This paper presents a study performed within the framework of the European Union's (EU) VOLTAIRE project (Fifth Framework, Programme). Among other tasks, the project aimed at the integration of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) data with ground-based observations and at the comparison between water fields (precipitation and total column water vapor) as estimated by multisensor observations and predicted by NWP models. In particular, the VOLTAIRE project had its one of its main objectives the goal of assessing the application of satellite-borne instrument measures to model verification. The island of Cyprus was chosen its the main "test bed" because it is one of the few European territories covered by the passage of the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR) and it has a dense lain gauge network and ail operational weather radar. TRMM PR provides. until now. the most reliable space-borne spatial high-resolution precipitation measurements. Attention is focused on the attempt to define a methodology. using state-of-the-art diagnostic methods. for a comprehensive evaluation of water fields as forecast by a limited area model (LAM). An event that occurred oil 5 March 2003, associated with a slow cyclone moving eastward over the Mediterranean Sea, is presented as a case study. The atmospheric water fields were forecast over the eastern Mediterranean Sea using the Bologna Limited Area Model (BOLAM). Data from the Cyprus ground-based radar. the Cyprus rain gauge network, the Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I). and the TRMM PR were used in the comparison. Ground-based radar and rain gauge data were merged together in order to obtain a belief representation of the rainfall event over the island TRMM PR measurements were employed to range-adjust the ground-based radar data Using a linear regression algorithm. The observed total column water vapor has been employed to assess the forecast quality of large-scale atmospheric patterns: Such an assessment has been performed by means of the Hoffman diagnostic method applied to the entire total column Water Vapor field. Subsequently in order too quantify the spatial forecast error at the finer BOLAM scale (0.09 degrees), the object-oriented contiguous I-ail] area (CRA) analysis was chosen its a comparison method for precipitation. An assessment of the main difficulties in employing CRA in an operational framework. especially over Such a small verification domain, is also discussed in the paper.
Multisensor comparison and numerical modeling of atmospheric water fields: A VOLTAIRE case study over Cyprus
2008
Abstract
This paper presents a study performed within the framework of the European Union's (EU) VOLTAIRE project (Fifth Framework, Programme). Among other tasks, the project aimed at the integration of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) data with ground-based observations and at the comparison between water fields (precipitation and total column water vapor) as estimated by multisensor observations and predicted by NWP models. In particular, the VOLTAIRE project had its one of its main objectives the goal of assessing the application of satellite-borne instrument measures to model verification. The island of Cyprus was chosen its the main "test bed" because it is one of the few European territories covered by the passage of the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR) and it has a dense lain gauge network and ail operational weather radar. TRMM PR provides. until now. the most reliable space-borne spatial high-resolution precipitation measurements. Attention is focused on the attempt to define a methodology. using state-of-the-art diagnostic methods. for a comprehensive evaluation of water fields as forecast by a limited area model (LAM). An event that occurred oil 5 March 2003, associated with a slow cyclone moving eastward over the Mediterranean Sea, is presented as a case study. The atmospheric water fields were forecast over the eastern Mediterranean Sea using the Bologna Limited Area Model (BOLAM). Data from the Cyprus ground-based radar. the Cyprus rain gauge network, the Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I). and the TRMM PR were used in the comparison. Ground-based radar and rain gauge data were merged together in order to obtain a belief representation of the rainfall event over the island TRMM PR measurements were employed to range-adjust the ground-based radar data Using a linear regression algorithm. The observed total column water vapor has been employed to assess the forecast quality of large-scale atmospheric patterns: Such an assessment has been performed by means of the Hoffman diagnostic method applied to the entire total column Water Vapor field. Subsequently in order too quantify the spatial forecast error at the finer BOLAM scale (0.09 degrees), the object-oriented contiguous I-ail] area (CRA) analysis was chosen its a comparison method for precipitation. An assessment of the main difficulties in employing CRA in an operational framework. especially over Such a small verification domain, is also discussed in the paper.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
