Evaluation of model parameter convergence when using data assimilation for soil moisture estimation

Abstract

Data assimilation (DA) methods are commonly used for finding a compromise between imperfect observations and uncertain model predictions. The estimation of model states and parameters has been widely recognized, but the convergence of estimated parameters has not been thoroughly investigated. The distribution of model state and parameter values is closely linked to convergence, which in turn impacts the ultimate estimation accuracy of DA methods. This demonstration study examines the robustness and convergence of model parameters for the ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) and the evolutionary data assimilation (EDA)in the context of the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) soil moisture assimilation into the Joint UK Land Environment Simulator in the Yanco area in southeast Australia. The results show high soil moisture estimation accuracy for the EnKF and EDA methods when compared with the open loop estimates during evaluation and validation stages. The level of convergence was quantified for each model parameter in the EDA approach to illustrate its potential in the retrieval of variables that were not directly observed. The EDA was found to have a higher estimation accuracy than the EnKF when its updated members were evaluated against the SMOS level 2 soil moisture. However, the EnKF and EDA estimations are comparable when their forward soil moisture estimates were validated against SMOS soil moisture outside the assimilation time period. This suggests that parameter convergence does not significantly influence soil moisture estimation accuracy for the EnKF. However, the EDA has the advantage of simultaneously determining the convergence of model parameters while providing comparably higher accuracy for soil moisture estimates.