Syewoon Hwang

Quantitative Spatiotemporal Evaluation of Dynamically Downscaled MM5 Precipitation Predictions over the Tampa Bay Region, Florida

AbstractThis research quantitatively evaluated the ability of the fifth-generation Pennsylvania State University–National Center for Atmospheric Research Mesoscale Model (MM5) to reproduce observed spatiotemporal variability of precipitation in the Tampa Bay region over the 1986–2008 period. Raw MM5 model results were positively biased; therefore, the raw model precipitation outputs were bias corrected at 53 long-term precipitation stations in the region using the cumulative distribution function (CDF) mapping approach. CDF mapping effectively removed the bias in the mean daily, monthly, and annual precipitation totals and improved the RMSE of these rainfall totals. Observed daily precipitation transition probabilities were also well predicted by the bias-corrected MM5 results. Nevertheless, significant error remained in predicting specific daily, monthly, and annual total time series. After bias correction, MM5 successfully reproduced seasonal geostatistical precipitation patterns, with higher spatial va...

Assessment of the utility of dynamically-downscaled regional reanalysis data to predict streamflow in west central Florida using an integrated hydrologic model

The goal of this study was to evaluate the ability of dynamically downscaled reanalysis data to reproduce local-scale spatiotemporal precipitation and temperature data needed to accurately predict streamflow in the Tampa Bay region of west central Florida. In particular, the Florida State University Center for Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction Studies CLARReS10 data (NCEP DOE 2 reanalysis data (R2) downscaled to 10-km over the Southeast USA using the Regional Spectral Model (RSM) were evaluated against locally available observed precipitation and temperature data and then used to drive an integrated hydrologic model that was previously calibrated for the Tampa Bay region. Resulting streamflow simulations were evaluated against observed data and previously calibrated model results. Results showed that the raw downscaled reanalysis predictions accurately reproduced the seasonal trends of mean daily minimum temperature, maximum temperature and precipitation, but generally overestimated the monthly mean and standard deviation of daily precipitation. Biases in the temporal mean and standard deviation of daily precipitation and temperature predictions were effectively removed using a CDF-mapping approach; however, errors in monthly precipitation totals remained after bias correction. Monthly streamflow simulation error statistics indicated that the accuracy of the streamflow produced by the bias-corrected downscaled reanalysis data was satisfactory (i.e., sufficient for seasonal to decadal planning), but that the accuracy of the streamflow produced by the raw downscaled reanalysis data was unsatisfactory for water resource planning purposes. The findings of this study thus indicate that further improvement in large-scale reanalysis data and regional climate models is needed before dynamically downscaled reanalysis data can be used directly (i.e. without bias correction with local data) to drive hydrologic models. However, bias-corrected dynamically downscaled data show promise for extending local historic climate observation records for hydrologic simulations. Furthermore, results of this study indicate that similarly bias-corrected dynamically downscaled retrospective and future GCM projections should be suitable for assessing potential hydrologic impacts of future climate change in the Tampa Bay region.

Statistical Downscaling Multimodel Forecasts for Seasonal Precipitation and Surface Temperature over the Southeastern United States

AbstractThis study compared two types of approaches to downscale seasonal precipitation (P) and 2-m air temperature (T2M) forecasts from the North American Multimodel Ensemble (NMME) over the states of Alabama, Georgia, and Florida in the southeastern United States (SEUS). Each NMME model forecast was evaluated. Two multimodel ensemble (MME) schemes were tested by assigning equal weight to all forecast members (SuperEns) or by assigning equal weights to each model’s ensemble mean (MeanEns). One type of downscaling approach used was a model output statistics (MOS) method, which was based on direct spatial disaggregation and bias correction of the NMME P and T2M forecasts using the quantile mapping technique [spatial disaggregation with bias correction (SDBC)]. The other type of approach used was a perfect prognosis (PP) approach using nonparametric locally weighted polynomial regression (LWPR) models, which used the NMME forecasts of Nino-3.4 sea surface temperatures (SSTs) to predict local-scale P and T2M...

