GOES Satellite Data in Rainfall Estimation
Publication: Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering
Volume 115, Issue 5
Abstract
Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) visible and thermal infrared data, in conjunction with the Griffith‐Woodley method, are used to estimate the rainfall in Florida. Both the life history techniques (LHT) and streamline techniques (SLT) of the Griffith‐Woodley method are studied. The results show that the satellite data are useful for estimating both the volume and areal distribution of rainfall, which are very difficult to assess using the conventional rain‐gauge method. The satellite rainfall estimation is well correlated with the gauge rainfall measurement. The coefficients of determination range from 0.76 to 0.82 in the LHT and from 0.56 to 0.60 in the SLT. The paired t‐test is able to differentiate the performance difference between the LHT and SLT, and the rainfall estimated by the LHT was significantly higher than that by the SLT. The LHT appears to be more suitable for estimating rainfall under Florida conditions, mainly because of the rainfall increment rate between the satellite estimation and gauge measurements is near 1.0 in the LHT but not in the SLT. A further study is strongly recommended concerning the possibility of improving the SLT application.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
1.
Augustine, J. A., et al. (1981). “Insights into errors of SMS‐infrared GATE convective rainfall.” J. Appl. Meteorology, 20, 509–520.
2.
Barrett, E. C. (1970). “The estimation of monthly rainfall from satellite data.” Monthly Weather Rev., 98, 322–327.
3.
Barrett, E. C., and Herschy, R. W. (1986). “A European perspective on satellite remote sensing for hydrology and water management.” Hydrologic application of space technology (Publication No. 160), A. I. Johnson, ed., Int. Assoc., of Hydrol. Sci., Washington, D.C., 3–12.
4.
Barrett, E. C., and Martin, D. W. (1981). The use of satellite data in rainfall monitoring. Academic Press, New York, N.Y.
5.
Blackmer, R. H., Jr., and Serebreny, S. M. (1968). “Analysis of maritime precipitation using radar data and satellite cloud photographs.” J. Appl. Meteorology, 7, 122–131.
6.
Climatological data for Florida. (1979). Nat. Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin., Asheville, N.C.
7.
Creutin, J. D., Lacomba, P., and Obled, C. (1986). “Spatial relationship between cloud‐cover and rainfall field: a statistical approach combining satellites and ground data.” Hydrologic applications of space technology (Publication No. 160), A. I. Johnson, ed., Int. Assoc., of Hydrol. Sci., Washington, D.C., 81–90.
8.
Follansbee, W. A. (1973). “Estimation of average daily rainfall from satellite cloud photographs.” NOAA Technical Memorandum NESS 44, Nat. Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin., Washington, D.C.
9.
Gilman, C. S. (1964). “Rainfall.” Handbook of applied hydrology, V. T. Chow, ed., McGraw‐Hill Book Co., New York, N.Y., 9‐1–9–68.
10.
Griffith, C. G., et al. (1978). “Rain estimation from geosynchronous satellite imagery—visible and infrared study.” Monthly Weather Rev., 106, 1153–1171.
11.
Griffith, C. G. (1987). “Comparisons of gauge and satellite rain estimates for the central United States during August 1979.” J. Geophysical Res., 92(D8), 9551–9566.
12.
Lovejoy, S., and Austin, G. L. (1979). “The sources of error in rain amount estimating schemes from GOES visible and IR satellite data.” Monthly Weather Rev., 107, 1048–1054.
13.
Miller, D. H. (1977). Water at the surface of the earth: an introduction to ecosystem hydrodynamics. Academic Press, New York, N.Y.
14.
Moses, J. F., and Barrett, E. C. (1986). “Interactive procedures for estimating precipitation from satellite imagery.” Hydrologic application of space technology (Publication No. 160), A. I. Johnson, ed., Int. Assoc., of Hydrol. Sci., Washington, D.C., 25–40.
15.
Reap, R. M. (1986). “Evaluation of cloud‐to‐ground lightning data from the western United States for the 1983‐84 summer seasons.” J. Climate and Appl. Meteorology, 25(6), 785–799.
16.
Rockney, V. D. (1958). “The WSR‐57 radar.” Proc. 7th Weather Radar Conf., American Meteorology Society, 15–20.
17.
Scofield, R. A., and Oliver, V. J. (1977). “A scheme for estimating convective rainfall from satellite imagery.” NOAA TM NESS, 86, Nat. Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin., Washington, D.C.
18.
Scofield, R. A. (1987). “The NESDIS operational convective precipitation estimation technique.” Monthly Weather Rev., 115, 1773–1792.
19.
Shih, S. F. (1982). “Rainfall variation analysis and optimization of gaging systems.” Water Resour. Res., 18(4), 1269–1277.
20.
Shih, S. F. (1988a). “Potential application of remote sensing in rainfall and soil moisture estimations.” Taiwan Water Conservancy Quarterly, 36(4), 1–20.
21.
Shih, S. F. (1988b). “Using lightning for rainfall estimation in Florida.” Trans. Am. Soc. of Agric. Engrs., 31(3), 750–755.
22.
Shih, S. F. (1989). “Potential application of satellite data for rainfall estimation.” Remote sensing and large‐scale global processes (Publication No. 186), A. Rango, ed., Int. Assoc., of Hydrol. Sci., Washington, D.C.
23.
Steel, R. G. D., and Torrie, J. H. (1980). Principles and procedures of statistics. 2nd ed., McGraw‐Hill Book Co., New York, N.Y.
24.
Woodley, W. L., Sancho, B., and Miller, A. H. (1972). “Rainfall estimation from satellite cloud photograph.” NOAA Technical Memorandum ERL OD‐11, Nat. Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin., Washington, D.C.
25.
Woodley, W. L., et al. (1980). “The inference of GATE convective rainfall from SMS‐1 imagery.” J. Climate and Appl. Meteorology, 19(4), 388–408.
26.
Wylie, D. P., and Laitsch, D. (1983). “The impacts of different satellite data on rainfall estimation scheme.” J. Climate and Appl. Meteorology, 22(7), 1270–1283.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering
Volume 115 • Issue 5 • October 1989
Pages: 839 - 852
Copyright
Copyright © 1989 ASCE.
History
Published online: Oct 1, 1989
Published in print: Oct 1989
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.