Evaluating the performance of remote sensing precipitation products CMORPH,PERSIANN, and TMPA,in the arid region of northwest China

The arid region of northwest China is a large area with complex topography. Hydrological research is limited by scarcity and uneven distribution of rain gauges. Satellite precipitation products provide wide coverage and high spatial–temporal resolutions, but the accuracy needs to be evaluated before application. In this paper, the reliability of four satellite precipitation products (CMORPH [Climate Prediction Center’s morphing technique], PERSIANN [Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Information using Artificial Neural Networks], TRMM [Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission] 3B42, and TRMM 3B43) were evaluated through comparison with ground data or reported values on daily, monthly, and annual scales from 2003 to 2010. Indices including frequency bias index, probability of detection, and false alarm ratio were used to evaluate recorded precipitation occurrences; relative mean bias, the correlation coefficient, and the Nash coefficient were used to assess precipitation amount. Satellite precipitation products were more accurate in the warm than in the cold season, and performed better in northern Xinjiang than in other regions during the cold season. CMORPH and PERSIANN tended to overestimate precipitation. TRMM 3B42 and TRMM 3B43 performed best because the former most accurately detected precipitation occurrences on a daily scale, and both produced accurate space–time distribution of precipitation and the best consistency with rain gauge observations. Only a few monthly precipitation values for TRMM 3B42 and TRMM 3B43, and annual precipitation values for TRMM 3B42 were with satisfactory precision. TRMM3B42 and TRMM 3B43 are therefore recommended, but correction will be needed before application. Factors including elevation, relative relief, longitude, and latitude had significant effects on the performance of satellite precipitation products, and these factors may be helpful in correcting satellite precipitation.     

中国区域逐日融合降水数据集与国际降水产品的对比评估

中国国家气象信息中心基于2400多个国家级台站观测日降水量和CMORPH卫星反演降水产品,采用概率密度匹配和最优插值相结合的两步数据融合方法,研制了中国区域1998年以来的0.25°×0.25°分辨率的逐日融合降水产品(CMPA_Daily)。通过该数据集与广泛应用于中国天气气候领域的两种国际上降水融合产品TRMM 3B42(Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission, 3B42)和GPCP(Global Precipitation Climatology Project, 1 degree daily)的对比评估,考察CMPA_Daily产品的质量,评价其能否合理体现中国降水的天气气候特征。首先利用2008—2010年5—9月独立检验数据定量对比了CMPA_Daily、TRMM 3B42和GPCP 三种降水产品的误差,结果表明,在误差的时间变化和空间分布上,CMPA_Daily均具有最高的相关系数和最小的平均偏差及均方根误差,TRMM 3B42其次,GPCP的误差相对较大。CMPA_Daily只低估了大暴雨,TRMM 3B42低估了大雨以上量级的降水,而GPCP低估了除小雨以外的所有降水。CMPA_Daily产品因融入了更多的站点观测信息,不论在中国东部沿海,还是中西部地形复杂区,其精度均优于TRMM 3B42和GPCP产品,即使在站点稀疏的青藏高原地区,CMPA_Daily降水量也更加接近站点观测,呈现明显的高相关。CMPA_Daily与独立检验数据的高相关在地形起伏时效果也较稳定,TRMM和GPCP的相关系数则随着地形变化幅度陡变而非常明显地降低。进一步通过对比分析各降水产品1998—2012年的气候平均降水特征表明,3种资料对中国区域气候平均降水量、降水强度、频率分布以及年际变化的总体描述基本一致,因有效融入了更多的中国站点观测信息,不论降水空间分布还是降水量,CMPA_Daily与地面观测均最为接近,在中国的中东部大部分地区对降水的估计精度明显更高,而在站点分布较稀疏的青藏高原地区,CMPA_Daily的降水分布型与TRMM、GPCP卫星融合资料类似,较地面站点插值产品更能体现出合理的降水分布。对中国强降水事件监测对比表明,CMPA_Daily产品可以更加准确地描述降水的强度变化,细致刻画降水空间分布,在把握降水小尺度特征上具有明显的优势,体现出高分辨率、高精度降水产品的特点。     

