著者
Sam Sherriff-Tadano Hisanori Itoh
出版者
(公社)日本気象学会
雑誌
SOLA (ISSN:13496476)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.9, pp.115-119, 2013 (Released:2013-08-23)
参考文献数
13
被引用文献数
1

Teleconnection patterns in boreal winter were sought by using the streamfunction based on one-point covariance analysis. As a result, five patterns with two new patterns, i.e., the North and South Pacific Oscillation pattern (PO) and the Middle Atlantic pattern (MA), were obtained. The PO is an interhemispheric pattern with major centers in the Pacific, related to the El Niño/La Niña. The MA has a similar structure with the East Atlantic pattern (EA), though the orientation of the pattern and the difference in the sustaining mechanism, as well as a relatively low correlation between the two indices, distinguish the MA from the EA, with the primary importance of the MA from several pieces of evidence. The PO and MA have significant relations to the surface air temperature mostly through the temperature advection. By comparing the result of the combined EOF for the zonal and meridional winds, the appropriateness of the use of the streamfunction in association with wind variations was also confirmed.
著者
Yueqing LI Lian YU Baode CHEN
出版者
(公社)日本気象学会
雑誌
気象集誌. 第2輯 (ISSN:00261165)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.93, no.3, pp.343-358, 2015 (Released:2015-07-10)
参考文献数
33
被引用文献数
3

An Observing System Simulation Experiment (OSSE) was conducted to test the rationality and regional representation of the layout of the upper-air observation system over the Tibetan Plateau and neighboring areas and to consider the actual significance of observation stations. The simulations were validated primarily by comparing results from corresponding experiments wherein simulated observations were assimilated into the initial fields or not. The results showed that there were significant differences in prediction for the different layouts. The layout with both existing and planned observation stations was better than the ones with only existing or only planned stations in terms of forecast accuracy, especially around the areas with new observations added. Specifically, for winds, there were large improvements in Xinjiang, Qinghai, Gansu Corridor, Tibet, Yunnan and mid-west and northeast Sichuan. For temperature and relative humidity, the most significant improvement was in Tibet, southwest and east Qinghai, mid-east Sichuan, and mid-north Yunnan. For heights, the major improvements were in Xinjiang, Qinghai, east Tibet, mid-west Sichuan and Yunnan. The results also validated the layout of the observations and indicated the necessity to add planned observations over the Tibetan Plateau and neighboring areas.
著者
Tsuyoshi T. SEKIYAMA Masaru KUNII Mizuo KAJINO Toshiki SHIMBORI
出版者
(公社)日本気象学会
雑誌
気象集誌. 第2輯 (ISSN:00261165)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.93, no.1, pp.49-64, 2015 (Released:2015-03-18)
参考文献数
55
被引用文献数
1 34

We investigated the horizontal resolution dependence of atmospheric radionuclide (Cs-137) simulations of the Fukushima nuclear accident on March 15, 2011. We used Eulerian and Lagrangian transport models with low- (15-km), medium- (3-km), and high- (500-m) resolutions; both models were driven by the same meteorological analysis that was prepared by our data assimilation system (NHM-LETKF) for each horizontal resolution. This preparation was necessary for the resolution-dependent investigation, excluding any interpolation or averaging of meteorological fields. In the results, the 15-km grid analysis could not reproduce Fukushima’s mountainous topography in detail, and consequently failed to depict a complex wind structure over mountains and valleys. In reality, the Cs-137 plume emitted from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) was mostly blocked by Mt. Azuma and other mountains along the Naka-dori valley after crossing over Abukuma Mountains on March 15, 2011. However, the 15-km grid simulations could not represent the blockage of the Cs-137 plume, which unnaturally spread through the Naka-dori valley. In contrast, the 3-km and 500-m grid simulations produced very similar Cs-137 concentrations and depositions, and successfully produced the plume blockage and deposition along the Naka-dori valley. In conclusion, low-resolution (15-km grid or greater) atmospheric models should be avoided for assessing the Fukushima nuclear accident when a regional analysis is needed. Meanwhile, it is reasonable to use 3-km grid models instead of 500-m grid models due to their similarities and the high computational burden of 500-m grid model simulations.
著者
Tomoki NAKAYAMA Hiroyuki SUZUKI Satomi KAGAMITANI Yuka IKEDA Akihiro UCHIYAMA Yutaka MATSUMI
出版者
(公社)日本気象学会
雑誌
気象集誌. 第2輯 (ISSN:00261165)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.93, no.2, pp.285-308, 2015 (Released:2015-05-14)
参考文献数
60
被引用文献数
8 65

