Real-time estimation of rainfall fields using radar rainfall and rain gage data

New attempts at real-time estimation of rainfall fields using rain gage and radar rainfall data are reported. Based on multiplicative decomposition of expectation of rainfall into conditional expectation sf rainfall given raining and probability of rainfall, the estimation procedures explicitly account for both within-storm variability of rainfall and variability due to fractional coverage of rainfall. As a result, in addition to the accuracy of radar rainfall data in estimating rainfall given that rainfall is successfully detected, that in discerning rainfall from no rainfall can also be taken into account. To evaluate the estimation procedures, cross validation was performed using hourly radar rainfall data from the Tulsa, Oklahoma, Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler version (WSR-88D) and hourly rain gage data under the radar umbrella. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.