Improving design precipitation estimates by combining estimates from high-resolution adjusted radar data and long-term ombrographic measurements

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00020699%3A_____%2F25%3AN0000049" target="_blank" >RIV/00020699:_____/25:N0000049 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169809525006490?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" >https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169809525006490?via%3Dihub</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2025.108557" target="_blank" >10.1016/j.atmosres.2025.108557</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Improving design precipitation estimates by combining estimates from high-resolution adjusted radar data and long-term ombrographic measurements

Original language description

Design precipitation estimates are crucial for hydrological modeling, flood risk assessment, and infrastructure planning. Traditional methods rely either on relatively sparse rain-gauge data or on areal but less reliable radar-derived precipitation data. We propose an innovative approach to improving the estimates by merging two design precipitation fields: (i) from adjusted high-resolution radar-derived intensities and (ii) from long-term ombrographic measurements. The proposed approach is demonstrated through application to Czechia on 1-h, 6-h, and 24-h design precipitation totals. Leave-one-out cross-validation identifies Empirical Bayesian Kriging of the ratios between ombrograph- and adjusted radar-derived design totals as the most effective merging method. The combined estimates offer enhanced spatial accuracy, better reflecting real spatial gradients of extreme precipitation. The resulting design precipitation fields reflect substantial spatial variability at shorter durations due to convective precipitation, whereas the highest 24-h design totals are concentrated in mountainous regions, consistent with large-scale circulation patterns driving prolonged stratiform rainfall. A comparison with previously developed datasets confirms the reliability of the new estimates, emphasizing the relevance of radar adjustments and regional frequency analysis. Moreover, the merging procedure increases underestimated radar-based short-term design totals, which highlights a key advantage of the proposed approach. The enhanced spatial resolution and reliability of the resulting design precipitation estimates enable more robust flood risk management, infrastructure design, and adaptation planning, particularly in this region with such diverse precipitation regimes.

Czech name

—

Czech description

—

Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

—

OECD FORD branch

10510 - Climatic research

Project

<a href="/en/project/SS02030040" target="_blank" >SS02030040: Prediction, Evaluation and Research for Understanding National sensitivity and impacts of drought and climate change for Czechia</a><br>

Continuities

P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)<br>I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2025

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Atmospheric Research

ISSN

0169-8095

e-ISSN

1873-2895

Volume of the periodical

330

Issue of the periodical within the volume

11 October 2025

Country of publishing house

NL - THE KINGDOM OF THE NETHERLANDS

Number of pages

13

Pages from-to

nestrankovano

UT code for WoS article

001401236000001

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85209403838