Validation of TRMM multi-satellite precipitation analysis (TMPA) products in the Peruvian Andes

The relevance of accurate and timely rainfall estimates cannot be overstated. The rainfall gauge network is still insufficient across significant areas worldwide. Rainfall estimates from spaceborne sensors present an opportunity to supplement the existing network and enable the development of critical, near real time applications. However, the societal benefits of such systems can only be realized if the estimates are properly validated and the performance of existing products accurately described. In this study, two products generated by the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA) are validated for the Peruvian Andes. This is a region of complex topography that poses significant challenges to the retrieval of rainfall values from space. The TMPA products, both research grade (3842V7) and near real time (3B42RT), are compared against in situ data. Different observation lengths are studied and the results are analyzed in light of geographic, topographic and climatic constraints. The Time Series of the science grade product were also studied under Dynamic Time Warping and Hierarchical Clustering to streamline inter-tile comparisons. The TMPA products show a good agreement with the gauge values, especially for more prolonged observation periods (over 8 days). The validation results display a strong regional dependence as a consequence of differences in the climate and topography. This region-specific performance calls for additional, detailed case studies and localized validation efforts. Overall the TMPA was found to perform adequately and provide quality information for a number of applications requiring timely estimates in convenient formats. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.