A Land Data Assimilation System Utilizing Low Frequency Passive Microwave Remote Sensing: A Case Study of the Tibetan Plateau

Abstract

To address the gap in bridging global and smaller modelling scales, downscaling approaches have been reported as an appropriate solution. Downscaling on its own is not wholly adequate in the quest to produce local phenomena, and in this paper we use a physical downscaling method combined with data assimilation strategies, to obtain physically consistent land surface condition prediction.

Using data assimilation strategies, it has been demonstrated that by minimizing a cost function, a solution utilizing imperfect models and observation data including observation errors is feasible. We demonstrate that by assimilating lower frequency passive microwave brightness temperature data using a validated theoretical radiative transfer model, we can obtain very good predictions that agree well with observed conditions.