A Study for Improvements of Weather Analysis and Prediction with Formosat-7 Radio Occultation Data( I )

FORMOSAT-7 has been successfully launched on 25 June 2019 to replenish decommissioning FORMOSAT-3 and can provide up to 5000 high-resolution atmospheric soundings within 45oN and 45oS from RO observations where both derived bending angle and refractivity can be directly assimilated into atmospheric models to increase model initial accuracy and the retrieved vertical temperature and moisture profiles can largely supplement the insufficiency of traditional soundings and will be helpful for global and regional analyses of the atmosphere. For continuing the accomplishments and improvements on RO research and application from FORMOSAT-3, we team up academic and operational researchers and jointly submit a three-year integrated project consisting of total seven subprojects for seeking for vigorous improvements including RO data impacts on regional and global model assimilation and prediction at CWB and academic institutes, RO beneficial influence on simulations of tropical cyclogenesis and southwesterly flow, RO data application to large-scale weather analysis as well as analysis and verification of RO retrieved temperature and water vapor. Most RO penetration of FORMOSAT-7 can reach deeper to 500 meters, which will be helpful for providing temperature and moisture soundings of the planetary boundary layer. This project aims to deliver scientific innovation and attempt by ameliorating data assimilation systems, developing refinement of RO observation operators and optimization of RO data usage, as well as integrating both modeling and observation for enhancing the model initial analysis of water vapor in order to improve the prediction skill of heavy rainfall as to maximize the benefits of FORMOSAT-7 RO data on civil well-being with reduced disaster impacts.