This study evaluated Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA) product i.e. TRMM 3B42 data, using data from 52 rain gauge stations around the Meichuan watershed, which is a representative watershed of Poyang Lake basin in China. Both the latest Version 7 (V7) and previous Version 6 (V6) of TRMM 3B42 data were compared and evaluated for a 9-year period covering 2001-2005 and 2007-2010. The evaluations were conducted at different spatial (grid and watershed) and temporal (daily, monthly and annual) scales. For evaluation at grid scale, the Thiessen polygon method was used to transform pointed-based rain gauge data to areal precipitation at the same grid scale (0.25°) as TRMM 3B42 data. The results showed that there was little difference in performances of V6 and V7 TRMM 3B42 products. Overall, both V6 and V7 products slightly overestimated precipitation with a bias of 0.04. At daily scale, both V6 and V7 data were considered to be unreliable with large relative RMSE (135%-199%) at the two spatial scales, and they were deficient in capturing large storms. These results suggest that local calibration with rain gauge data should be conducted before V6 and V7 TRMM 3B42 data are used at daily scale. At monthly and annual scales, V6 and V7 TRMM 3B42 data match the rain gauge data well (R2 = 0.91-0.99, relative RMSE = 4%-23%) at both grid and watershed scale and thus have good potential for hydrological applications.
LIU Junzhi, ZHU A-Xing, DUAN Zheng
. Evaluation of TRMM 3B42 Precipitation Product Using Rain Gauge Data in Meichuan Watershed, Poyang Lake Basin, China[J]. Journal of Resources and Ecology, 2012
, 3(4)
: 359
-366
.
DOI: 10.5814/j.issn.1674-764x.2012.04.009
Duan Z, W G M Bastiaanssen, Liu J Z. 2012. Monthly and annual validation of TRMM Multisatellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA) products in the Caspian Sea Region for the period 1999-2003. In: Proceedings of International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS) 2012, Munich, Germany, July 22-27: 3696-3699.
Franchito S H, V B Rao, A C Vasques, et al. 2009. Validation of TRMM precipitation radar monthly rainfall estimates over Brazil. Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres, 114, D02105.
Grayson R, G Bloschl. 2001. Spatial Patterns in Catchment Hydrology: Observations and Modelling, 1st ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Huffman G J, R F Adler, D T Bolvin, et al. 2007. The TRMM multisatellite precipitation analysis (TMPA): Quasi-global, multiyear, combined-sensor precipitation estimates at fine scales. Journal of Hydrometeorology, 8(1): 38-55.
Huffman G J, D T Bolvin. 2012. TRMM and other data precipitation data set documentation. (ftp://precip.gsfc.nasa.gov/pub/trmmdocs/3B42_3B43_doc.pdf). Access date: Octorber 2012.
Islam M N, H Uyeda. 2007. Use of TRMM in determining the climatic characteristics of rainfall over Bangladesh. Remote Sensing of Environment, 108(3): 264-276.
Joyce R J, J E Janowiak, P A Arkin, et al. 2004. CMORPH: A method that produces global precipitation estimates from passive microwave and infrared data at high spatial and temporal resolution. Journal of Hydrometeorology, 5(3): 487-503.
Li M, Shao Q X. 2010. An improved statistical approach to merge satellite rainfall estimates and rain gauge data. Journal of Hydrology, 385(1-4): 51-64.
Li X H, Zhang Q, Xu C Y. 2012. Suitability of the TRMM satellite rainfalls in driving a distributed hydrological model for water balance computations in Xinjiang catchment, Poyang Lake basin. Journal of Hydrology, 426: 28-38.
Sorooshian S, K L Hsu, X Gao, et al. 2000. Evaluation of PERSIANN system satellite-based estimates of tropical rainfall. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 81(9): 2035-2046.
Su F G, Y Hong, D P Lettenmaier. 2008. Evaluation of TRMM Multisatellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA) and its utility in hydrologic prediction in the La Plata Basin. Journal of Hydrometeorology, 9(4): 622-640.
Tobin K J, M E Bennett. 2010. Adjusting satellite precipitation data to facilitate hydrologic modeling. Journal of Hydrometeorology, 11(4): 966-978.
Yong B, Ren L L, Hong Y, et al. 2010. Hydrologic evaluation of Multisatellite Precipitation Analysis standard precipitation products in basins beyond its inclined latitude band: A case study in Laohahe basin, China. Water Resources Research, 46(7): W07542.
Zeng H W, Li L J, Li J Y. 2012. The evaluation of TRMM Multisatellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA) in drought monitoring in the Lancang River Basin. Journal of Geographical Sciences, 22(2): 273-282.
