This is a two-year position with the possibility of extension contingent upon funding and performance. The individual in this position will report to the CIRA Sr Project Manager and work in collaboration with other mathematic model developers in GSL, as well as the broader community, testing and refining mathematical algorithms for assimilation of observations and data impact assessments. The Assimilation Branch conducts innovative research on use of conventional and novel observations for initialization of atmospheric and coupled earth systems models.
This position will develop mathematical techniques and computer software systems to improve use of satellite-based fire detection and aerosol optical depth products, indicating the onset of wildfires, their emissions and local conditions in areas surrounding wildfires. Aerosols and particulates produced by a wildfire also exert feedback effects on the surrounding weather, and this position will improve modeling of this influence. To improve the accuracy of a high-resolution convection allowing model (CAM), they will implement an assimilation procedure to improve initial distributions of aerosol tracers that influence wildfire-weather feedback. They will assimilate satellite-based aerosol optical depth (AOD) to improve modeling of interactions of aerosol tracers with radiation and microphysics, which should yield improved forecasts of temperature, winds, and moisture. NOAA’s Finite Volume-3 (FV3)-based Unified Forecast System (UFS) is the modeling system that will be used, along with the Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation (GSI) analysis package, transitioning to the Joint Effort for Data assimilation Integration (JEDI) software. They will work within a data assimilation team, with additional work on complementary projects.