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Defining dry/wet spells for point observations, observed area averages, and regional climate model gridboxes in Europe

Bärring, Lars LU ; Holt, Tom ; Linderson, Maj-Lena LU ; Radziejewski, Madej ; Moriondo, Marco and Palutikof, Jean P. (2006) In Climate Research 31(1). p.35-49
Abstract
A new method for optimising threshold values of dry/wet spells is evaluated. A set of indices is used to find the best threshold giving good correspondence between the frequency of dry/wet spells in Hadley Centre regional model (HadRM3) output, reference observations with predetermined thresholds, and area-averaged observations. The analyses focus on selected model gridboxes in 3 different European climate regimes (Sweden, UK, Italy), where station data are available from several locations. In addition, a pan-European analysis using the European Climate Assessment (ECA) dataset is carried out. Generally, there is good agreement between point observations and the corresponding area average using the common thresholds of 0.1 or 1.0 mm with... (More)
A new method for optimising threshold values of dry/wet spells is evaluated. A set of indices is used to find the best threshold giving good correspondence between the frequency of dry/wet spells in Hadley Centre regional model (HadRM3) output, reference observations with predetermined thresholds, and area-averaged observations. The analyses focus on selected model gridboxes in 3 different European climate regimes (Sweden, UK, Italy), where station data are available from several locations. In addition, a pan-European analysis using the European Climate Assessment (ECA) dataset is carried out. Generally, there is good agreement between point observations and the corresponding area average using the common thresholds of 0.1 or 1.0 mm with observational data. Applying the optimal thresholds on the model output is important, as it typically results in substantially better agreement between the simulated and observed series of dry/wet days. The fitted optimal pan-European dry/wet threshold is (1) 0.47 or 0.15 mm, depending on model version, for the observed point data threshold of 0.1 mm, and (2) 1.2 or 0.56 mm, depending on model version, for the threshold of 1.0 mm. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
regional climate model, precipitation, areal, Europe, wet spell, dry spell
in
Climate Research
volume
31
issue
1
pages
35 - 49
publisher
Inter-Research
external identifiers
  • wos:000240057000004
  • scopus:33746466514
ISSN
1616-1572
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
9b9e1419-1052-45a7-833d-2980a1d50a4e (old id 395286)
alternative location
http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/cr/v31/n1/p35-49/
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 11:47:08
date last changed
2022-02-10 21:30:53
@article{9b9e1419-1052-45a7-833d-2980a1d50a4e,
  abstract     = {{A new method for optimising threshold values of dry/wet spells is evaluated. A set of indices is used to find the best threshold giving good correspondence between the frequency of dry/wet spells in Hadley Centre regional model (HadRM3) output, reference observations with predetermined thresholds, and area-averaged observations. The analyses focus on selected model gridboxes in 3 different European climate regimes (Sweden, UK, Italy), where station data are available from several locations. In addition, a pan-European analysis using the European Climate Assessment (ECA) dataset is carried out. Generally, there is good agreement between point observations and the corresponding area average using the common thresholds of 0.1 or 1.0 mm with observational data. Applying the optimal thresholds on the model output is important, as it typically results in substantially better agreement between the simulated and observed series of dry/wet days. The fitted optimal pan-European dry/wet threshold is (1) 0.47 or 0.15 mm, depending on model version, for the observed point data threshold of 0.1 mm, and (2) 1.2 or 0.56 mm, depending on model version, for the threshold of 1.0 mm.}},
  author       = {{Bärring, Lars and Holt, Tom and Linderson, Maj-Lena and Radziejewski, Madej and Moriondo, Marco and Palutikof, Jean P.}},
  issn         = {{1616-1572}},
  keywords     = {{regional climate model; precipitation; areal; Europe; wet spell; dry spell}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{35--49}},
  publisher    = {{Inter-Research}},
  series       = {{Climate Research}},
  title        = {{Defining dry/wet spells for point observations, observed area averages, and regional climate model gridboxes in Europe}},
  url          = {{http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/cr/v31/n1/p35-49/}},
  volume       = {{31}},
  year         = {{2006}},
}