Ensemble Large-Scale Forcing Data for the MC3E Campaign Available

Published: 26 February 2014

Ensemble forcing data from the Midlatitude Continental Convective Clouds Experiment (MC3E) were developed by considering uncertainties in precipitation observations using the analysis described in Zhang and Lin [1997] and Zhang et al. [2001]. MC3E was a major ARM field campaign conducted from April to June 2011 near the ARM Southern Great Plains (SGP) site to study midlatitude convective cloud systems. Analysis data cover the period from 00Z April 22 to 21Z June 6, 2011, and represent an average over the analysis domains centered at the SGP Central Facility with a diameter of 300 km.

The uncertainty range in precipitation is derived based on differences in two independently developed precipitation data sets: one is the most commonly used value-added product for precipitation from the Arkansas-Red Basin River Forecast Center (ABRFC); the other is a widely used bias-corrected NOAA National Mosaic and Multi-sensor Quantitative Precipitation Estimation (NMQ) Next-generation Radar (NEXRAD) precipitation data (courtesy of S. Giangrande, Brookhaven National Laboratory). The uncertainty range also estimates the fractional root-mean-square error of areal estimates of rain is about 40% (relative to mean rain rate) for different radar-rainfall algorithms (Ryzhkov et al. 2005). Maximum spatial and temporal correlation of precipitation rate uncertainties is assumed across the analysis domain. All other surface and top-of-atmosphere constraints are the same as in previous releases.  For details, please refer to the data documentation.

As always, feedback and use of the data are welcomed and encouraged. For questions, or to report data problems, please contact Shaocheng Xie, Renata McCoy, or Yunyan Zhang.

To access the MC3E forcing data set, log into the ARM Data Archive. (Go here to request an account).