Laboratory experiments were conducted for characterizing the performance of two commercially available instruments employed for the measurement of light absorption and scattering coefficients of aerosols at λ = 405, 532, and 781 nm (using three-wavelength photoacoustic soot spectrometer; PASS-3) as well as at 375 nm (using photoacoustic extinctiometer; PAX) based on photoacoustic spectroscopy and reciprocal nephelometry, respectively. The calibration factors (conversion factors from the readout to real values) associated with scattering measurements, estimated using gaseous molecules, mono-disperse polystyrene latex and ammonium sulfate particles, and/or poly-disperse ammonium sulfate particles, are in good agreement with one another, typically within 5 %, 5 %, and 10 % at 375, 405, and 781 nm, respectively. In contrast, a significant particle size dependency was observed for the calibration factors at 532 nm, which is possibly because of a combination of differences in the polarization states of the lasers relative to the scattering planes and large truncation angle. Considering the estimated effective truncation angle, the typical uncertainties in calibration factors for scattering when measuring non- or weakly light-absorbing particles, with volume-based geometrical diameters of less than 700 nm, were estimated to be 12 %, 7 %, 34 %, and 17 %, at 375, 405, 532, and 781 nm, respectively. The typical uncertainties in the calibration factors for absorption measurements, which were determined using poly-disperse propane soot particles, were estimated to be 6 %, 4 %, 8 %, and 11 %, at 375, 405, 532, and 781 nm, respectively. The calibration factors for absorption determined by the poly-disperse soot particles at 375 and 405 nm were 48 % and 36 % smaller than those by light absorption of NO2 molecules possibly because of NO2 photolysis, although good agreement was observed at 532 nm. These results suggest that the photolysis effect should be taken into account when light absorption by NO2 is used for calibration at 375 and 405 nm.
著者
Juan J. Ruiz Takemasa Miyoshi Shinsuke Satoh Tomoo Ushio
出版者
(公社)日本気象学会
雑誌
SOLA (ISSN:13496476)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.11, pp.48-52, 2015 (Released:2015-04-28)
参考文献数
20
被引用文献数
3 8

This study develops and tests a quality control (QC) algorithm for reflectivity from the single polarization phased array weather radar (PAWR) in Osaka, with particular focus on clutter detection, in preparation for radar data assimilation into a high resolution numerical model. The QC algorithm employs a Bayesian classification that combines the information from different parameters based on reflectivity and radial velocity. To take advantage of PAWR's unique high temporal and vertical resolutions, a new parameter based on the temporal variability of reflectivity is included. In addition, clutter probability estimations from previous volume scans are also included. The newly developed QC algorithm performs properly in two events characterized by heavy convective precipitation and stratiform precipitation.
著者
Hisaki EITO Kazumasa AONASHI
出版者
(公社)日本気象学会
雑誌
気象集誌. 第2輯 (ISSN:00261165)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.87A, pp.425-446, 2009-03-31 (Released:2009-08-07)
参考文献数
34
被引用文献数
7 16