Uncertainty in Regional Climate Change Impact Assessment using Bias-Correction Technique for Future Climate Scenarios

It is now generally known that dynamical climate modeling outputs include systematic biases in reproducing the properties of atmospheric variables such as, preciptation and temerature. There is thus, general consensus among the researchers about the need of bias-correction process prior to using climate model results especially for hydrologic applications. Among the number of bias-correction methods, distribution (e.g., cumulative distribution fuction, CDF) mapping based approach has been evaluated as one of the skillful techniques. This study investigates the uncertainty of using various CDF mapping-based methods for bias-correciton in assessing regional climate change Impacts. Two different dynamicailly-downscaled Global Circulation Model results (CCSM and GFDL under ARES4 A2 scenario) using Regional Spectial Model for retrospective peiod (1969-2000) and future period (2039-2069) were collected over the west central Florida. Total 12 possible methods (i.e., 3 for developing distribution by each of 4 for estimating biases in future projections) were examined and the variations among the results using different methods were evaluated in various ways. The results for daily temperature showed that while mean and standard deviation of Tmax and Tmin has relatively small variation among the bias-correction methods, monthly maximum values showed as significant variation (~2`C) as the mean differences between the retrospective simulations and future projections. The accuracy of raw preciptiation predictions was much worse than temerature and bias-corrected results appreared to be more significantly influenced by the methodologies. Furthermore the uncertainty of bias-correction was found to be relevant to the performance of climate model (i.e., CCSM results which showed relatively worse accuracy showed larger variation among the bias-correction methods). Concludingly bias-correction methodology is an important sourse of uncertainty among other processes that may be required for cliamte change impact assessment. This study underscores the need to carefully select a bias-correction method and that the approach for any given analysis should depend on the research question being asked.

Land Use Change in Central Florida and Sensitivity Analysis Based on Agriculture to Urban Extreme Conversion

This paper explored recent land use and land cover change in western central Florida, examining both socioeconomic and biophysical influences on land transformation and the impacts of that change. Between 1995 and 2006, a growth in population resulted in the conversion of agricultural areas, grasslands, and upland forests to urban areas. Additionally, the amount of extractive land uses (e.g., mining) increased by 21.8%, water reservoirs by 19.9%, and recreation areas by 13.3%. Regional climate modeling experiments suggest that the overall effects of land use change (LUC) on mesocale climates in summer days resulted in modified temperatures that were modulated by the new LU characteristics, local and synoptic atmospheric circulations, and the distance of rural and urban land uses from the shoreline. The difference between the extreme and actual LU simulations for temperature, wind speed, wind direction, and precipitation presented higher variability in the inland urbanized and rural zones. Results can be used to better understand the basic influences of LUC and urbanization on key climate parameters, and urban heat island effects in peninsular Florida under typical weather conditions.

Assessing the Benefits of Incorporating Rainfall Forecasts into Monthly Flow Forecast System of Tampa Bay Water, Florida

ABSTRACT 지속가능한 수자원 관리 시스템을 위한 수문 예측은 안정적인 장단기 용수 공급에 있어 중요한 과제이며 , 이를 위해는 다양한 기후 정보를 이용한 시스템의 평가가 우선되어야 한다 . 본 연구에서는 미국 플로리다 템파 지역의 연간 월 강우와 하천 유량 예측을 위해 본 시험지역에 운용되고 있는 유량 모의 시스템 (flow modeling system, FMS)을 소개하고, 관측된 강우 자료를 ‘최적 예측 강우 시나리오 (the best rainfall forecast)’로 가정하여 FMS의 기후 예측 정보에 대한 활용성을 평가하였다 . 연구 결과, 기본적으로 FMS에 의해 예측된 월 강우량 앙상블의 중앙값이 관측 강우량을 잘 재현하는 것으로 나타났다 . 강우 예측 모델 입력자료로 사용되는 초기 월 강우량은 2개월까지의 예측에 간섭하며 이 후 예측치는 동일한 범주로 수렴하여 관측자료로 부터 추정된 통계치에 의존하는 것으로 나타났다. 이는 예측 모델이 최대 2개월간의 예측 효용성을 가짐을 의미한다 . 월 강우량 앙상블을 이용하여 예측된 하천 유량 앙상블은 4-6개월까지의 예측 효용성을 보였다 . 예측된 강우량 대신 실제 관측 월강우 시계열 자료를 유량 예측을 위한 강우 입력자료로 적용한 결과 , 예측된 유량의 범주가 현저히 감소하였으며 예측의 불확실성이 감소하는 것으로 나타났다 . 본 연구 결과는 시험 지역에 대한 신뢰도 높은 강우 예측 자료의 확보가 기존의 수문 예측 시스템 개선에 기여할수 있다는 것을 보여준다 . Keywords: Tampa Bay; flow modeling system (FMS); stochastic rainfall forecast; monthly flow forecast I. INTRODUCTION * The largest water-supply agency in west central Florida USA, Tampa Bay Water provides wholesale water for more than 2 million residents through a diverse regional water supply system (www.tampabaywater.org). Tampa Bay Water authority uses ground, surface and desalinated water to supply drinking water for a densely populated region covering three counties (Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas) and three cities (New Port Richey, St. Petersburg and Tampa). The local governments (e.g., cities and counties) distribute the

