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Extension of the TAMSAT satellite-based rainfall monitoring over Africa and from 1983 to present

Tarnavsky, E. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3403-0411, Grimes, D., Maidment, R. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2054-3259, Black, E. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1344-6186, Allan, R. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0264-9447, Stringer, M., Chadwick, R. and Kayitakire, F. (2014) Extension of the TAMSAT satellite-based rainfall monitoring over Africa and from 1983 to present. Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology, 53 (12). pp. 2805-2822. ISSN 1558-8424

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To link to this item DOI: 10.1175/JAMC-D-14-0016.1

Abstract/Summary

Tropical Applications of Meteorology Using Satellite Data and Ground-Based Observations (TAMSAT) rainfall monitoring products have been extended to provide spatially contiguous rainfall estimates across Africa. This has been achieved through a new, climatology-based calibration, which varies in both space and time. As a result, cumulative estimates of rainfall are now issued at the end of each 10-day period (dekad) at 4-km spatial resolution with pan-African coverage. The utility of the products for decision making is improved by the routine provision of validation reports, for which the 10-day (dekadal) TAMSAT rainfall estimates are compared with independent gauge observations. This paper describes the methodology by which the TAMSAT method has been applied to generate the pan-African rainfall monitoring products. It is demonstrated through comparison with gauge measurements that the method provides skillful estimates, although with a systematic dry bias. This study illustrates TAMSAT’s value as a complementary method of estimating rainfall through examples of successful operational application.

Item Type:Article
Refereed:Yes
Divisions:Interdisciplinary Research Centres (IDRCs) > Walker Institute
Science > School of Mathematical, Physical and Computational Sciences > National Centre for Earth Observation (NCEO)
Science > School of Mathematical, Physical and Computational Sciences > NCAS
Science > School of Mathematical, Physical and Computational Sciences > Department of Meteorology
ID Code:38696
Publisher:American Meteorological Society

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