Impact of IASI assimilation at global and convective scales and challenges for the assimilation of cloudy scenes

Abstract Since July 2008, Infrared Atmospheric Sounder Interferometer (IASI) radiances have been assimilated in the French global model Action de Recherche Petite Echelle Grande Echelle (ARPEGE) and since April 2010 at high density in the French convective‐scale model Applications of Research to Operations at MEsoscale (AROME). The impact of the assimilation of clear IASI data on forecast skill is found to be positive for both models. As many observed scenes are cloudy, several ways to characterize the clouds within the observed spectra are investigated. Firstly, a simple approach that enables the determination of both the cloud‐top pressure and the effective cloud amount of an equivalent single‐layer cloud is followed using a CO 2 ‐slicing method. The first assimilation trials in overcast conditions lead to a small positive impact on forecast skill. Another approach would be to take advantage of the fact that cloud water variables are described at high resolution in the convective‐scale model AROME. Model cloud fields have to be used in conjunction with a cloudy radiative transfer model. The first simulations using this technique are performed and compared against observations. Copyright © 2011 Royal Meteorological Society