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The WFDEI meteorological forcing data set: WATCH Forcing Data methodology applied to ERA‐Interim reanalysis data
Author(s) -
Weedon Graham P.,
Balsamo Gianpaolo,
Bellouin Nicolas,
Gomes Sandra,
Best Martin J.,
Viterbo Pedro
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1002/2014wr015638
Subject(s) - forcing (mathematics) , shortwave , environmental science , climatology , data set , meteorology , precipitation , interim , satellite , wind speed , computer science , geography , geology , engineering , physics , archaeology , quantum mechanics , artificial intelligence , aerospace engineering , radiative transfer
The WFDEI meteorological forcing data set has been generated using the same methodology as the widely used WATCH Forcing Data (WFD) by making use of the ERA‐Interim reanalysis data. We discuss the specifics of how changes in the reanalysis and processing have led to improvement over the WFD. We attribute improvements in precipitation and wind speed to the latest reanalysis basis data and improved downward shortwave fluxes to the changes in the aerosol corrections. Covering 1979–2012, the WFDEI will allow more thorough comparisons of hydrological and Earth System model outputs with hydrologically and phenologically relevant satellite products than using the WFD.