Toward an error model for radar quantitative precipitation estimation in the Cévennes–Vivarais region, France

Characterisation of the error structure of radar quantitative precipitation estimation (QPE) is a major issue for applications of radar technology in hydrological modelling. Due to the variety of sources of error in radar QPE and the impact of correction algorithms, the problem can only be addressed...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of hydrology (Amsterdam) 2010-11, Vol.394 (1-2), p.28-41
Main Authors: Kirstetter, Pierre-Emmanuel, Delrieu, Guy, Boudevillain, Brice, Obled, Charles
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Algorithms
Earth Sciences
Environmental Sciences
Errors
Estimates
Estimation variance
Geostatistics
Global Changes
Hydrology
Precipitation
Radar
Radar QPE
Rainfall
Raingauge
Sciences of the Universe
Space–time structure
Statistical distribution
Variance
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Summary:Characterisation of the error structure of radar quantitative precipitation estimation (QPE) is a major issue for applications of radar technology in hydrological modelling. Due to the variety of sources of error in radar QPE and the impact of correction algorithms, the problem can only be addressed practically by comparison of radar QPEs with reference values derived from ground-based measurements. Using the radar and raingauge datasets of the Bollène-2002 experiment, a preliminary investigation of this subject has been carried out within a geostatistical framework in the context of the Cévennes–Vivarais Mediterranean Hydrometeorological Observatory. First, raingauge measurements were critically analysed using variograms to detect erroneous squared differences between pairs of raingauge values. The anisotropic block kriging technique was then used to compute and select the most reliable reference values. The statistical distribution and the spatial and temporal structure of the residuals between radar and reference values was established and analysed. The error variance separation concept was also tested to estimate the variance of the residuals between the radar estimates and the true unknown rainfall. A preliminary version of the radar QPE error model was established for 1-km2 domains and time steps ranging from 1 to 12h using the limited data sample of the Bollène-2002 experiment. The error model is dependent on the time scales considered and needs to be conditioned on the rain rate and rainfall type as well as on the radar range.
ISSN:0022-1694
1879-2707
DOI:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2010.01.009