CMPA降水资料在中国地区不同地形下的精度评价研究

以2001—2010年中国地面自动站降水资料为基准,对中国大陆范围内CMPA(CMPA_Daily)降水资料进行精度评价研究,并与CMORPH1.0(CPC MORPHing technique gauge-satellite)、TRMM3B43V7(Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission 3B43)降水资料精度进行对比,并进一步结合高程、坡度、坡向、坡向修正因子分析地形因子对数据质量的影响并探讨不同地貌类型下数据的精度。结果显示:CMPA在年、月尺度上均能较好地反映降水的多寡,与站点实测数据具有较高的相关性,误差波动较为平稳,数据质量及稳定性优于CMORPH与TRMM;从时间序列曲线显示CMPA的精度呈现较为明显的季节性差异,均方根误差夏季高于冬季,相关系数、百分比偏差、平均相对误差冬季高于夏季,总体而言CMPA夏季的误差高于冬季,由于夏季降水的基数大而导致了百分比偏差以及平均相对误差较低;分析地形的影响表明,高程、坡度对数据质量的影响大于坡向与坡向修正因子;在复杂地形下,高海拔与高坡度地区CMPA精度均有所降低,但降水资料的精度仍然优于CMORPH与TRMM。     

Satellite estimates and subpixel variability of rainfall in a semi-arid grassland

卫星估雨精度的不确定性受到当地降雨类型和像元内降雨非均匀性影响,而结合这两个关键因素开展半干旱草原卫星估雨的研究有限.2009年夏,我们在中国锡林郭勒半干旱草原用多部微雨雷达和雨量计构建了9 km卫星像元降雨观测网,观测了像元内降雨非均匀性(空间变异系数CV),并评估了卫星估雨精度.结果表明:(1)CV值受像元内平均降雨量,降雨类型,降雨云面积及移向等影响,如高Cv值的降雨过程大多为平均降雨量小,对流性降雨过程,降雨云边缘像元CV值较高;(2)TRMM 3B42V7卫星估雨产品适用性较好,CMORPH和PERSIANN次之,但TRMM 3B42V7易在半干旱草原湖泊处高估降雨.     

Validation of Daily Precipitation from Two High-Resolution Satellite Precipitation Datasets over the Tibetan Plateau and the Regions to Its East

Daily precipitation amounts and frequencies from the CMORPH (Climate Prediction Center Morphing Technique) and TRMM (Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission) 3B42 precipitation products are validated against warm season in-situ precipitation observations from 2003 to 2008 over the Tibetan Plateau and the regions to its east. The results indicate that these two satellite datasets can better detect daily precipitation frequency than daily precipitation amount. The ability of CMORPH and TRMM 3B42 to accurately detect daily precipitation amount is dependent on the underlying terrain. Both datasets are more reliable over the relatively flat terrain of the northeastern Tibetan Plateau, the Sichuan basin, and the mid-lower reaches of the Yangtze River than over the complex terrain of the Tibetan Plateau. Both satellite products are able to detect the occurrence of daily rainfall events; however, their performance is worse in regions of complex topography, such as the Tibetan Plateau. Regional distributions of precipitation amount by precipitation intensity based on TRMM 3B42 are close to those based on rain gauge data. By contrast, similar distributions based on CMORPH differ substantially. CMORPH overestimates the amount of rain associated with the most intense precipitation events over the mid-lower reaches of the Yangtze River while underestimating the amount of rain associated with lighter precipitation events. CMORPH underestimates the amount of intense precipitation and overestimates the amount of lighter precipitation over the other analyzed regions. TRMM 3B42 underestimates the frequency of light precipitation over the Sichuan basin and the mid-lower reaches of the Yangtze River. CMORPH overestimates the frequencies of weak and intense precipitation over the mid-lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and underestimates the frequencies of moderate and heavy precipitation. CMORPH also overestimates the frequency of light precipitation and underestimates the frequency of intense precipitation over the other three regions. The TRMM 3B42 product provides better characterizations of the regional gamma distributions of daily precipitation amount than the CMORPH product, for which the cumulative distribution functions are biased toward lighter precipitation events.     

