Precipitation estimation over radar gap areas based on satellite and adjacent radar observations

Continuous rainfall measurements from ground-based radars are crucial for monitoring and forecasting heavy rainfall-related events such as floods and landslides. However, complete coverage by ground-based radars is often hampered by terrain blockage and beam-related errors. In this study, we present...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Y.-R. Lee, D.-B. Shin, J.-H. Kim, H.-S. Park
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Copernicus Publications 2015-02-01
Series:Atmospheric Measurement Techniques
Online Access:http://www.atmos-meas-tech.net/8/719/2015/amt-8-719-2015.pdf
_version_ 1818993216748257280
author Y.-R. Lee
D.-B. Shin
J.-H. Kim
H.-S. Park
author_facet Y.-R. Lee
D.-B. Shin
J.-H. Kim
H.-S. Park
author_sort Y.-R. Lee
collection DOAJ
description Continuous rainfall measurements from ground-based radars are crucial for monitoring and forecasting heavy rainfall-related events such as floods and landslides. However, complete coverage by ground-based radars is often hampered by terrain blockage and beam-related errors. In this study, we presented a method to fill the radar gap using surrounding radar-estimated precipitation and observations from a geostationary satellite. The method first estimated the precipitation over radar gap areas using data from the Communication, Ocean, and Meteorological Satellite (COMS); the first geostationary satellite of Korea. The initial precipitation estimation from COMS was based on the rain rate-brightness temperature relationships of a priori databases. The databases were built with temporally and spatially collocated brightness temperatures at four channels (3.7, 6.7, 10.8, and 12 μm) and Jindo (126.3° E, 34.5° N) radar rain rate observations. The databases were updated with collocated data sets in a timespan of approximately one hour prior to the designated retrieval. Then, bias correction based on an ensemble bias factor field (Tesfagiorgis et al., 2011b) from radar precipitation was applied to the estimated precipitation field. Over the radar gap areas, this method finally merged the bias-corrected satellite precipitation with the radar precipitation obtained by interpolating the adjacent radar observation data. The merging was based on optimal weights determined from the root-mean-square error (RMSE) with the reference sensor observation or equal weights in the absence of reference data. This method was tested for major precipitation events during the summer of 2011 with assumed radar gap areas. The results suggested that successful merging appears to be closely related to the quality of the satellite precipitation estimates.
first_indexed 2024-12-20T20:38:32Z
format Article
id doaj.art-a29234c470f549ca935b427bdec798f1
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1867-1381
1867-8548
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-20T20:38:32Z
publishDate 2015-02-01
publisher Copernicus Publications
record_format Article
series Atmospheric Measurement Techniques
spelling doaj.art-a29234c470f549ca935b427bdec798f12022-12-21T19:27:11ZengCopernicus PublicationsAtmospheric Measurement Techniques1867-13811867-85482015-02-018271972810.5194/amt-8-719-2015Precipitation estimation over radar gap areas based on satellite and adjacent radar observationsY.-R. Lee0D.-B. Shin1J.-H. Kim2H.-S. Park3Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Yonsei University, Seoul, South KoreaDepartment of Atmospheric Sciences, Yonsei University, Seoul, South KoreaDepartment of Atmospheric Sciences, Yonsei University, Seoul, South KoreaRadar Analysis Division, Weather Radar Center, KMA, Seoul, South KoreaContinuous rainfall measurements from ground-based radars are crucial for monitoring and forecasting heavy rainfall-related events such as floods and landslides. However, complete coverage by ground-based radars is often hampered by terrain blockage and beam-related errors. In this study, we presented a method to fill the radar gap using surrounding radar-estimated precipitation and observations from a geostationary satellite. The method first estimated the precipitation over radar gap areas using data from the Communication, Ocean, and Meteorological Satellite (COMS); the first geostationary satellite of Korea. The initial precipitation estimation from COMS was based on the rain rate-brightness temperature relationships of a priori databases. The databases were built with temporally and spatially collocated brightness temperatures at four channels (3.7, 6.7, 10.8, and 12 μm) and Jindo (126.3° E, 34.5° N) radar rain rate observations. The databases were updated with collocated data sets in a timespan of approximately one hour prior to the designated retrieval. Then, bias correction based on an ensemble bias factor field (Tesfagiorgis et al., 2011b) from radar precipitation was applied to the estimated precipitation field. Over the radar gap areas, this method finally merged the bias-corrected satellite precipitation with the radar precipitation obtained by interpolating the adjacent radar observation data. The merging was based on optimal weights determined from the root-mean-square error (RMSE) with the reference sensor observation or equal weights in the absence of reference data. This method was tested for major precipitation events during the summer of 2011 with assumed radar gap areas. The results suggested that successful merging appears to be closely related to the quality of the satellite precipitation estimates.http://www.atmos-meas-tech.net/8/719/2015/amt-8-719-2015.pdf
spellingShingle Y.-R. Lee
D.-B. Shin
J.-H. Kim
H.-S. Park
Precipitation estimation over radar gap areas based on satellite and adjacent radar observations
Atmospheric Measurement Techniques
title Precipitation estimation over radar gap areas based on satellite and adjacent radar observations
title_full Precipitation estimation over radar gap areas based on satellite and adjacent radar observations
title_fullStr Precipitation estimation over radar gap areas based on satellite and adjacent radar observations
title_full_unstemmed Precipitation estimation over radar gap areas based on satellite and adjacent radar observations
title_short Precipitation estimation over radar gap areas based on satellite and adjacent radar observations
title_sort precipitation estimation over radar gap areas based on satellite and adjacent radar observations
url http://www.atmos-meas-tech.net/8/719/2015/amt-8-719-2015.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT yrlee precipitationestimationoverradargapareasbasedonsatelliteandadjacentradarobservations
AT dbshin precipitationestimationoverradargapareasbasedonsatelliteandadjacentradarobservations
AT jhkim precipitationestimationoverradargapareasbasedonsatelliteandadjacentradarobservations
AT hspark precipitationestimationoverradargapareasbasedonsatelliteandadjacentradarobservations