Editorial Type:
Article
Article Type:
Research Article

Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Information Using Artificial Neural Networks

Kou-lin Hsu Department of Hydrology and Water Resources, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona

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Xiaogang Gao Department of Hydrology and Water Resources, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona

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Soroosh Sorooshian Department of Hydrology and Water Resources, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona

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Hoshin V. Gupta Department of Hydrology and Water Resources, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona

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Print Publication:
01 Sep 1997
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0450(1997)036<1176:PEFRSI>2.0.CO;2
Page(s):
1176–1190
Restricted access

Abstract

A system for Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Information using Artificial Neural Networks (PERSIANN) is under development at The University of Arizona. The current core of this system is an adaptive Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model that estimates rainfall rates using infrared satellite imagery and ground-surface information. The model was initially calibrated over the Japanese Islands using remotely sensed infrared data collected by the Geostationary Meteorological Satellite (GMS) and ground-based data collected by the Automated Meteorological Data Acquisition System (AMeDAS). The model was then validated for both the Japanese Islands (using GMS and AMeDAS data) and the Florida peninsula (using GOES-8 and NEXRAD data). An adaptive procedure is used to recursively update the network parameters when ground-based data are available. This feature dramatically improves the estimation performance in response to the diverse precipitation characteristics of different geographical regions and time of year. The model can also be successfully updated using only spatially and/or temporally limited observation data such as ground-based rainfall measurements. Another important feature is a procedure that provides insights into the functional relationships between the input variables and output rainfall rate.

Corresponding author address: Dr. Soroosh Sorooshian, Department of Hydrology and Water Resources, The University of Arizona, College of Engineering and Mines, Building 11, Tucson, AZ 85721.

soroosh@hwr.arizona.edu

Abstract

A system for Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Information using Artificial Neural Networks (PERSIANN) is under development at The University of Arizona. The current core of this system is an adaptive Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model that estimates rainfall rates using infrared satellite imagery and ground-surface information. The model was initially calibrated over the Japanese Islands using remotely sensed infrared data collected by the Geostationary Meteorological Satellite (GMS) and ground-based data collected by the Automated Meteorological Data Acquisition System (AMeDAS). The model was then validated for both the Japanese Islands (using GMS and AMeDAS data) and the Florida peninsula (using GOES-8 and NEXRAD data). An adaptive procedure is used to recursively update the network parameters when ground-based data are available. This feature dramatically improves the estimation performance in response to the diverse precipitation characteristics of different geographical regions and time of year. The model can also be successfully updated using only spatially and/or temporally limited observation data such as ground-based rainfall measurements. Another important feature is a procedure that provides insights into the functional relationships between the input variables and output rainfall rate.

Corresponding author address: Dr. Soroosh Sorooshian, Department of Hydrology and Water Resources, The University of Arizona, College of Engineering and Mines, Building 11, Tucson, AZ 85721.

soroosh@hwr.arizona.edu

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Cover Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology
Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology

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