Abstract:The growth of small errors in weather prediction is exponential on average. As an error becomes larger, its growth slows down and then stops with the magnitude of the error saturating at about the average distance between two states chosen randomly. This paper studies the error growth in a low-dimensional atmospheric model before, during and after the initial exponential divergence occurs. We test cubic, quartic and logarithmic hypotheses by ensemble prediction method. Furthermore, the quadratic hypothesis suggested by Lorenz in 1969 is compared with the ensemble prediction method. The study shows that a small error growth is best modeled by the quadratic hypothesis. After the error exceeds about a half of the average value of variables, logarithmic approximation becomes superior. It is also shown that the time length of the exponential growth in the model data is a function of the size of small initial error and the largest Lyapunov exponent. We conclude that the size of the error at the least upper bound (supremum) of time length is equal to 1 and it is invariant to these variables. Predictability, as a time interval, where the model error is growing, is for small initial error, the sum of the least upper bound of time interval of exponential growth and predictability for the size of initial error equal to 1.
Abstract. This article provides a new estimate of error growth models’ parameters approximating predictability curves and their differentials, calculated from data of the ECMWF forecast system over the 1986 to 2011 period. Estimates of the largest Lyapunov exponent are also provided, along with model error and the limit value of the predictability curve. The proposed correction is based on the ability of the Lorenz's (2005) system to simulate predictability curve of the ECMWF forecasting system and on comparing the parameters estimated for both these systems, as well as on comparison with the largest Lyapunov exponent (λ = 0.35 day−1) and limit value of the predictability curve (E∞ = 8.2) of the Lorenz's system. Parameters are calculated from the Quadratic model with and without model error, as well as by the Logarithmic and General models and by the hyperbolic tangent model. The average value of the largest Lyapunov exponent is estimated to be in the day−1 range for the ECMWF forecasting system, limit values of the predictability curves are estimated with lower theoretically derived values and new approach of calculation of model error based on comparison of models is presented.
Abstract. This article provides a new estimate of error growth models' parameters approximating predictability curves and their differentials, calculated from data of the ECMWF forecast system over the 1986 to 2011 period. Estimates of the largest Lyapunov exponent are also provided, along with model error and the limit value of the predictability curve. The proposed correction is based on the ability of the Lorenz (2005) system to simulate the predictability curve of the ECMWF forecasting system and on comparing the parameters estimated for both these systems, as well as on comparison with the largest Lyapunov exponent (λ=0.35 d−1) and limit value of the predictability curve (E∞=8.2) of the Lorenz system. Parameters are calculated from the quadratic model with and without model error, as well as by the logarithmic, general, and hyperbolic tangent models. The average value of the largest Lyapunov exponent is estimated to be in the < 0.32; 0.41 > d−1 range for the ECMWF forecasting system; limit values of the predictability curves are estimated with lower theoretically derived values, and a new approach for the calculation of model error based on comparison of models is presented.
Abstract. This article studies the growth of the prediction error over lead time in a schematic model of atmospheric transport. Inspired by the Lorenz (2005) system, we mimic an atmospheric variable in 1 dimension, which can be decomposed into three spatiotemporal scales. We identify parameter values that provide spatiotemporal scaling and chaotic behavior. Instead of exponential growth of the forecast error over time, we observe a more complex behavior. We test a power law and the quadratic hypothesis for the scale dependent error growth. The power law is valid for the first days of the growth, and with an included saturation effect, we extend its validity to the entire period of growth. The theory explaining the parameters of the power law is confirmed. Although the quadratic hypothesis cannot be completely rejected and could serve as a first guess, the hypothesis’s parameters are not theoretically justifiable. In addition, we study the initial error growth for the ECMWF forecast system (500 hPa geopotential height) over the 1986 to 2011 period. For these data, it is impossible to assess which of the error growth descriptions is more appropriate, but the extended power law, which is theoretically substantiated and valid for the Lorenz system, provides an excellent fit to the average initial error growth of the ECMWF forecast system. Fitting the parameters, we conclude that there is an intrinsic limit of predictability after 22 days.
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