This paper compares satellite microwave radiometer and ground-based radar observations with the Japan Meteorological Agency nonhydrostatic model (JMA-NHM) simulations, using a bulk microphysical parameterization, for a typical rainfall system associated with the Baiu front around the Okinawa Islands, Japan, on 8 June 2004.  The JMA-NHM correctly replicated the shape, location and intensity of the precipitation associated with the observed rainfall system. Radar reflectivities and microwave brightness temperatures (TBs) were simulated using output from the JMA-NHM simulations. They were then compared with concurrent corresponding observations by the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), CRL Okinawa Bistatic Polarimetric Radar (COBRA), and Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for EOS (AMSR-E). Fairly good agreement was obtained between the simulated and observed reflectivities under the melting layer and TBs at low frequency (18.7 GHz), indicating that the JMA-NHM adequately simulated the amount of liquid hydrometeors. However, the intensity of scattering in the simulations was stronger than that in the COBRA observations above the melting layer and the AMSR-E observations at high frequencies (36.5 and 89.0 GHz). This was due to the fact that the JMA-NHM overestimated the amount and size of snow particles as a result of large depositional growth.  The excessive snow contents were reduced by adjusting some of the microphysical processes in the JMANHM: the snowfall speeds were increased and a riming threshold for snow to graupel conversion was changed. These adjustments helped to reduce the amount and size of snow, resulting in further agreement with the COBRA observations. These adjustments also further improved the simulated TBs at high frequencies, especially at 36.5 GHz. However, differences still exist between the simulated and the observed TBs at high frequencies, suggesting that additional adjustment to and improvement of the snow microphysical processes are needed for the application of the model to microwave remote sensing of precipitation.
著者
Koji Terasaki Masahiro Sawada Takemasa Miyoshi
出版者
(公社)日本気象学会
雑誌
SOLA (ISSN:13496476)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.11, pp.23-26, 2015 (Released:2015-02-26)
参考文献数
14
被引用文献数
4 31

The Local Ensemble Transform Kalman Filter (LETKF) is implemented with the Non-hydrostatic Icosahedral Atmospheric Model (NICAM) to assimilate the real-world observation data. First, the NICAM-LETKF system was developed using grid conversions between the NICAM's icosahedral grid and LETKF's uniform longitude-latitude grid to take advantage of the existing codes of Miyoshi. The grid conversions require additional computations and may cause additional interpolation error. Therefore, the LETKF code is modified, so that the LETKF reads and writes the NICAM's icosahedral grid data directly. We call this new version ICO-LETKF. In this study, the two systems are tested and compared using real conventional observations. The results show that the ICO-LETKF successfully accelerates the computations and improves the analyses.
著者
Fumiaki Fujibe
出版者
(公社)日本気象学会
雑誌
SOLA (ISSN:13496476)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.11, pp.5-9, 2015 (Released:2015-01-30)
参考文献数
14
被引用文献数
1 26

Long-term changes in extreme hourly precipitation in Japan were examined using data at 983 stations for 1979 to 2013, with relation to the variations in air temperature (AT) and sea-surface temperature (SST). According to the statistics over the whole country, annual maximum and 95 percentile precipitations show increasing trends of 2-4%/decade, whereas AT and SST have risen at a rate of 0.2-0.3°C/decade. Analysis for each region and season indicates that the increase in extreme precipitation is a nation-wide feature and is not limited to a single season. Moreover, year-to-year variations in extreme precipitation tend to be in phase with those of AT and SST, with a correlation coefficient of 0.5-0.6 on the annual basis, although negative correlation is found for the summer season in western Japan and the Nansei Islands.
著者
Takeshi HORINOUCHI
出版者
(公社)日本気象学会
雑誌
気象集誌. 第2輯 (ISSN:00261165)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.92, no.6, pp.519-541, 2014 (Released:2015-01-29)
参考文献数
35
被引用文献数
4 38

This study provides an overall understanding of the summertime synoptic variability of precipitation and moisture transport at mid-latitude from the eastern coastal region of China to the northwestern Pacific. Using satellite precipitation and reanalysis data, a clear relationship is found between upper tropospheric disturbances (Rossby waves), surface precipitation, and lower tropospheric humidity through July and August. The upper tropospheric disturbances are characterized by the undulation of the 1.5 PVU contours of potential vorticity (PV) on the 350 K isentropic surfaces. Case studies suggest that a precipitation band of several hundred kilometers wide and a thousand to several thousand kilometers long is formed very frequently on the equatorward and low-PV side of the northernmost 1.5 PVU contours, which meander together around 40°N. Lower tropospheric specific humidity is also enhanced there, and it falls sharply to the north of these contours. The synoptic situations associated with it include, but are not limited to, a common situation in which moist convection is enhanced ahead of upper-level troughs. These results are confirmed by a composite analysis over the 12 summers from 2001. A novel method of analyzing the forcing of the quasi-geostrophic potential enstrophy, in which boundary contributions are incorporated, reveals that upper tropospheric disturbances in the area are propagated predominantly from the west along the Asian jet, and that they exert a significant forcing onto near-surface levels, while the upward forcing from near-surface levels to upper tropospheric disturbances is weak. A Q-vector analysis shows that the upwelling associated with the precipitation bands is forced predominantly by confluence. This process is frontogenetic, and surface fronts are often formed therein. The upwelling is enhanced by latent heating. The latitudinal extent of humid air masses is affected not only by this circulation but by low-level flows induced by upper-level disturbances in a cooperative manner.
著者
Yusuke Urabe Shuhei Maeda
出版者
(公社)日本気象学会
雑誌
SOLA (ISSN:13496476)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.10, pp.176-179, 2014 (Released:2014-11-11)
参考文献数
24
被引用文献数
2 18

