ECMWF re-analysis
Encyclopedia
The ECMWF re-analysis project is a meteorological reanalysis
project.
The first reanalysis product, ERA-15, generated re-analyses for approximately 15 years, from December 1978 to February 1994. The second product, ERA-40
(originally intended as a 40-year reanalysis) begins in 1957 (the International Geophysical Year
) and covers 45 years to 2002. A new reanalysis product, ERA-Interim, is being produced, to cover the period from 1989 to present as a precursor to a revised extended reanalysis product to replace ERA-40.
In addition to re-analysing all the old data using a consistent system, the reanalyses also make use of much archived data that was not available to the original analyses. This allows for the correction of many historical hand-drawn maps where the estimation of features was common in areas of data sparsity. The ability is also present to create new maps of atmosphere levels that were not commonly used until more recent times.
data archives. The latter requires registration.
Meteorological reanalysis
A meteorological reanalysis is a meteorological data assimilation project which aims to assimilate historical observational data spanning an extended period, using a single consistent assimilation scheme throughout....
project.
The first reanalysis product, ERA-15, generated re-analyses for approximately 15 years, from December 1978 to February 1994. The second product, ERA-40
ERA-40
ERA-40 is a ECMWF re-analysis of the global atmosphere and surface conditions for 45-years, over the period from September 1957 through August 2002 by ECMWF. Many sources of the meteorological observations were used, including radiosondes, balloons, aircraft, buoyes, satellites, scatterometers....
(originally intended as a 40-year reanalysis) begins in 1957 (the International Geophysical Year
International Geophysical Year
The International Geophysical Year was an international scientific project that lasted from July 1, 1957, to December 31, 1958. It marked the end of a long period during the Cold War when scientific interchange between East and West was seriously interrupted...
) and covers 45 years to 2002. A new reanalysis product, ERA-Interim, is being produced, to cover the period from 1989 to present as a precursor to a revised extended reanalysis product to replace ERA-40.
In addition to re-analysing all the old data using a consistent system, the reanalyses also make use of much archived data that was not available to the original analyses. This allows for the correction of many historical hand-drawn maps where the estimation of features was common in areas of data sparsity. The ability is also present to create new maps of atmosphere levels that were not commonly used until more recent times.
Accessing the data
The data can be downloaded for research use from ECMWF's homepage (see external links) and the National Center for Atmospheric ResearchNational Center for Atmospheric Research
The National Center for Atmospheric Research has multiple facilities, including the I. M. Pei-designed Mesa Laboratory headquarters in Boulder, Colorado. NCAR is managed by the nonprofit University Corporation for Atmospheric Research and sponsored by the National Science Foundation...
data archives. The latter requires registration.