Precipitation phase uncertainty in cold region conceptual models resulting from meteorological forcing time-step intervals
(2020) In Hydrology Research 51(2). p.180-187- Abstract
Precipitation phase determination is a known source of uncertainty in surface-based hydrological, ecological, safety, and climate models. This is primarily due to the surface precipitation phase being a result of cloud and atmospheric properties not measured at surface meteorological or hydrological stations. Adding to the uncertainty, many conceptual hydrological models use a 24-h average air temperature to determine the precipitation phase. However, meteorological changes to atmospheric properties that control the precipitation phase often substantially change at sub-daily timescales. Model uncertainty (precipitation phase error) using air temperature (AT), dew-point temperature (DP), and wet-bulb temperature (WB) thresholds were... (More)
Precipitation phase determination is a known source of uncertainty in surface-based hydrological, ecological, safety, and climate models. This is primarily due to the surface precipitation phase being a result of cloud and atmospheric properties not measured at surface meteorological or hydrological stations. Adding to the uncertainty, many conceptual hydrological models use a 24-h average air temperature to determine the precipitation phase. However, meteorological changes to atmospheric properties that control the precipitation phase often substantially change at sub-daily timescales. Model uncertainty (precipitation phase error) using air temperature (AT), dew-point temperature (DP), and wet-bulb temperature (WB) thresholds were compared using averaged and time of observation readings at 1-, 3-, 6-, 12-, and 24-h periods. Precipitation phase uncertainty grew 35–65% from the use of 1–24 h data. Within a sub-dataset of observations occurring between AT -6 and 6 °C representing 57% of annual precipitation, misclassified precipitation was 7.9% 1 h and 11.8% 24 h. Of note, there was also little difference between 1 and 3 h uncertainty, typical time steps for surface meteorological observations.
(Less)
- author
- Feiccabrino, James M. LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2020
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Conceptual models, Precipitation phase, Snow, Snow model, Temperature threshold
- in
- Hydrology Research
- volume
- 51
- issue
- 2
- pages
- 8 pages
- publisher
- IWA Publishing
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85087279229
- ISSN
- 1998-9563
- DOI
- 10.2166/nh.2020.080
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- a3b037de-cbdd-45a9-82c9-1ea6a08b1510
- date added to LUP
- 2020-07-16 13:38:29
- date last changed
- 2022-04-18 23:36:20
@article{a3b037de-cbdd-45a9-82c9-1ea6a08b1510,
abstract = {{<p>Precipitation phase determination is a known source of uncertainty in surface-based hydrological, ecological, safety, and climate models. This is primarily due to the surface precipitation phase being a result of cloud and atmospheric properties not measured at surface meteorological or hydrological stations. Adding to the uncertainty, many conceptual hydrological models use a 24-h average air temperature to determine the precipitation phase. However, meteorological changes to atmospheric properties that control the precipitation phase often substantially change at sub-daily timescales. Model uncertainty (precipitation phase error) using air temperature (AT), dew-point temperature (DP), and wet-bulb temperature (WB) thresholds were compared using averaged and time of observation readings at 1-, 3-, 6-, 12-, and 24-h periods. Precipitation phase uncertainty grew 35–65% from the use of 1–24 h data. Within a sub-dataset of observations occurring between AT -6 and 6 <sup>°</sup>C representing 57% of annual precipitation, misclassified precipitation was 7.9% 1 h and 11.8% 24 h. Of note, there was also little difference between 1 and 3 h uncertainty, typical time steps for surface meteorological observations.</p>}},
author = {{Feiccabrino, James M.}},
issn = {{1998-9563}},
keywords = {{Conceptual models; Precipitation phase; Snow; Snow model; Temperature threshold}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{2}},
pages = {{180--187}},
publisher = {{IWA Publishing}},
series = {{Hydrology Research}},
title = {{Precipitation phase uncertainty in cold region conceptual models resulting from meteorological forcing time-step intervals}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/nh.2020.080}},
doi = {{10.2166/nh.2020.080}},
volume = {{51}},
year = {{2020}},
}