The frequency, intensity, and diurnal cycle of precipitation in surface and satellite observations over low- and mid-latitudes

Global precipitation data sets with high spatial and temporal resolution are needed for many applications, but they were unavailable before the recent creation of several such satellite products. Here, we evaluate four different satellite data sets of hourly or 3-hourly precipitation (namely CMORPH, PERSIANN, TRMM 3B42 and a microwave-only product referred to as MI) by comparing the spatial patterns in seasonal mean precipitation amount, daily precipitation frequency and intensity, and the diurnal and semidiurnal cycles among them and with surface synoptic weather reports. We found that these high-resolution products show spatial patterns in seasonal mean precipitation amount comparable to other monthly products for the low- and mid-latitudes, and the mean daily precipitation frequency and intensity maps are similar among these pure satellite-based precipitation data sets and consistent with the frequency derived using weather reports over land. The satellite data show that spatial variations in mean precipitation amount come largely from precipitation frequency rather than intensity, and that the use of satellite infrared (IR) observations to improve sampling does not change the mean frequency, intensity and the diurnal cycle significantly. Consistent with previous studies, the satellite data show that sub-daily variations in precipitation are dominated by the 24-h cycle, which has an afternoon–evening maximum and mean-to-peak amplitude of 30–100% of the daily mean in precipitation amount over most land areas during summer. Over most oceans, the 24-h harmonic has a peak from midnight to early morning with an amplitude of 10–30% during both winter and summer. These diurnal results are broadly consistent with those based on the weather reports, although the time of maximum in the satellite precipitation is a few hours later (especially for TRMM and PERSIANN) than that in the surface observations over most land and ocean, and it is closer to the phase of showery precipitation from the weather reports. The TRMM and PERSIANN precipitation shows a spatially coherent time of maximum around 0300–0600 local solar time (LST) for a weak (amplitude <20%) semi-diurnal (12-h) cycle over most mid- to high-latitudes, comparable to 0400–0600 LST in the surface data. The satellite data also confirm the notion that the diurnal cycle of precipitation amount comes mostly from its frequency rather than its intensity over most low and mid-latitudes, with the intensity has only about half of the strength of the diurnal cycle in the frequency and amount. The results suggest that these relatively new precipitation products can be useful for many applications.     

基于TRMM卫星的近10a甘肃临夏降水变化特征

基于2001~2010年TRMM 3B43降水资料和数字高程模型（DEM）数据,采用回归模型＋残差的方法,对甘肃临夏回族自治州近10 a的TRMM 3B43降水数据进行降尺度运算,并结合研究区6个雨量站的观测值,对TRMM 3B43降尺度结果进行精度检验,在此基础上定量研究了临夏回族自治州近10 a的降水量时空变化特征。结果表明：TRMM 3B43降尺度降水量数据整体上具有一定的可信度,但比地面台站的观测值偏小;甘肃临夏州年降水量呈现出由西南向东北递减的趋势,且降水量随着海拔高度的升高而逐渐增加,两者相关系数为0.82;年内降水主要集中在5~9月,基本占全年降水量的70%以上,其中6月降水量最大,12月降水量最小。     

Association between cloudiness and rainfall over Fars province in Iran

Relationship between precipitation sum and cloud properties over Fars province in Iran was analyzed for the cases of light (4 mm), moderate (17 mm), and heavy (62 mm) precipitation. The cloud properties (temperature and pressure at the top, cloud optical thickness and cloud water path) were obtained from satellite data of spectoradiometer MODIS (MODO6). The spatial distribution of rainfall was obtained from the 3-hourly data of TRMM (3B42). The multivariate regression model was developed to predict the spatial distribution of rainfall. A strong significant positive association between the spatial distribution of cloud characteristics and heavy precipitation was found, while no clear correlation was revealed between light precipitation and cloud properties. The developed regression model comprised 64, 47, and 24% of spatial variance of heavy, moderate, and light rainfall, respectively. The influence of cloud water path on the spatial distribution of rainfall dominates.     

