CHARACTERIZING MULTISCALE VARIABILITY OF ZERO INTERMITTENCY IN SPATIAL RAINFALL

In this paper the authors study how zero intermittency in spatial rain fall, as described by the fraction of area covered by rainfall, change s with spatial scale of rainfall measurement or representation. A stat istical measure of intermittency that describes the size distribution of ''voids'' (nonrainy areas imbedded inside rainy areas) as a functio n of scale is also introduced. Morphological algorithms are proposed f or reconstructing rainfall intermittency at fine scales given the inte rmittency at coarser scales. These algorithms are envisioned to be use ful in hydroclimatological studies where the rainfall spatial variabil ity at the subgrid scale needs to be reconstructed from the results of synoptic- or mesoscale meteorological numerical models. The developed methodologies are demonstrated and tested using data from a severe sp ringtime midlatitude squall line and a mild midlatitude winter storm m onitored by a meteorological radar in Norman, Oklahoma.