Since the late 1990s, surface temperature has been higher than (near or lower than) normal for summer/autumn (winter/spring) over Japan, indicating that the seasonal temperature contrast has become enhanced. In order to relate this to global-scale variability on decadal timescale, atmospheric re-analysis and ocean assimilation datasets were analyzed. It is suggested that the La Niña-like conditions which have been frequently observed in the tropical Pacific oceanic and atmospheric fields in the last decade have contributed to these temperature tendencies observed in Japan. These global characteristics are consistent with the global warming hiatus. The results presented here indicate that not only interannual variability and century-scale long-term trends but also decadal variability in global oceanic and atmospheric fields significantly affect Japan's temperature.
著者
Takuya Kawabata Kosuke Ito Kazuo Saito
出版者
(公社)日本気象学会
雑誌
SOLA (ISSN:13496476)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.10, pp.145-149, 2014 (Released:2014-10-04)
参考文献数
27
被引用文献数
2 5

A new 4-dimensional variational data assimilation system with 0.5-km grid spacing (NHM-4DVAR.v3) was developed by integrating the nonhydrostatic storm-scale 4D-Var (NHM-4DVAR.v2) and the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) nonhydrostatic model (NHM) based Variational Data Assimilation System (JNoVA). Both systems are based on the JMANHM, but horizontal resolutions, their formulations, adjoint models of physical processes, and observation operators are different. NHM-4DVAR.v3 comprises advantages of both systems: a penalty term, optimization of lateral boundary conditions, and observation operators for advanced observations. This development aimed at improving the forecast accuracy of hazardous weather at meso-γ-scales (5∼20 km). In this paper, the characteristics of NHM-4DVAR.v3 and some results, including the integrated formulations, are presented. An assimilation experiment of actual observations using NHM-4DVAR.v3 with 2-km grid spacing was found to show improvement over NHM-4DVAR.v2 at the same resolution. As a final goal, NHM-4DVAR.v3 was applied with a 0.5-km resolution. The comparison between assimilation results by NHM-4DVAR.v3 with 0.5- and 2-km horizontal resolutions indicates that analyses with super high resolutions can reproduce more detailed atmospheric features such as convective clouds.
著者
和達 清夫 益田 クニモ
出版者
(公社)日本気象学会
雑誌
気象集誌. 第2輯 (ISSN:00261165)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.11, no.10, pp.444-454, 1933 (Released:2009-02-05)
参考文献数
6
被引用文献数
3

This report is intended to give a complete table of travel times of earthquake waves such as P, S pP, PP, sS, SS, etc. especially taking the depth of focus into account. The calculation for the present table is based upon the results already obtained by us in the previous investigations on both near and distant earthquakes, whose epicente. s lie near the Japanese Islands. (Vol. 10, No.8, p. 460-474 and Vol. 11, No.1, p. 14-28 of this journal). This report is only a summarized one and the full text will be published in the Geophysical Magazine in the near future.
著者
和達 清夫
出版者
(公社)日本気象学会
雑誌
気象集誌. 第2輯 (ISSN:00261165)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.10, no.9, pp.540-551, 1932 (Released:2009-02-05)
参考文献数
6
被引用文献数
1

