BALTEX precipitation analysis: results from the BRIDGE preparation phase

• Published in: Physics and chemistry of the earth. Part B, Hydrology, oceans and atmosphere Hydrology, oceans and atmosphere, 2001-01, Vol.26 (5-6), p.397-401
• Main Authors: Rubel, F., Hantel, M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1464-1909
• DOI: 10.1016/S1464-1909(01)00025-9

The Baltic Sea Experiment (BALTEX) is the European contribution to the Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment (GEWEX). During the preparation phase of the BALTEX main experiment BRIDGE a Precipitation Correction and Analysis (PCA) model has been designed and was tested using 3 years (August 1995 - December 1998) of about 4 000 rain gauge observations collected by the BALTEX Meteorological Data Centre (BMDC). The PCA model consists of two parts: (1) a bias correction and (2) a geostatistical module. The dynamic bias correction reduces the systematic underestimation of the rain gauges due to wind-induced, evaporation and wetting losses taking instrument-specific properties as well as additional information from synoptic observations into account. The mean correction factor has a maximum in February (1.25 - 1.50) and a minimum in August (1.02 - 1.05). The geostatistical module of the PCA model consists of an ordinary block kriging algorithm to estimate area averaged precipitation values on the grid of the meso-scale model REMO (spatial resolution: 1/6 degree or 18 km). Results, to be operationally produced during BRIDGE, will be daily, monthly and annual meso-scale precipitation fields based on quality checked, bias corrected rain gauge measurements.