Validation of satellite rainfall products over Greece

Six widely available satellite precipitation products were extensively validated and intercompared on monthly-to-seasonal timescales and various spatial scales, for the period 1998–2006, using a dense station network over Greece. Satellite products were divided into three groups according to their spatial resolution. The first group had high spatial (0.5°) resolution and consists only of Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) products: the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI) precipitation product (3A12) and the TRMM multisatellite precipitation analysis products (3B42 and 3B43). The second group comprised products with medium spatial (1°) resolution. These products included the TRMM 3B42 and 3B43 estimates (remapped to 1° resolution) and the Global Precipitation Climatology Project one-degree daily (GPCP-1DD) analysis. The third group consisted of low spatial (2.5°) resolution products and included the 3B43 product (remapped to 2.5° resolution), the GPCP Satellite and Gauge (GPCP-SG) product, and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration Climate Prediction Center (NOAA-CPC) Merged Analysis (CMAP). Rain gauge data were first gridded and then compared with monthly and seasonal precipitation totals as well as with long-term averages of the six satellite products at different spatial resolutions (2.5°, 1°, and 0.5°). The results demonstrated the excellent performance of the 3B43 product over Greece in all three spatial scales. 3B42 from the first and second group and CMAP from the third exhibited a reasonable skill.     

COMPARISON OF PERSIANN AND TMPA DAILY PRECIPITATION ESTIMATES OVER HUNAN PROVINCE OF CHINA

This study presented a detailed comparison of daily precipitation estimates from Precipitation Estimation from Remote Sensing Information using Artificial Neural Network (PERSIANN) and Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Multi -satellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA) over Hunan province of China from 1998 to 2014. The ground gauge observations are taken as the reference. It is found that overall TMPA clearly outperforms PERSIANN, indicating by better statistical metrics (including correlation coefficient, root mean square error and relative bias). For the geospatial pattern, although both products are able to capture the major precipitation features (e.g., precipitation geospatial homogeneity) in Hunan, yet PERSIANN largely underestimates the precipitation intensity throughout all seasons. In contrast, there is no clear bias tendency from TMPA estimates. Precipitation intensity analysis showed that both the occurrence and amount histograms from TMPA are closer to the gauge observations from spring to autumn. However, in the winter season PERSIANN is closer to gauge observation, which is likely due to the ground contamination from the passive microwave sensors used by TMPA.     

9914号台风降水云系雨强的三维结构初探

利用TRMM卫星的测雨雷达资料，研究了9914号台风降水云系在3个不同时次雨强的水平和垂直结构。结果表明：3个时次层状云降水在像素数量上及对总降水量的贡献上均比对流性降水大；3个时次层状云降水和对流性降水的平均雨强均随台风强度加强有较大的增幅；对流性降水与层状云降水的雨强的垂直廓线有明显的差别，但两类降水廓线本身在3个时次差别不大。对流性降水廓线按斜率不同大致分为3段，雨强均随高度减小，5～6km高度段减速最快。层状云降水廓线大致分为4段，在4．5km高度附近出现明显的亮带结构。     

Diurnal variations of precipitation over the South China Sea

In this study, the diurnal variations of precipitation and related mechanisms over the South China Sea (SCS) are studied using the TRMM and other auxiliary atmospheric data. We have found that: (1) the amplitude and peak time of the diurnal precipitation over SCS exhibit remarkable regional features and seasonal variations. Diurnal variations are robust all the year around over the southern SCS especially over the Kalimantan Island and its offshore area. Over the middle to northern SCS, however, diurnal variations are noticeable only in the summer and autumn; (2) over the northern SCS precipitation peaks in early morning, while over the southern SCS it has two diurnal peaks: one in the early morning and another in the late afternoon; (3) the diurnal variations of precipitation over the SCS are related to the activity of the SCS summer monsoon and the ENSO events. The late afternoon precipitation increases remarkably after the onset of the SCS summer monsoon over the northern SCS. The early-morning rainfall peak is much more significant during La Nina years than during El Nino years; (4) the land–sea breeze is responsible for the diurnal cycle over the Kalimantan Island and its offshore area while the “static radiation–convection” mechanisms may result in the early-morning rainfall peak over the SCS.     