The velocity ratio of P and S waves is obtained by many authors to be nearly constant everywhere in the earth's crust. In the present investigatio_??_, is treated this problem by a method of tp-Tp-s diagram which gives the relation between the arrival time of P and duration of (P-S). Examining in many cases of large earthquakes of both shallow and deep origins occurred in our country, the relation is obtained to be approximately linear as is expected, especially in the cases of deep-seated earthquakes. From these investigations, the velocity ratio of P and S waves is obtained as about 1.73 in the upper part, it may be probably the so-called Mohorovicic layer, but its value seems to differ in different localities; while, in the deeper part nearly a constant value of 1.79 is obtained. Thus, using the result we are able to obtain the depth of seismic focus by a simple method, especially in case of deep-seated earthquakes.
著者
和達 清夫
出版者
(公社)日本気象学会
雑誌
気象集誌. 第2輯 (ISSN:00261165)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.12, no.9, pp.496-497, 1934 (Released:2009-02-05)
参考文献数
5
著者
Masanori OIGAWA Eugenio REALINI Hiromu SEKO Toshitaka TSUDA
出版者
(公社)日本気象学会
雑誌
気象集誌. 第2輯 (ISSN:00261165)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.92, no.3, pp.189-205, 2014 (Released:2014-07-04)
参考文献数
24
被引用文献数
4

A simulation study was conducted to investigate the retrieval of meso-γ scale precipitable water vapor (PWV) distribution with the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) using output from a non-hydrostatic model (JMA NHM). The evaluation was performed on PWV values obtained by simulating three different methods: using all GPS satellites above an elevation angle higher than 10° (PWVG) (conventional Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) meteorology method), using only the QZSS satellite at the highest elevation (PWVQ), and using only the GPS satellite at the highest elevation (PWVHG). The three methods were compared by assuming the vertically integrated water vapor amounts of the model as true PWV. As a result, the root mean square errors of PWVG, PWVQ, and PWVHG were 2.78, 0.13, and 0.59 mm, respectively, 5 min before the rainfall. The time series of PWVHG had a large discontinuity (˜ 2 mm) when the GPS satellite with the highest elevation changed, while that of PWVQ was small because the elevation at which the highest QZSS satellites change was much higher. The standard deviation of PWVQ was smaller than those of PWVG and PWVHG, which vary significantly depending on GPS satellite geometry. When the spatial distributions of PWVG and PWVQ were compared to the meso-γ scale distribution of the reference PWV, PWVG smoothed out the PWV fluctuations, whereas PWVQ captured them well, due to the higher spatial resolution achievable using only high-elevation slant paths. These results suggest that meso-γ scale water vapor fluctuations associated with a thunderstorm can be retrieved using a dense GNSS receiver network and analyzing PWV from a single high-elevation GNSS satellite. In this study, we focus on QZSS, since this constellation would be especially promising in this context, and it would provide nearly continuous PWV observations as its highest satellite changes, contrary to using the highest satellites from multiple GNSS constellations.
著者
Hideo Shiogama Masahiro Watanabe Yukiko Imada Masato Mori Youichi Kamae Masayoshi Ishii Masahide Kimoto
出版者
(公社)日本気象学会
雑誌
SOLA (ISSN:13496476)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.10, pp.122-126, 2014 (Released:2014-08-02)
参考文献数
35
被引用文献数
8 39 1

A severe heat wave occurred in the southwestern United States (US) during June and July 2013. To investigate the effects of natural variability and anthropogenic climate change on this event, we generated large ensemble simulations of possible weather using the MIROC5A climate model forced by “historical external forcing agents, sea surface temperature (SST) observations and sea ice (SIC) observations” both with and without human influence. It was suggested that both the anthropogenic warming and an atmospheric circulation regime related to the natural variability of SST and SIC made the heat wave event more likely. On the other hand, no significant human influence was found in atmospheric circulation patterns. These results were robust for two different estimates of anthropogenic signals on SST and SIC.
著者
Chiaki Kobayashi Hirokazu Endo Yukinari Ota Shinya Kobayashi Hirokatsu Onoda Yayoi Harada Kazutoshi Onogi Hirotaka Kamahori
出版者
(公社)日本気象学会
雑誌
SOLA (ISSN:13496476)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.10, pp.78-82, 2014 (Released:2014-05-14)
参考文献数
11
被引用文献数
6 51

