ADM-AEOLUS WIND RETRIEVAL ALGORITHMS FOR NWP

This paper provides an update on the ongoing scientific and technical development of the wind retrieval algorithms that constitute the ADM-Aeolus Level-2B processor. Using the NWP-SAF approach, ESA and ECMWF are making the processor source code available to the meteorological community for use as either 1) a standalone executable in a general scientific environment, or 2) a callable subroutine integrated within a data assimilation system. The approach provides maximum flexibility for NWP centres to customize the wind retrievals to their own needs.
Simulated retrievals, demonstrating accuracy of around 2 ms , have been reported previously. A further example shown here illustrates the ongoing effort to validate the algorithms and their upstream inputs for increasingly complicated atmospheric scenes. Such examples inform preparations for the so-called Level-2C product which will be generated via assimilation of Aeolus L2B data at ECMWF.