Observing System Simulation Experiments

Observing System Simulation Experiments (OSSEs) are typically designed to use data assimilation ideas (see chapter Mathematical Concepts in Data Assimilation, Nichols) to investigate the potential impacts of prospective observing systems (observation types and deployments). They may also be used to investigate current observational and data assimilation systems by testing the impact of new observations on them. The information obtained from OSSEs is generally difficult, or in some contexts impossible, to obtain in any other way.