[1] The discordancy measure in terms of the sample L-moment ratios (L-CV, L-skewness, L-kurtosis) of the at-site data is widely recommended in the screening process of atypical sites in the regional frequency analysis (RFA). The sample mean and the covariance matrix of the L-moments ratios, on which the discordancy measure is based, are not robust against outliers in the data, and consequently, this measure can be strongly affected by the discordant sites present in the region. We propose to replace the classical mean and covariance matrix estimates by their robust alternatives on the basis of the minimum covariance determinant estimator. The performance of the classical and robust measures for discordant sites identification is assessed in a series of Monte Carlo simulation experiments within the framework of the RFA. The simulation study shows that the robust discordant measure outperforms the classical one and is consistent with the heterogeneity measure H. Thus we recommend its use as a tool for discordant sites detection and formation of homogeneous regions in RFA.
The spatial-temporal variability of drought occurrence over Bulgaria is characterized based on long-term records (2007–2018) of Meteosat information and the SVAT model-derived soil moisture availability index (referred to root zone depth, SMAI). Land surface temperature according to the satellite-derived Land Surface Analysis Satellite Application Facility Land Surface Temperature (LSASAF LST) product and SMAI were used to designate land surface state dry anomalies. The utility of LST for drought assessment is tested by statistical comparative analyses, applying two approaches, site-scale quantitative comparison, and evaluation of spatial-temporal consistency between SMAI and LST variability. Pearson correlation and regression modeling techniques were applied. The main results indicate for a synchronized behavior between SMAI and LST during dry spells, as follows: opposite mean seasonal course (March–October); high to strong negative monthly correlation for different microclimate regimes. Negative linear regressions between the anomalies of SMAI and LST (monthly mean), with a strong correlation in their spatial-temporal variability. Qualitative evaluation of spatial-temporal variability dynamics is analyzed using color maps. Drought-prone areas were identified on the bases of LST maps (monthly mean), and it is illustrated they are more vulnerable to vegetation burning as detected by the Meteosat FRP-PIXEL product. The current study provides an advanced framework for using LST retrievals based on IR satellite observations from the geostationary MSG satellite as an alternative tool to SMAI, whose calculation requires the input of many parameters that are not always available.
Abstract. Stochastic daily precipitation models are commonly used to generate scenarios of climate variability or change on a daily timescale. The standard models consist of two components describing the occurrence and intensity series, respectively. Binary logistic regression is used to fit the occurrence data, and the intensity series is modeled using a continuous-valued right-skewed distribution, such as gamma, Weibull or lognormal. The precipitation series is then modeled using the joint density, and standard software for generalized linear models can be used to perform the computations. A drawback of these precipitation models is that they do not produce a sufficiently heavy upper tail for the distribution of daily precipitation amounts; they tend to underestimate the frequency of large storms. In this study, we adapted the approach of Furrer and Katz (2008) based on hybrid distributions in order to correct for this shortcoming. In particular, we applied hybrid gamma-generalized Pareto (GP) and hybrid Weibull-GP distributions to develop a stochastic precipitation model for daily rainfall at Ihtiman in western Bulgaria. We report the results of simulations designed to compare the models based on the hybrid distributions and those based on the standard distributions. Some potential difficulties are outlined.
In this paper a regional frequency analysis is suggested in order to obtain more accurate estimations for the tails of wave height distribution functions. A case study with wave height data on the Norts Sea is presented.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.