Establishment of an NWP testbed using ARM data

Description

The aim of the FAst-physics System TEstbed and Research (FASTER) project is to evaluate and improve the parameterizations of fast physics (involving clouds, precipitation, aerosol) in numerical models using ARM measurements. One objective within FASTER is to evaluate model representations of fast physics with long-term continuous cloud observations by use of an "NWP testbed". This approach was successful in the European Cloudnet project. NWP model data (NCEP, ECMWF, etc.) is routinely output at ARM sites, and model evaluation can potentially be achieved in quasi-real time. In this poster, we will outline our progress in the development of the NWP testbed and discuss the successful integration of ARM algorithms, such as ARSCL, with algorithms and lessons learned from Cloudnet. Preliminary results will be presented of the evaluation of the ECMWF, NCEP, and UK Met Office models over the SGP site using this approach.