Retrospective Analysis of High-Resolution Multi-Radar Multi-Sensor QPEs for the Unites States
Abstract
Long-term records of high-resolution, high-frequency quantitative precipitation estimation (QPE) data are highly needed for calibration of distributed and lumped hydrologic models, inter-comparison with satellite QPEs, validation of numerical weather precipitation models, historic water census, and storm-scale precipitation climatology studies. The NSSL Multi-Radar Multi-Sensor (MRMS) QPE system has been generating real-time high-resolution (1-km) and high-frequency (5-min) QPE products by integrating multi-sensor data from radar, rain gauge, and atmospheric models. Users from government agencies, universities, and private sectors have used real-time Q2 products for various applications including river forecast operations, evaluation of satellite QPEs, and validation of numerical weather model forecasts. There have been growing needs for a longer-term national QPE record from hydrology, meteorology, and ecology communities. The current project was developed to address such needs. The objective of the MRMS QPE reanalysis is to produce an accurate, high resolution (1km, 5 min) QPE record for the United States for the time period of present - 1997 when the next generation weather radar (NEXRAD) network was deployed. NEXRAD provides the highest resolution data among all observational systems of precipitation and is a main source for the MRMS QPE. The reanalysis product suite is an ensemble of radar-based QPE, local gauge bias corrected radar QPE, and a radar, rain gauge, and orographic precipitation climatology combined QPE. The reanalysis will be carried out in multiple phases. Phase I of the project is focused on the time period of 2002-2011, Phase II on 1997-2001 and Phase III on 2012 and beyond, which is when the NEXRAD network is upgraded to dual-polarization capabilities. An overview of the MRMS QPE system and initial results from Phase I of the reanalysis will be presented at the conference.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2013
- Bibcode:
- 2013AGUFM.H41I1357Z
- Keywords:
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- 1853 HYDROLOGY Precipitation-radar;
- 3354 ATMOSPHERIC PROCESSES Precipitation;
- 1855 HYDROLOGY Remote sensing;
- 1910 INFORMATICS Data assimilation;
- integration and fusion