The Arctic is a vital component of the global climate, and its rapid environmental evolution is an important element of climate change around the world. To detect and diagnose the changes occurring to the coupled Arctic climate system, a state-of-the-art synthesis for assessment and monitoring is imperative. This paper presents the Arctic System Reanalysis, version 2 (ASRv2), a multiagency, university-led retrospective analysis (reanalysis) of the greater Arctic region using blends of the polar-optimized version of the Weather Research and Forecasting (Polar WRF) Model and WRF three-dimensional variational data assimilated observations for a comprehensive integration of the regional climate of the Arctic for 2000–12. New features in ASRv2 compared to version 1 (ASRv1) include 1) higher-resolution depiction in space (15-km horizontal resolution), 2) updated model physics including subgrid-scale cloud fraction interaction with radiation, and 3) a dual outer-loop routine for more accurate data assimilation. ASRv2 surface and pressure-level products are available at 3-hourly and monthly mean time scales at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). Analysis of ASRv2 reveals superior reproduction of near-surface and tropospheric variables. Broadscale analysis of forecast precipitation and site-specific comparisons of downward radiative fluxes demonstrate significant improvement over ASRv1. The high-resolution topography and land surface, including weekly updated vegetation and realistic sea ice fraction, sea ice thickness, and snow-cover depth on sea ice, resolve finescale processes such as topographically forced winds. Thus, ASRv2 permits a reconstruction of the rapid change in the Arctic since the beginning of the twenty-first century–complementing global reanalyses. ASRv2 products will be useful for environmental models, verification of regional processes, or siting of future observation networks.

Abstract. An aerosol optical depth (AOD) three-dimensional variational data assimilation technique is developed for the Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation (GSI) system for which WRF-Chem forecasts are performed with a detailed sectional model, the Model for Simulating Aerosol Interactions and Chemistry (MOSAIC). Within GSI, forward AOD and adjoint sensitivities are performed using Mie computations from the WRF-Chem optical properties module, providing consistency with the forecast. GSI tools such as recursive filters and weak constraints are used to provide correlation within aerosol size bins and upper and lower bounds for the optimization. The system is used to perform assimilation experiments with fine vertical structure and no data thinning or re-gridding on a 12 km horizontal grid over the region of California, USA, where improvements on analyses and forecasts is demonstrated. A first set of simulations was performed, comparing the assimilation impacts of using the operational MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) dark target retrievals to those using observationally constrained ones, i.e., calibrated with AERONET (Aerosol RObotic NETwork) data. It was found that using the observationally constrained retrievals produced the best results when evaluated against ground based monitors, with the error in PM 2.5 predictions reduced at over 90 % of the stations and AOD errors reduced at 100 % of the monitors, along with larger overall error reductions when grouping all sites. A second set of experiments reveals that the use of fine mode fraction AOD and ocean multi-wavelength retrievals can improve the representation of the aerosol size distribution, while assimilating only 550 nm AOD retrievals produces no or at times degraded impact. While assimilation of multi-wavelength AOD shows positive impacts on all analyses performed, future work is needed to generate observationally constrained multi-wavelength retrievals, which when assimilated will generate size distributions more consistent with AERONET data and will provide better aerosol estimates.

Abstract. Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation (GSI) is an assimilation tool that is used at the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) in operational weather forecasting in the USA. In this article, we describe implementation of an extension to the GSI for assimilating surface measurements of PM 2.5 , PM 10 , and MODIS aerosol optical depth at 550 nm with WRF-Chem (Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry). We also present illustrative results. In the past, the aerosol assimilation system has been employed to issue daily PM 2.5 forecasts at NOAA/ESRL (Earth System Research Laboratory) and, we believe, it is well tested and mature enough to be made available for wider use. We provide a package that, in addition to augmented GSI, consists of software for calculating background error covariance statistics and for converting in situ and satellite data to BUFR (Binary Universal Form for the Representation of meteorological data) format, and sample input files for an assimilation exercise. Thanks to flexibility in the GSI and coupled meteorology-chemistry of WRFChem, assimilating aerosol observations can be carried out simultaneously with meteorological data assimilation. Both GSI and WRF-Chem are well documented with user guides available online. This article is primarily intended to be a technical note on the implementation of the aerosol assimilation. Its purpose is also to provide guidance for prospective users of the computer code. Scientific aspects of aerosol assimilation are also briefly discussed.

Abstract. The Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation threedimensional variational data assimilation (DA) system coupled with the Weather Research and Forecasting/Chemistry (WRF/Chem) model was utilized to improve aerosol forecasts and study aerosol direct and semi-direct radiative feedbacks during a US wild fire event. Assimilation of MODIS total 550 nm aerosol optical depth (AOD) retrievals clearly improved WRF/Chem forecasts of surface PM 2.5 and organic carbon (OC) compared to the corresponding forecasts without aerosol data assimilation. The scattering aerosols in the fire downwind region typically cooled layers both above and below the aerosol layer and suppressed convection and clouds, which led to an average of 2 % precipitation decrease during the fire week. This study demonstrated that, even with no input of fire emissions, AOD DA improved the aerosol forecasts and allowed a more realistic model simulation of aerosol radiative effects.