Open AccessQuantitative Precipitation Estimation over Ocean Using Bayesian Approach from Microwave Observations during the Typhoon Season
Author(s) -
Jen Chi Hu,
Wann Jin Chen,
J. Christine Chiu,
Jiang Liang Wang,
Gin Rong Liu
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
terrestrial, atmospheric and oceanic sciences/terrestrial, atmospheric, and oceanic sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2223-8964
pISSN - 1017-0839
DOI - 10.3319/tao.2008.12.17.01(a
Subject(s) - typhoon , precipitation , bayesian probability , estimation , microwave , environmental science , climatology , meteorology , bayes estimator , computer science , geology , geography , statistics , mathematics , engineering , telecommunications , systems engineering
We have developed a new Bayesian approach to retrieve oceanic rain rate from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Microwave Imager (TMI), with an emphasis on typhoon cases in the West Pacific. Retrieved rain rates are validated with measurements of rain gauges located on Japanese islands. To demonstrate improvement, retrievals are also compared with those from the TRMM/Precipitation Radar (PR), the Goddard Profiling Algorithm (GPROF), and a multi-channel linear regression statistical method (MLRS). We have found that qualitatively, all methods retrieved similar horizontal distributions in terms of locations of eyes and rain bands of typhoons. Quantitatively, our new Bayesian retrievals have the best linearity and the smallest root mean square (RMS) error against rain gauge data for 16 typhoon over passes in 2004. The correlation coefficient and RMS of our retrievals are 0.95 and ~2 mm hr-1, respectively. In particular, at heavy rain rates, our Bayesian retrievals out perform those retrieved from GPROF and MLRS. Over all, the new Bayesian approach accurately retrieves surface rain rate for typhoon cases. Ac cu rate rain rate estimates from this method can be assimilated in models to improve forecast and prevent potential damages in Taiwan during typhoon seasons