Uncertainty of precipitation estimates in convective events by the Meteorological Service of Catalonia radar network

Trapero, Laura; Bech, Joan; Rigo, Tomeu; Pineda, Nicolau; Forcadell, David

doi:10.1016/j.atmosres.2009.01.021

Cited by 42 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 13 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Analysing and combining precipitation data from both ground sensors and radar estimations should deliver more reliable information. Previous studies have approached this topic (Huff, ; Wescott et al , ; Trapero et al , ) by exploring different methods for this type of analysis, with a consensus view that rain gauge amounts refer to point accumulations, whereas radar‐derived values correspond to a volume‐averaged rainfall rate (Zawadzki, ; Villarini and Krajewski, ; Villarini et al , ). Ciach et al () admit that many factors influence the relationships between radar‐measured reflectivity, radar‐predicted rainfall amounts and rain gauge measurements, and they suggest the utility of studies on the difference between rain gauge and weather radar measurements.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An objective approach for comparing radar estimated and rain gauge measured precipitation

Craciun

Catrina

2016

Met. Apps

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

One of the main concerns with quantitative precipitation estimates (QPE) based on weather radar observations is the extent to which nowcasters should believe them as they rush to issue warnings for dangerous weather phenomena that might endanger human lives and goods. This paper aims to improve QPE by adjusting the mean field bias using rain gauge measurements. Radar data used in this research were supplied from a single polarization S‐band Doppler radar, WSR‐98D (Weather Surveillance Radar – 98 Doppler), located almost in the centre of Romania, at Bobohalma, and a network consisting of 27 rain gauges within weather stations belonging to the Romanian National Meteorological Administration. The procedure consisted of two main steps: in step one, the reflectivity data were converted into rain rate using the Z–R relationship; in step two, differences between radar data and gauge data were investigated using four objective functions, the ratio between radar data and gauge data, the root‐mean‐square factor, and Pearson and Spearman correlations. The findings are consistent with previous studies, emphasizing that both the differences and correlations between radar data and rain gauge amounts have local significance rather than general relevance over the studied area.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An objective approach for comparing radar estimated and rain gauge measured precipitation

Craciun

Catrina

2016

Met. Apps

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…For this reason, it results impossible to detect stratiform precipitation, and also, convective precipitation associated to orographic triggering (with developments not exceeding the 5-6 km). The analysis realized by Trapero et al (2009) with C-band weather radars in the same region showed that there practically no differences between results of short and long range product, when the QPE is compared with rain gauges values. Images have been treated previously by the AEMET (Sánchez-Diezma, 2001).…”

Section: Data Descriptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characteristics of 2-D convective structures in Catalonia (NE Spain): an analysis using radar data and GIS

Barnolas

Rigo²,

Llasat

2010

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. Flood simulation studies use spatial-temporal rainfall data input into distributed hydrological models. A correct description of rainfall in space and in time contributes to improvements on hydrological modelling and design. This work is focused on the analysis of 2-D convective structures (rain cells), whose contribution is especially significant in most flood events. The objective of this paper is to provide statistical descriptors and distribution functions for convective structure characteristics of precipitation systems producing floods in Catalonia (NE Spain). To achieve this purpose heavy rainfall events recorded between 1996 and 2000 have been analysed. By means of weather radar, and applying 2-D radar algorithms a distinction between convective and stratiform precipitation is made. These data are introduced and analyzed with a GIS. In a first step different groups of connected pixels with convective precipitation are identified. Only convective structures with an area greater than 32 km 2 are selected. Then, geometric characteristics (area, perimeter, orientation and dimensions of the ellipse), and rainfall statistics (maximum, mean, minimum, range, standard deviation, and sum) of these structures are obtained and stored in a database. Finally, descriptive statistics for selected characteristics are calculated and statistical distributions are fitted to the observed frequency distributions. Statistical analyses reveal that the Generalized Pareto distribution for the area and the Generalized Extreme Value distribution for the perimeter, dimensions, orientation and mean areal precipitation are the statistical distributions that best fit the observed ones of these parameters. The statistical descriptors and the probability distribution functions obtained are of direct use as an input in spatial rainfall generators.

show abstract

“…Williams et al, 1989;Carey and Rutledge, 1996). Pineda et al (2007) and Pineda and Montanyà (2009) have analysed, in the region of the present study, the relationship between lightning and convective precipitation by means of the quantitative estimation of precipitation (QPE), obtained from radar reflectivity (Trapero et al, 2009). Results from these two studies show a good correlation between the daily amount of convective rainfall volume and CG flash counts.…”

Section: Relationship Between Lightning and Radar Observationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of warm season thunderstorms using an object-oriented tracking method based on radar and total lightning data

Rigo

Pineda

Bech

2010

Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract.Monitoring thunderstorms activity is an essential part of operational weather surveillance given their potential hazards, including lightning, hail, heavy rainfall, strong winds or even tornadoes. This study has two main objectives: firstly, the description of a methodology, based on radar and total lightning data to characterise thunderstorms in real-time; secondly, the application of this methodology to 66 thunderstorms that affected Catalonia (NE Spain) in the summer of 2006. An object-oriented tracking procedure is employed, where different observation data types generate four different types of objects (radar 1-km CAPPI reflectivity composites, radar reflectivity volumetric data, cloud-toground lightning data and intra-cloud lightning data). In the framework proposed, these objects are the building blocks of a higher level object, the thunderstorm.The methodology is demonstrated with a dataset of thunderstorms whose main characteristics, along the complete life cycle of the convective structures (development, maturity and dissipation), are described statistically. The development and dissipation stages present similar durations in most cases examined. On the contrary, the duration of the maturity phase is much more variable and related to the thunderstorm intensity, defined here in terms of lightning flash rate. Most of the activity of IC and CG flashes is registered in the maturity stage. In the development stage little CG flashes are observed (2% to 5%), while for the dissipation phase is possible to observe a few more CG flashes (10% to 15%). Additionally, a selection of thunderstorms is used to examine general life cycle patterns, obtained from the analysis of normalized (with respect to thunderstorm total duration and maximum value Correspondence to: T. Rigo (tomeur@meteo.cat) of variables considered) thunderstorm parameters. Among other findings, the study indicates that the normalized duration of the three stages of thunderstorm life cycle is similar in most thunderstorms, with the longest duration corresponding to the maturity stage (approximately 80% of the total time).

show abstract

Uncertainty of precipitation estimates in convective events by the Meteorological Service of Catalonia radar network

Cited by 42 publications

References 13 publications

An objective approach for comparing radar estimated and rain gauge measured precipitation

An objective approach for comparing radar estimated and rain gauge measured precipitation

Characteristics of 2-D convective structures in Catalonia (NE Spain): an analysis using radar data and GIS

Analysis of warm season thunderstorms using an object-oriented tracking method based on radar and total lightning data

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About