Stream detection for LiDAR digital elevation models from a forested area

Airborne Laser Swath Mapping instrument technology and subsequent algorithm advances have made it possible over the last few years to map the Earths surface and land cover at unprecedented resolution. The ability of Airborne Laser Swath Mapping technology to densely sample ground elevations beneath forest canopies is particularly important because forested watersheds have traditionally been difficult to study with remote sensing techniques. The extraction of stream networks from digital elevation models (DEMs) plays a fundamental role in modelling local and spatially distributed hydrological processes. Our approach, based on an encoding of mathematical morphological operators, is shown to systematically and accurately extract stream channel locations, forms and incipient incisions in a forested watershed. The accuracy of the method is verified using a set of error measures over simulated terrain and also over real terrain where the site was manually surveyed.

Assessing the Utility of Rainfall Forecasts for Weekly Groundwater Level Forecast in Tampa Bay Region, Florida

미래 기후 정보를 이용한 수문 환경의 단기 미래 예측은 안정적 수자원 공급을 위한 필수적 과제이다. 미국 플로리다 주 중서부 템파 지역에서는 주요 수자원 중 하나인 지하수의 효과적 활용을 위해 지하수위 인공신경망 모델 (GWANN)을 개발하여 피압 대수층과 비 피압 대수층에 대한 주 단위 평균 지하수위를 월별로 예측하고 그 결과를 수자원 공급 의사 결정에 반영하고 있다. 본 논문은 템파지 역에 대한 GWANN 모델을 이용한 지하수위 예측 시스템을 소개하고 모델의 기후 입력 자료의 민감도를 분석함으로써 양질의 기후 정 보에 대한 현 시스템의 활용성을 검토하였다. 2006년과 2007년에 대한 연구 결과, 관측 자료를 최적 예측 시나리오 (the best forecast) 로 가정하여 적용한 결과는 지하수위 관측 지점에 따라 큰 차이를 보였지만 일반적으로 현 시스템 (현 시점의 실시간 주 단위 평균 강 우량을 향후 4주간 동일하게 적용함) 에 비해 예측 성능이 개선되는 것으로 나타났다. 더불어 강우 관측 자료의 백분위 (percentile forecast; 20분위, 50분위, 80분위)를 강우 예측 자료로 활용한 경우에도 현 시스템과 비교하여 일부 나은 결과를 보여주었다. 그러나 지하수위 예측 모델을 활용하지 않고 현 시점의 지하 수위가 지속된다고 가정하는 경우 (naïve model) 향후 2주간의 예측 결과가 best forecast 경우에 비해 높은 정확도를 보이는 등, GWANN 모델의 단기 예측에 대한 양질의 강우 예측 정보의 활용성은 낮으며, 향후 3주 이상에 대한 예측 성능에 있어 best forecast결과가 naïve model 결과에 비해 높은 정확도를 보이기 시작하는 것으로 나타났다. 또한 GWANN 모델의 예측 성능은 적용 기간과 지역 및 지하대수층의 특성에 따라 큰 다양성을 가지는 단점을 보여 강우 예측 자료 활용에 앞서 모 델 개선의 필요성이 있다고 판단된다. 본 연구는 단기수자원 공급 계획 수립을 위하여 사용되는 지역 모델링 시스템에 대한 기후 예측 정보의 활용성 평가를 위한 방법론으로 고려될 수 있을 것으로 기대된다.

Combining Bias-correction on Regional Climate Simulations and ENSO Signal for Water Management: Case Study for Tampa Bay, Florida, U.S.

As demand of water resources and attentions to changes in climate (e.g., due to ENSO) increase, long/short term prediction of precipitation is getting necessary in water planning. This research evaluated the ability of MM5 to predict precipitation in the Tampa Bay region over 23 year period from 1986 to 2008. Additionally MM5 results were statistically bias-corrected using observation data at 33 stations over the study area using CDF-mapping approach and evaluated comparing to raw results for each ENSO phase (i.e., El Nio and La Nia). The bias-corrected model results accurately reproduced the monthly mean point precipitation values. Areal average daily/monthly precipitation predictions estimated using block-kriging algorithm showed fairly high accuracy with mean error of daily precipitation, 0.8 mm and mean error of monthly precipitation, 7.1 mm. The results evaluated according to ENSO phase showed that the accuracy in model output varies with the seasons and ENSO phases. Reasons for low predictions skills and alternatives for simulation improvement are discussed. A comprehensive evaluation including sensitivity to physics schemes, boundary conditions reanalysis products and updating land use maps is suggested to enhance model performance. We believe that the outcome of this research guides to a better implementation of regional climate modeling tools in water management at regional/seasonal scale.