NCEP Global Aerosols Forecast. NOAA/NWS/NCEP/EMC

NEMS GFS Aerosol Component

Attention: The NCEP FTP data server will be discontinued on Aug 18, 2015, the operational NGAC data is going to be moved to NCEP NOMADS server:
http://nomads.ncep.noaa.gov/pub/data/nccf/com/ngac/prod
http://www.nomads.ncep.noaa.gov/pub/data/nccf/com/ngac/prod

Welcome to the operational web site of the NEMS GFS Aerosol Component (NGAC) in NCEP

NEMS GFS Aerosol Component (NGAC) is a global aerosol forecast system where NCEP has adopted NASA GOCART model in NEMS GFS for forecasting dust, sulfate, sea salt, and carbonaceous aerosols. Development and planned operational implementation of the NGAC represents a successful three-year "research to operations" project sponsored by NASA Applied Science Program, Joint Center for Satellite Data Assimilation (JCSDA), and NOAA National Weather Service (NWS).

Pre-implementation NGAC v2 NRT forecasts

Click here for daily forecasts and verifications

Brief NGAC Facts

The first operational global NEMS implementation at NCEP
The first interactive atmosphere-aerosol forecast system at NCEP
Model configuration:
- Forecast Model: NCEP's NEMS GFS, Global Forecast System (GFS) based on NOAA Environmental Modeling System (NEMS)
- Aerosol Module: NASA's GOCART, Goddard Chemistry Aerosol Radiation and Transport Model
- A common modeling framework using Earth System Modeling Framework (ESMF)
- T126 L64, 120-hr forecast once per day (00 UTC)
Phased Implementation:
- Dust-only guidance was established in Q4 FY2012 (operational since Sept 2012)
- Multi-species aerosol forecast with real-time global smoke emissions is scheduled to be implemented in Q1 FY2016
- Aerosol forecast system with with aerosol data assimilation capability is planned for implementation in FY2018

Future operational benefits associated with NGAC

Enables future operational global short-range (e.g., 5-day) aerosol prediction

Provides global aerosol information required for various applications (e.g., satellite radiance data assimilation, satellite retrievals, SST analysis, UV-index forecasts)

Provides a first step toward an operational aerosol data assimilation capability at NCEP

Allows NOAA to explore aerosol-chemistry-climate interaction in the operational Climate Forecast System (CFS)--- Note that GFS is a candidate for the AGCM component of the next version of the CFS.

Provides lateral aerosol boundary conditions for regional aerosol forecast system

Documentations

To download the presentation of NGACv2 at EMC global branch meeting, click here
To download NGAC overview for UCACN Model Advisory Committee, click here
To download NGAC version 1 documentation, click here
To download NGAC verification package overview, click here
To download the presentation on NGAC at NEMS GFS modeling summer school, July 29-Aug 1, 2013, click here
To download an overview on NCEP's aerosol development at MAPP Webinar - Research to Application Part II: Research and Development Delivering New Capabilities, May 12, 2015 here
To download a documentation on NGAC products and how to access them, click here
To view the log on NGAC revision, click here

Publications and References

Lu, C.-H., A. da Silva, J. Wang, S. Moorthi, M. Chin, P. Colarco, Y. Tang, P. S. Bhattacharjee, S.-P. Chen, H.-Y. Chuang, H-M. H. Juang, J. McQueen, and M. Iredell, 2016: The implementation of NEMS GFS Aerosol Component (NGAC) Version 1.0 for global dust forecasting at NOAA/NCEP, Geosci. Model Dev. Discuss., 9, 1-37.

Lu, S., H-C Huang, Y-T Hou, Y. Tang, J. McQueen, A. da Silva, M. Chin, E. Joseph, and W. Stockwell, 2010: Development of NCEP Global Aerosol Forecasting System: An overview and its application for improving weather and air quality forecasts, NATO Science for Peace and Security Series: Air Pollution Modeling and Its Application XX, 451-454, doi:10.1007/978-90-481-3812-8.

Lu, S., Iredell, M., Wang, J., Moorthi, S., McQueen, J., Chuang, H.-Y., Hou, Y.-T., H. Juang, H., Yang, W., da Silva, A., Chin, M. 2013: The NEMS GFS Aerosol Component: NCEP's global aerosol forecast system, NCEP Office Note 472, 26 pp

Benedetti, A., J.M. Baldasano, S. Basart, F. Benincasa, O.Boucher, M. Brooks, J.-P. Chen, P.R. Colarco, S. Gong, N. Huneeus, L. T. Jones, S. Lu, L. Menut, J.-J. Morcrette, J. Mulcahy, S. Nickovic, C. Perez Garcia-Pando, J.S. Reid, T.T. Sekiyama, T.Y. Tanaka, E. Terradellas, D.L. Westphal, X.-Y. Zhang, and C.-H. Zhou, 2014: Operational Dust Forecasting, Chapter 10 in: Knippertz, P.; Stuut, J.-B.(eds.), Mineral Dust: A Key Player in the Earth System, Springer Netherlands, 121-148, ISBN 978-94-017-8977-6. doi:10.1007/978-94-017-8978-3_10.

Sessions, W. R., J. S. Reid, A. Benedetti, P. R. Colarco, A. da Silva, S. Lu, T. Sekiyama, T.Y. Tanaka, J. M. Baldasano, S. Basart, M. E. Brooks, T. F. Eck, M. Iredell, J. A. Hansen, O. C. Jorba, H.-M. H. Juang, P. Lynch, J-J Morcrette, S. Moorthi, J. Mulcahy, Y. Pradhan, M. Razinger, C. B. Sampson, J. Wang, and D. L. Westphal, 2015: Development towards a global operational aerosol consensus: basic climatological characteristics of the International Cooperative for Aerosol Prediction Multi-Model Ensemble (ICAP-MME), Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 355-362, doi:10.5194/acp-15-335-2015.