Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Evaluation of Satellite Rainfall Estimates in the Pra Basin of Ghana

Version 1 : Received: 13 November 2016 / Approved: 14 November 2016 / Online: 14 November 2016 (07:39:44 CET)

How to cite: Owusu, C.; Adjei, K.A.; Odai, S.N. Evaluation of Satellite Rainfall Estimates in the Pra Basin of Ghana. Preprints 2016, 2016110073. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints201611.0073.v1 Owusu, C.; Adjei, K.A.; Odai, S.N. Evaluation of Satellite Rainfall Estimates in the Pra Basin of Ghana. Preprints 2016, 2016110073. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints201611.0073.v1

Abstract

Satellite-based rainfall estimation products provide a vital alternative source of rainfall data in areas where conventional precipitation measurement is not readily available. In order to facilitate the use of these products there is the need to evaluate their accuracies. This study evaluated the accuracy of three satellite rainfall products; TMPA 3B42RT, TMPA 3B42 and CMORPH in the Pra basin (23,330 km2) of Ghana. The evaluation was through the point-to-pixel method by comparing 0.25°x 0.25° satellite grids to gauged rainfall based on gauge locations and analyzed statistically using correlation coefficient (r), bias and percent bias (pBias) as the performance verification methods. Seven (7) gauge stations with no missing data for the period of 2003-2008 was used in the evaluation. The analysis was based on daily, monthly, annual and seasonal timescales. Our results showed a good correlation between the TMPA products and the gauged data on all timescales considered. The CMORPH on the other hand showed huge overestimation at all gauge locations. The TMPA 3B42 was seen to be the best amongst the three products. The overall rainfall in the basin was well depicted by the TMPA 3B42 and 3B42RT. Although there wasn’t a perfect match between the 3B42RT and 3B42 products and the gauged rainfall, these products can be used to supplement gauged rainfall measurements in the basin and in estimation of rainfall in ungauged basins with similar characteristics.

Keywords

rainfall; TMPA; CMORPH; Pra basin; satellite-based precipitation; Ghana

Subject

Environmental and Earth Sciences, Atmospheric Science and Meteorology

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