Document Type

Presentation

Publication Date

8-1-2014

Abstract

A key issue in basin and dam management is the correct estimation of accumulated rainfall (observed as well as forecasted) over the catchment (over the characteristic concentration time for critical short-term management, and over longer time periods to anticipate rainfall situations). In this work we present a platform for basin and dam management, called WiBasin, which integrates different sources of precipitation (both observed and forecasted) in a continuous time series of hourly rainfall accumulation fields, having the best precipitation estimation available at each time step. Optimal rainfall estimates used for the past time steps are based on a geostatistical approach to combine radar and raingauge observations. This technique is used to generated series of past rainfall estimates where both sources are available. For lead times between 0 and 6 hours, the platform combines radar-based rainfall nowcasts with Numerical Weather Prediction models rainfall forecasts. In this blended product, the recent performance of each of the two precipitation forecasts (nowcasting and NWP models) is used to set the weights that will be assigned to each of them. For lead times beyond 6 hours (and for up to one week) hourly rainfall accumulations are formed by NWP outputs. This continuous time series of rainfall fields are integrated over the catchment domain to provide an aggregated value of potential rainfall accumulated over the basin, which represents a first approximation to the potential runoff expected at the outlet. WiBasin platform is currently operational and visualizes these continuous series of precipitation fields together with geo-referenced information. WiBasin also displays the integrated accumulated rainfall over the basin at each time step and the total accumulated for a given period. User-defined thresholds for each basin can be set to issue hazard warnings for future accumulation forecasts and spread by several channels (web-viewer, email, SMS…).

Comments

Session R45, Remote Sensing and LiDAR Data: Precipitation Products

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