广西TRMM降雨产品多时间尺度精度评估

集合不同观测降水数据优势,获取更为精细化降水产品,可以更好地再现区域降水时空异质性,这也使得多源降水数据精度评估、校正及融合应用成为当前研究热点。从降雨时空一致性、降雨量误差、日降雨事件探测能力方面对广西TRMM降雨产品进行了精度评估,并对比分析了TRMM对干旱的评估效果。结果表明:（1）广西TRMM降雨产品与气象站观测降雨存在显著的时空相关性,日尺度相关系数最低为0.5~0.6,月、年尺度相关系数则均在0.7以上;（2）广西TRMM降雨量总体略偏大,其相对偏差主要在0~10%;（3）TRMM产品在广西地区的日降雨事件探测能力优于全国平均水平,尤其在强降雨月份POD>0.75,但也存在降雨量较少的冬季月份准确率显著下降的现象。（4）TRMM降雨产品在广西干旱强度监测方面,能够揭示区域干旱的时空尺度效应和强度累积效应,具有比有限地面站点数据更精细化的空间异质性表达。相关成果有望促进区域多源降雨数据的校正及融合应用研究,为区域更有效的旱涝灾害评估、预报预警等提供科学支撑。      

CMIP6模式对青藏高原东坡暖季降水的模拟评估

青藏高原东坡陡峭地形区是气候模式陆地降水模拟偏差的大值区,且这一偏差长期未得到有效改善.基于17个参加国际耦合模式比较计划第六阶段(CMIP6)的全球气候模式的日降水结果,评估了当前最新一代的气候模式对青藏高原东坡地区2000—2014年暖季(5—9月)降水气候态及其季节内演变的模拟能力.结果表明:高原东坡降水正偏差存...     

西藏高原测站降水与TRMM估测降水一致性评估

利用124个测站2011—2012年6—8月逐小时降水资料,分辨率为0.25°×0.25°的TRMM估测降水和DEM 高程数据,采用相关系数、相对误差和准确性指标,分析了西藏高原TRMM估测降水整体表现能力及海拔高度对降水估测影响。结果表明：TRMM估测降水在西藏高原整体趋势较一致,降水量级偏大,次数偏多;平均无降水准确率远高于平均有降水准确率,漏测率低而空测率高,降水量大的测站TRMM估测能力相对强。西藏高原上大部分测站处于相对低洼（河谷）地带,海拔高度差较小的区域TRMM估测降水与测站降水误差小,较大的区域误差则大。     

TRMM卫星对青藏高原东坡一次大暴雨强降水结构的研究

利用热带测雨卫星（TRMM）探测资料,NCEP、ERA-Interim再分析资料,结合C波段多普勒雷达和其他地面观测资料,研究了2013年7月21日发生在青藏高原东坡的一次大暴雨强降水结构。结果表明,高能、高湿的不稳定大气在700 hPa切变线及地面辐合线的触发下产生了此次大暴雨,降水具有明显的强对流性质。从水平结构来看,降水系统由成片的层云雨团中分散分布的多个对流性雨团组成,对流样本数远少于层云,但平均雨强是层云的4.7倍,对总降水的贡献达到25.6%;以超过10 mm/h雨强为强度标准,3个20-50 km、回波强度在45-50 dBz的β中尺度对流雨团零散地分布在主雨带中,对应 < 210 K的微波辐射亮温区和≥ 32 mm/h的地面强降水;对流降水的雨强谱集中在1-50 mm/h,其中20-30 mm/h的雨强对总雨强的贡献最大,这与中国东部降水有着显著区别,而90%的层云降水的雨强均小于10 mm/h。从垂直结构来看,对流降水云呈柱状自地面伸展,平均雨顶高度随地面雨强的增强而不断升高（5-12 km）,强降水中心区域的质心在2-6 km;降水廓线反映出强降水系统中降水主要集中在6 km以下高度范围,且降水强度在垂直方向分布不均匀,对流降水和层云降水的强度随高度升高的总趋势是趋于减弱,但在一定高度范围内,对流降水强度随高度升高而增大,并且在多个地表雨强廓线中都有体现。此外,地基雷达的探测结果也表明了强降水的低质心特点及显著的逆风区演变特征,这是对TRMM PR探测的验证和补充。      

Sensitivity study on the role of Western Ghats in simulating the Asian summer monsoon characteristics

