Chapters authored
Assessment of the CHIRPS-Based Satellite Precipitation Estimates
At present, satellite rainfall products, such as the Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Stations (CHIRPS) product, have become an alternative source of rainfall data for regions where rain gauge stations are sparse, e.g., Northeast Brazil (NEB). In this study, continuous scores (i.e., Pearson’s correlation coefficient, R; percentage bias, PBIAS; and unbiased root mean square error, ubRMSE) and categorical scores (i.e., probability of detection, POD; false alarm ratio, FAR; and threat score, TS) were used to assess the CHIRPS rainfall estimates against ground-based observations on a pixel-to-station basis, during 01 January 1981 to 30 June 2019 over NEB. Results showed that CHIRPS exhibits better performance in inland regions (R, PBIAS, and ubRMSE median: 0.51, −3.71%, and 9.20 mm/day; POD, FAR, and TS median: 0.59, 0.44, and 0.40, respectively) than near the coast (R, PBIAS, and ubRMSE median: 0.36, −5.66%, and 12.43 mm/day; POD, FAR, and TS median: 0.32, 0.42, and 0.26, respectively). It shows better performance in the wettest months (i.e., DJF) than in the driest months (i.e., JJA) and is sensitive to both the warm-top stratiform cloud systems and the sub-cloud evaporation processes. Overall, the CHIRPS rainfall data set could be used for some operational purposes in NEB.
Part of the book: Inland Waters