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Evaluating precipitation products for hydrologic modeling over a large river basin in the Midwestern USA

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journal contribution
posted on 2020-03-04, 13:55 authored by Jingrui Wang, Ganming Liu, Chen Zhu

We evaluated precipitation estimates, TRMM (Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission 3B42V7), CFSR (Climate Forecast System Reanalysis), GHCN-D (Global Historical Climatology Network-Daily Version 3.24), and Daymet, using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). The suitability and quality of TRMM, CFSR and Daymet in forcing the SWAT-based hydrological model was examined by means of model calibration. A calibrated TRMM-driven model slightly overestimated streamflow, while a calibrated CFSR-driven model performed worst. The Daymet-driven model performance was as good as the GHCN-D-driven model in reproducing observations. In addition, the temperature was far less sensitive compared with precipitation in driving SWAT. TRMM 3B42V7 showed great potential in streamflow simulation. The results and findings from this study provide new insights into the suitability of precipitation products for hydrological and climate impact studies in large basins, particularly those in typical climates and physiographic settings similar to the Midwestern USA.

Funding

This project was partly supported by the Environmental Resilience Institute, funded by Indiana University’s Prepared for Environmental Change Grand Challenge initiative. JRW acknowledges financial support from the exchange student program of the China Scholarship Council. Editing and review of the manuscript by Anne G Hereford and Jennifer Brand is greatly appreciated.

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