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Adjustment of global precipitation data for enhanced hydrologic modeling of tropical Andean watersheds

Author

Listed:
  • Michael Strauch

    (UFZ - Helmholtz-Center for Environmental Research)

  • Rohini Kumar

    (UFZ - Helmholtz-Center for Environmental Research)

  • Stephanie Eisner

    (University of Kassel)

  • Mark Mulligan

    (King’s College London)

  • Julia Reinhardt

    (Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research – PIK)

  • William Santini

    (Institut de Recherche pour le Développement – IRD
    Géosciences Environnement Toulouse – GET)

  • Tobias Vetter

    (Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research – PIK)

  • Jan Friesen

    (UFZ - Helmholtz-Center for Environmental Research)

Abstract

Global gridded precipitation is an essential driving input for hydrologic models to simulate runoff dynamics in large river basins. However, the data often fail to adequately represent precipitation variability in mountainous regions due to orographic effects and sparse and highly uncertain gauge data. Water balance simulations in tropical montane regions covered by cloud forests are especially challenging because of the additional water input from cloud water interception. The ISI-MIP2 hydrologic model ensemble encountered these problems for Andean sub-basins of the Upper Amazon Basin, where all models significantly underestimated observed runoff. In this paper, we propose simple yet plausible ways to adjust global precipitation data provided by WFDEI, the WATCH Forcing Data methodology applied to ERA-Interim reanalysis, for tropical montane watersheds. The modifications were based on plausible reasoning and freely available tropics-wide data: (i) a high-resolution climatology of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) and (ii) the percentage of tropical montane cloud forest cover. Using the modified precipitation data, runoff predictions significantly improved for all hydrologic models considered. The precipitation adjustment methods presented here have the potential to enhance other global precipitation products for hydrologic model applications in the Upper Amazon Basin as well as in other tropical montane watersheds.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael Strauch & Rohini Kumar & Stephanie Eisner & Mark Mulligan & Julia Reinhardt & William Santini & Tobias Vetter & Jan Friesen, 2017. "Adjustment of global precipitation data for enhanced hydrologic modeling of tropical Andean watersheds," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 141(3), pages 547-560, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:climat:v:141:y:2017:i:3:d:10.1007_s10584-016-1706-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s10584-016-1706-1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Strauch, Michael & Volk, Martin, 2013. "SWAT plant growth modification for improved modeling of perennial vegetation in the tropics," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 269(C), pages 98-112.
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