The Advanced Research Weather Research and Forecasting (AR-WRF) model is used to study the influence of Western Ghats situated along the west cost of peninsular India in the mean characteristics of the Asian summer monsoon (ASM) through numerical simulations. A control simulation (CTRL) is carried out using 11-year (2000–2010) mean initial and lateral boundary conditions from the ERA-Interim reanalysis to simulate the mean atmospheric features of the ASM. The Modern-Era retrospective analysis for research and applications (MERRA) data along with the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM, 3B42 daily rainfall) data are used to validate the CTRL simulation. The simulated dynamical features and precipitation characteristics during the ASM period agree well with the MERRA reanalysis and TRMM observations. In order to examine the role of Western Ghats on the mean characteristics of the ASM, a sensitivity simulation (NoWG) is carried out with orography reduced to surface over a domain bound between 5°–28°N and 72°–90°E, keeping all other conditions unchanged. This sensitivity analysis showed an enhancement in the low level monsoon flow over the Indian Ocean and peninsular India in the absence of Western Ghats. The prominent up-draft over the west coast of peninsular India observed in the CTRL simulation also decrease in the absence of Western Ghats. The simulated rainfall show a considerable decrease over the west coast and an enhancement over the east coast of peninsular India in the absence of Western Ghats. These simulations clearly depict the importance of Western Ghats in the circulation dynamics and rainfall features during the ASM period.     

Variations of Precipitation Structure and Microwave Tbs During the Evolution of a Hailstorm from TRMM Observations

In this paper, a hailstorm occurring on 9 May 1999 in Huanghuai region was studied by using the combined data from the precipitation radar (PR), microwave image (TMI), and visible infrared scanner (VIRS) on the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite. According to the 3-orbit observations of 5-h duration from the TRMM satellite, the variation characteristics of the precipitation structures as well as cloud top temperature and microwave signals of the precipitating cloud were comprehensively analyzed during the evolution of hailstorm. The results show that the precipitation is obviously converted from early hail cloud with strong convection into the later storm cloud with weak convection. For hail cloud, there exists some strong convective cells, and the heavy solid precipitation is shown at the middle-top levels so that the contribution of rainfall amount above the freezing-layer to the column precipitation amount is rather larger than that within the melting-layer. However, for storm cloud, the convective cells are surrounded by the large area of stratiform precipitation, and the precipitation thickness gradually decreases, and the rainfall above the freezing-layer obviously reduces and the contribution of rainfall amount within the melting-layer rapidly increases. Therefore, the larger ratio of rainfall amount above the freezing layer to column precipitation amount is, the more convective the cloud is; reversely, the larger proportion of rainfall below the melting layer is, the more stable the stratiform cloud is. The different changing trends of microwave signals at different precipitation stages show that it is better to consider the structures and stages of precipitating cloud to choose the optimal microwave channels to retrieve surface rainfall.     

用TRMM资料研究1998年长江流域暴雨

热带测雨卫星ＴＲＭＭ资料于１９９８年６月起向公众用户开放。本文使用了１９９８年７月２０日世界时２１：４０分的ＴＲＭＭ资料对长江流域暴雨作了初步研究。ＴＲＭＭ导出的降水产品亦与雨量计，地面雷达观测以及数值模拟结果进行了比较。由此得出，ＴＲＭＭ资料非常适合于暴雨监测研究。此外，它们还有其他广泛得用途。     

Properties of cloud and precipitation over the Tibetan Plateau

The characteristics of seasonal precipitation over the Tibetan Plateau(TP) were investigated using TRMM(Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission) precipitation data(3B43). Sensitive regions of summer precipitation interannual variation anomalies were investigated using EOF(empirical orthogonal function) analysis. Furthermore, the profiles of cloud water content(CWC) and precipitable water in different regions and seasons were analyzed using TRMM-3A12 data observed by the TRMM Microwave Imager. Good agreement was found between hydrometeors and precipitation over the eastern and southeastern TP, where water vapor is adequate, while the water vapor amount is not significant over the western and northern TP.Further analysis showed meridional and zonal anomalies of CWC centers in the ascending branch of the Hadley and Walker Circulation, especially over the south and east of the TP. The interannual variation of hydrometeors over the past decade showed a decrease over the southeastern and northwestern TP, along with a corresponding increase over other regions.