Pp. Xie et Pa. Arkin, ANALYSES OF GLOBAL MONTHLY PRECIPITATION USING GAUGE OBSERVATIONS, SATELLITE ESTIMATES, AND NUMERICAL-MODEL PREDICTIONS, Journal of climate, 9(4), 1996, pp. 840-858
An algorithm is developed to construct global gridded fields of monthl
y precipitation by merging estimates from five sources of information
with different characteristics, including gauge-based monthly analyses
from the Global Precipitation Climatology Centre, three types of sate
llite estimates [the infrared-based GOES Precipitation Index, the micr
owave (MW) scattering-based Grody, and the MW emission-based Chang est
imates], and predictions produced by the operational forecast model of
the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. A two-step st
rategy is used to: 1) reduce the random error found in the individual
sources and 2) reduce the bias of the combined analysis. First, the th
ree satellite-based estimates and the model predictions are combined l
inearly based on a maximum likelihood estimate, in which the weighting
coefficients are inversely proportional to the squares of the individ
ual random errors determined by comparison with gauge observations and
subjective assumptions. This combined analysis is then blended with a
n analysis based on gauge observations using a method that presumes th
at the bias of the gauge-based field is small where sufficient gauges
are available and that the gradient of the precipitation field is best
represented by the combination of satellite estimates and model predi
ctions elsewhere. The algorithm is applied to produce monthly precipit
ation analyses for an 18-month period from July 1987 to December 1988.
Results showed substantial improvements of the merged analysis relati
ve to the individual sources in describing the global precipitation fi
eld. The large-scale spatial patterns, both in the Tropics and the ext
ratropics, are well represented with reasonable amplitudes. Both the r
andom error and the bias have been reduced compared to the individual
data sources, and the merged analysis appears to be of reasonable qual
ity everywhere. However, the actual quality of the merged analysis dep
ends strongly on our uncertain and incomplete knowledge of the error s
tructures of the individual data sources.