1 February and will end on 31 March 2018.