DARC/NCEO DA Training Course 2024

Outline

Link to the timetable below

Data assimilation is one of the core activities needed to deliver weather forecasts, and to help understand the environment.  This course will provide an introduction to data assimilation methods used in numerical weather prediction, including some of the latest developments. All methods will be derived from a common framework to allow a full overview of their assumptions and applicability. Furthermore, participants will get the opportunity to apply data assimilation methods to small numerical models, in order to obtain hands-on experience with the different methods.

When?

• Tuesday 7th – Friday 10th May 2024.

Where?

• University of Reading, UK. For those that have attended to apply on line, a teams link will be shared in the few weeks before the course begins.
• A map of the campus is available here.

Who is it for?

• This course is suitable for postgraduate students, post-doctoral researchers, and weather service employees who would like an introduction to, and a deeper understanding of, data assimilation.

How will the course be delivered?

• The course will be a combination of lectures and computer practicals.

What topics will be covered?

• Building blocks of Data Assimilation
• Variational Methods
• Ensemble Kalman Filter Methods
• Non-Gaussian data assimilation
• Hybrid Methods
• Machine learning and data assimilation
• When to use which method

What is required to attend the course?

• Some knowledge of basic calculus, statistics, and linear algebra (i.e. vectors and matrices).  Mathematical primers are available below.
• A laptop computer, to run the practical sessions.

How much will it cost to attend?

• The course is free to attend!  Attendees will need to pay for their own travel, accommodation, and subsistence.

How will I run the practicals?

• Practical examples will be accessed via a Jupyter Notebook environment on your own laptop.

Supplementary Material

• Campus map (web page)
• Maths primer (pdf)
• Useful linear algebra (pdf)
• Inner and outer products (pdf)
• Covariances (pdf)
• Basic statistical concepts (pdf)
• Notation (pdf)
• List of suggested references (pdf)
• Lecturer bios (pdf)
• New: Link to the data assimilation demonstration code (GitHub)

Course timetable and lecture/practical material – Updated 01/05/2024

The course will be held mainly in the Brian Hoskins Building (aka Meteorology Building, BH/Met, building 58), but also in the adjacent Agriculture Building (Ag, building 59).  These are on the main Whiteknights campus of the University of Reading (campus map). Registration and most lectures will be in room BH/Met 1L61.

Handouts will not be provided by the lecturers, but lectures can be downloaded via the on-line timetable below when they become available.

All times are in BST (GMT+1)