Comparison of Aura-MLS water vapor measurements with GFS and NAM analyses in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere



Aura-MLSV2.2 Orbits 2005 2006
WINTER (DJF) 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z
SPRING (MAM) 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z
SUMMER (JJA) 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z
FALL (SON) 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z
Table 1. Aura-MLS orbits during four seasons in 2005 and 2006 at four analysis times


NAM 2005 2006 2005vs2006
WINTER (DJF) 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z BW
SPRING (MAM) 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z BW
SUMMER (JJA) 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z BW
FALL (SON) 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z BW
ALL
Tabble 2. PDFs and Box and Whisker diagrams comparing NAM model analyses with Aura-MLS water vapor


GFS - 2005
 Global
(90S-90N)		 Tropics
(30S-30N)		 Northern Mid-latitude
(30N-60N)		 Southern Mid-latitude
(30S-60S)		 Southern Pole
(60S-90S)		 Northern Pole
(60N-90N)
WINTER (JF) 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z
SPRING (MAM) 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z
SUMMER (JJA) 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z
FALL (SON) 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z
Table 3. PDFs comparing GFS model analyses with Aura-MLS water vapor in 2005


GFS - 2006
 Global
(90S-90N)		 Tropics
(30S-30N)		 Northern Mid-latitude
(30N-60N)		 Southern Mid-latitude
(30S-60S)		 Southern Pole
(60S-90S)		 Northern Pole
(60N-90N)
WINTER (DJF) 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z
SPRING (MAM) 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z
SUMMER (JJA) 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z
FALL (SON) 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z
Table 4. PDFs comparing GFS model analyses with Aura-MLS water vapor in 2006


GFS - 2005vs2006
 Global
(90S-90N)		 Tropics
(30S-30N)		 Northern Mid-latitude
(30N-60N)		 Southern Mid-latitude
(30S-60S)		 Southern Pole
(60S-90S)		 Northern Pole
(60N-90N)
WINTER (DJF) BW BW BW BW BW BW
SPRING (MAM) BW BW BW BW BW BW
SUMMER (JJA) BW BW BW BW BW BW
FALL (SON) BW BW BW BW BW BW
ALL
Table 5. Box and whisker diagrams of relative differences between GFS analyses and Aura-MLS water vapor in 2005 and 2006


GFS v.s NAM 2005 2006
WINTER (DJF) 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z
SPRING (MAM) 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z
SUMMER (JJA) 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z
FALL (SON) 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z
Table 6. PDFs comparing NAM and GFS model analyses with Aura-MLS water vapor in NAM's North American domain


Compare GFS and NAM 2005 2006
WINTER (DJF) 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z
SPRING (MAM) 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z
SUMMER (JJA) 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z
FALL (SON) 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z 00Z | 06Z | 12Z | 18Z
Table 7. Box and whisker diagrams of relative differences between NAM and GFS model analyses and Aura-MLS water vapor in the NAM's North American domain