The potential of the ensemble Kalman filter for NWP—a comparison with 4D‐Var

Abstract The ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) is reviewed for its expected assimilation characteristics and ease of implementation, and compared to the currently more popular four‐dimensional variational assimilation (4D‐Var). The EnKF is attractive when building a new medium‐range ensemble numerical weather prediction (NWP) system. However it is less suitable for NWP systems with uncertainty in a wide range of scales; it may not use high‐resolution satellite data as effectively as 4D‐Var. For limited‐area mesoscale NWP systems a hybrid method is attractive. © Crown copyright, 2003. Royal Meteorological Society