Real-time estimation of rainfall fields using radar rainfall and rain gage data

New attempts at real-time estimation of rainfall fields using rain gage and radar rainfall data are reported. Based on multiplicative decomposition of expectation of rainfall into conditional expectation of rainfall given raining and probability of rainfall, the estimation procedures explicitly account for both within-storm variability of rainfall and variability due to fractional coverage of rainfall. As a result, in addition to the accuracy of radar rainfall data in estimating rainfall given that rainfall is successfully detected, that in discerning rainfall from no rainfall can also be taken into account. To evaluate the estimation procedures, cross validation was performed using hourly radar rainfall data from the Tulsa, Oklahoma, Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler version (WSR-88D) and hourly rain gage data under the radar umbrella.

[1]  D. L. Fread,et al.  Modernization in the National Weather Service River and Flood Program , 1995 .

[2]  Witold F. Krajewski,et al.  Stochastic interpolation of rainfall data from rain gages and radar using cokriging: 1. Design of experiments , 1990 .

[3]  A. Journel.  Nonparametric estimation of spatial distributions , 1983 .

[4]  M. Kitchen,et al.  Weather Radar Performance at Long RangeSimulated and Observed , 1993 .

[5]  D. Seo,et al.  Rainfall estimation using raingages and radar — A Bayesian approach: 2. An application , 1991 .

[6]  W. F. Krajewski,et al.  Spatial rainfall estimation by linear and non-linear co-kriging of radar-rainfall and raingage data , 1989 .

[7]  Dong-Jun Seo,et al.  Rainfall estimation using raingages and radar — A Bayesian approach: 1. Derivation of estimators , 1991 .

[8]  James W. Wilson.  Integration of Radar and Raingage Data for Improved Rainfall Measurement , 1970 .

[9]  P. Kitanidis.  Parameter Uncertainty in Estimation of Spatial Functions: Bayesian Analysis , 1986 .

[10]  Michael D. Hudlow,et al.  Technological developments in real-time operational hydrologic forecasting in the United States , 1988 .

[11]  A. Eddy.  Objective analysis of convective scale rainfall using gages and radar , 1979 .

[12]  Witold F. Krajewski,et al.  Stochastic interpolation of rainfall data from rain gages and radar using Cokriging: 2. Results , 1990 .

[13]  Emmanouil N. Anagnostou,et al.  Effects of the radar observation process on inferred rainfall statistics , 1996 .

[14]  A. Bradley,et al.  The Hydrometeorological Environment of Extreme Rainstorms in the Southern Plains of the United States , 1994 .

[15]  David A. Imy,et al.  A Description of the Initial Set of Analysis Products Available from the NEXRAD WSR-88D System , 1993 .

[16]  Witold F. Krajewski,et al.  Estimation of the mean field bias of radar rainfall estimates , 1991 .

[17]  H. Raiffa,et al.  Applied Statistical Decision Theory. , 1961 .

[18]  K. Crawford.  Considerations for the design of a hydrologic data network using multivariate sensors , 1979 .

[19]  Dong-Jun Seo,et al.  An Intercomparison Study of NEXRAD Precipitation Estimates , 1996 .

[20]  Edward A. Brandes,et al.  Optimizing Rainfall Estimates with the Aid of Radar , 1975 .

[21]  Dong-Jun Seo,et al.  Nonlinear estimation of spatial distribution of rainfall — An indicator cokriging approach , 1996 .

[22]  Dong-Jun Seo,et al.  The WSR-88D rainfall algorithm , 1998 .

[23]  Fred C. Schweppe,et al.  Uncertain dynamic systems , 1973 .

[24]  Jean-Dominique Creutin,et al.  A method for delineating and estimating rainfall fields , 1992 .

[25]  James W. Wilson,et al.  Radar Measurement of Rainfall—A Summary , 1979 .

[26]  Dong-Jun Seo,et al.  Real-time estimation of rainfall fields using rain gage data under fractional coverage conditions , 1998 .

[27]  Guy Delrieu,et al.  Rain Measurement by Raingage-Radar Combination: A Geostatistical Approach , 1988 .

[28]  Witold F. Krajewski,et al.  Cokriging radar‐rainfall and rain gage data , 1987 .

[29]  P. M. Austin,et al.  Relation between Measured Radar Reflectivity and Surface Rainfall , 1987 .

[30]  Andrew R. Solow,et al.  Mapping by simple indicator kriging , 1986 .