Sampling-induced conditional biases in satellite climate-scale rainfall estimates

Journal Article · Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1996 · Journal of Applied Meteorology

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0450(1996)035<0541:SICBIS>2.0.CO;2· OSTI ID:274069

Morrissey, M L ^[1]; Janowiak, J E ^[2]

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1. Univ. of Oklahoma, Norman, OK (United States)
2. Climate Analysis Center, Camp Springs, MD (United States)

The effect of temporal sampling error in satellite estimates of climate-scale rainfall is to produce a {open_quotes}conditional{close_quotes} bias where the algorithm overestimates high rainfall and underestimates low rainfall. Thus, the bias is conditional on the value of the estimate. This paper illustrates the problem using satellite infrared rainfall estimates together with a well-known satellite algorithm and shows it to be a function of the averaging scale, the sampling rate, and the temporal autocorrelation structure of the satellite estimates. Using realistic sampling rates, it is shown that significant biases exist in satellite rainfall estimates if polar-orbiting data are used in their construction. A simple correction for this bias based upon the estimated autocorrelation structure is given. 24 refs., 9 figs.

• OSTI ID: 274069
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Meteorology, Vol. 35, Issue 4; Other Information: PBD: Apr 1996
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
RAIN WATER
GLOBAL ANALYSIS
ALGORITHMS
CORRECTIONS
SATELLITES
CLIMATIC CHANGE
ERRORS
POLAR REGIONS