As a subset of the Japanese 55-year Reanalysis (JRA-55) project, the Meteorological Research Institute of the Japan Meteorological Agency is conducting a global atmospheric reanalysis that assimilates only conventional surface and upper air observations, with no use of satellite observations, using the same data assimilation system as the JRA-55. The project, named the JRA-55 Conventional (JRA-55C), aims to produce a more homogeneous dataset over a long period, unaffected by changes in historical satellite observing systems. The dataset is intended to be suitable for studies of climate change or multi-decadal variability. The climatological properties deduced from the early results of the JRA-55C are similar to those of the JRA-55 in the troposphere and lower stratosphere, except for high southern latitudes. On the basis of forecast skill, the quality of the JRA-55C is inferior to that of the JRA-55, but the JRA-55C has better temporal homogeneity than the JRA-55. The skill of the latter changes during the JRA-55 period. We have completed 85% of the entire JRA-55C calculation as of February 2014. We expect that the JRA-55C will contribute to a much better understanding of the impact of changes in observing systems on climate trends and variability estimated from the JRA-55.
著者
Hong-Li REN Fei-Fei JIN Malte F. STUECKER Ruihuang XIE
出版者
(公社)日本気象学会
雑誌
気象集誌. 第2輯 (ISSN:00261165)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.91, no.6, pp.835-842, 2013 (Released:2014-01-10)
参考文献数
30
被引用文献数
8 37

During the late 1970s, the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) experienced a notable regime change, manifested by a change in amplitude, dominant ENSO period, and sea surface temperature anomaly (SSTA) propagation characteristics. The present study shows that these features of the ENSO regime change are associated with property changes of the canonical ENSO, i.e., cold-tongue (CT) type ENSO. Another signature of the ENSO regime change is manifested in the frequent occurrence of a warm-pool (WP) type ENSO that accompanies SSTAs centered over the central Pacific near the WP edge and exhibits characteristics differing from those of the CT ENSO. The distinct manifestations of the two types of ENSO detected in this ENSO regime change are clearly identifiable with the removal of the strong background decadal signal. Since the late 1970s, the WP ENSO has featured a weak eastward (westward) propagation of the SSTA center in the developing (decaying) phase, which makes no net contribution to the observed eastward propagation, and a 2-3 yr period compared to the 4-5 yr period of the CT ENSO. Observations strongly suggest that the WP and CT ENSO are independent quasi-biennial and quasi-quadrennial modes, respectively, of the tropical Pacific climate variability. Our observations also suggest that these two ENSO modes have coexisted actively since the late 1970s when either El Niño or La Niña can be separated into the two types.
著者
Teppei J. Yasunari K.-M. Lau Sarith P. P. Mahanama Peter R. Colarco Arlindo M. da Silva Teruo Aoki Kazuma Aoki Naoto Murao Sadamu Yamagata Yuji Kodama
出版者
(公社)日本気象学会
雑誌
SOLA (ISSN:13496476)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.10, pp.50-56, 2014 (Released:2014-04-23)
参考文献数
44
被引用文献数
5 13

The snow darkening module evaluating dust, black carbon (BC), and organic carbon (OC) depositions on the mass of snow impurities and albedo has been developed for the NASA Goddard Earth Observing System, Version 5 (GEOS-5) Earth System Model, as the GOddard SnoW Impurity Module (GOSWIM). GOSWIM consists of the updated snow albedo scheme from a previous study (Yasunari et al. 2011) and a newly developed mass concentration calculation scheme, directly using aerosol depositions from the chemical transport model (GOCART) in GEOS-5. Compared to observations at Sapporo, the off-line simulations, forced by observation-based meteorology and aerosol depositions from GOES-5, reasonably simulated the seasonal migration of snow depth, albedos, and impurities of dust, BC, and OC in the snow surface. However, the simulated dust and BC mass concentrations in snow were especially underestimated except for the BC in the early winter, compared to the observations. Increasing the deposition rates of dust and BC could explain the observations. Removing BC deposition could possibly lead to an extension of snow cover duration in Sapporo of four days. Comparing the off-line GOSWIM and the GEOS-5 global simulations, we found that determining better local precipitation and deposition rates of the aerosols are key factors in generating better GOSWIM snow darkening simulation in NASA GEOS-5.