Maximum Precipitation Estimates from Five Environmental Data Records with Varying Resolutions and Periods of Record

Five climate data records are now operational as part of NOAA's Reference Environmental Data Records (REDR) Program. Four of these are satellite-based global data sets; NOAAs Climate Prediction Center (CPC) Morphing technique (CMORPH) at a daily timescale, Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) at daily and monthly timescales, and Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Information using Artificial Neural Networks (PERSIANN) at a daily timescale. The fifth is NOAA's NEXRAD quantitative precipitation estimate (QPE), a ground-based radar product for the Conterminous United States at the hourly timescale. The product periods of record vary from 1981- present (PERSIANN) to 2001-present (NEXRAD QPE). Each product uses different inputs and is generated using different algorithms.

The report "Estimating Bounds on Extreme Precipitation Events - A Brief Assessment" by the National Research Council provides maximum observed rainfall amounts worldwide as a guidance for upper bounds on rainfall. An empirical upper limit function of rainfall as a function of duration (R=16.4D^0.48, where R is in Inches, D in hours) is provided in the assessment. Our study aims to determine the maximum precipitation for each REDR for the given period of record and to put these observations in context as it relates to the guidance for upper bounds on rainfall. Possible stumbling blocks of this study can be data quality, limited periods of record and complexities of different algorithms used to produce the precipitation estimates.