Performance Evaluation of ERA5 Extreme Precipitation in the Yangtze River Delta, China
Accurate extreme precipitation information is crucial for disaster risk management, social and economic development security, and climate change research. Taking the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), China, a high-impact area of extreme precipitation, as an example, this study evaluates the spatiotemporal...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-09-01
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| Series: | Atmosphere |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/13/9/1416 |
| _version_ | 1797491319702028288 |
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| author | Liucheng Shen Jiahong Wen Yuqing Zhang Safi Ullah Xiangchun Meng Guanjie Chen |
| author_facet | Liucheng Shen Jiahong Wen Yuqing Zhang Safi Ullah Xiangchun Meng Guanjie Chen |
| author_sort | Liucheng Shen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Accurate extreme precipitation information is crucial for disaster risk management, social and economic development security, and climate change research. Taking the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), China, a high-impact area of extreme precipitation, as an example, this study evaluates the spatiotemporal performance of extreme precipitation in the latest fifth-generation reanalysis dataset from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (i.e., ECMWF ERA5) for 1961–2018 based on surface observational precipitation data. The results showed that the 90th-percentile threshold of extreme precipitation extracted from ERA5 data with a daily precipitation amount >1 mm is closer to the actual observations. The ERA5 data can effectively capture the spatiotemporal patterns of the observed extreme precipitation in the YRD. The ERA5 data can successfully represent the seasonal cycle and interannual variability of daily, daytime, and nighttime extreme precipitation. However, the daytime (nighttime) extreme precipitation frequencies and amounts tend to be overestimated (underestimated) for the period 1961–2000, whereas they were significantly underestimated for the period 2000–2018. The trend estimation of seasonal and annual extreme precipitation in ERA5 needs to be improved. The ERA5 data revealed that the extreme precipitation in the YRD was dominated by large-scale precipitation, followed by convective precipitation, but their long-term trends were not clear. This study has conducted a detailed and reliable evaluation of the ERA5 extreme precipitation data. The findings serve as valuable guidance and provide accurate references to extreme climatic variables for data users and algorithm developers. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T00:45:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-135c7ff88ebd4184b69195a87114336a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4433 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T00:45:47Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Atmosphere |
| spelling | doaj.art-135c7ff88ebd4184b69195a87114336a2023-11-23T14:59:17ZengMDPI AGAtmosphere2073-44332022-09-01139141610.3390/atmos13091416Performance Evaluation of ERA5 Extreme Precipitation in the Yangtze River Delta, ChinaLiucheng Shen0Jiahong Wen1Yuqing Zhang2Safi Ullah3Xiangchun Meng4Guanjie Chen5School of Environmental and Geographical Sciences, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, ChinaSchool of Environmental and Geographical Sciences, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, ChinaSchool of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Huaiyin Normal University, Huai’an 223300, ChinaDepartment of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences/Institute of Atmospheric Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, ChinaSchool of Environmental and Geographical Sciences, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, ChinaSchool of Environmental and Geographical Sciences, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, ChinaAccurate extreme precipitation information is crucial for disaster risk management, social and economic development security, and climate change research. Taking the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), China, a high-impact area of extreme precipitation, as an example, this study evaluates the spatiotemporal performance of extreme precipitation in the latest fifth-generation reanalysis dataset from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (i.e., ECMWF ERA5) for 1961–2018 based on surface observational precipitation data. The results showed that the 90th-percentile threshold of extreme precipitation extracted from ERA5 data with a daily precipitation amount >1 mm is closer to the actual observations. The ERA5 data can effectively capture the spatiotemporal patterns of the observed extreme precipitation in the YRD. The ERA5 data can successfully represent the seasonal cycle and interannual variability of daily, daytime, and nighttime extreme precipitation. However, the daytime (nighttime) extreme precipitation frequencies and amounts tend to be overestimated (underestimated) for the period 1961–2000, whereas they were significantly underestimated for the period 2000–2018. The trend estimation of seasonal and annual extreme precipitation in ERA5 needs to be improved. The ERA5 data revealed that the extreme precipitation in the YRD was dominated by large-scale precipitation, followed by convective precipitation, but their long-term trends were not clear. This study has conducted a detailed and reliable evaluation of the ERA5 extreme precipitation data. The findings serve as valuable guidance and provide accurate references to extreme climatic variables for data users and algorithm developers.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/13/9/1416climate changeextreme precipitationconvective precipitationlarge-scale precipitationYangtze River DeltaChina |
| spellingShingle | Liucheng Shen Jiahong Wen Yuqing Zhang Safi Ullah Xiangchun Meng Guanjie Chen Performance Evaluation of ERA5 Extreme Precipitation in the Yangtze River Delta, China Atmosphere climate change extreme precipitation convective precipitation large-scale precipitation Yangtze River Delta China |
| title | Performance Evaluation of ERA5 Extreme Precipitation in the Yangtze River Delta, China |
| title_full | Performance Evaluation of ERA5 Extreme Precipitation in the Yangtze River Delta, China |
| title_fullStr | Performance Evaluation of ERA5 Extreme Precipitation in the Yangtze River Delta, China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Performance Evaluation of ERA5 Extreme Precipitation in the Yangtze River Delta, China |
| title_short | Performance Evaluation of ERA5 Extreme Precipitation in the Yangtze River Delta, China |
| title_sort | performance evaluation of era5 extreme precipitation in the yangtze river delta china |
| topic | climate change extreme precipitation convective precipitation large-scale precipitation Yangtze River Delta China |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/13/9/1416 |
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