Performances of GPM satellite precipitation over the two major Mediterranean islands

Abstract

Obtaining accurate high-resolution precipitation fields is still a challenging task. Nowadays, continuous technological evolution of satellite-rainfall estimate systems, which are able to produce low-cost data with a global coverage, are giving significant improvements in precipitation monitoring. The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) is the most recent satellite mission and a promising source of rainfall estimates at high spatial and temporal resolutions. The aim of this study is to assess the reliability of Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) products for the Sardinia and Sicily (Italy). Given the complex morphology and the different precipitation types, originated by stratiform and convective systems as well as by the interaction of steep orography in the coasts with winds carrying on humid air masses from the Mediterranean Sea, both the islands are interesting test sites for the GPM products in the European mid-latitude area. We selected the GPM post real-time “Final” run product at 0.1° spatial resolution and half-hour temporal resolution for the period 2015-2016. Evaluation and comparison of the selected product, at the hourly and daily time-scales, are performed by evaluating their consistence with measured data provided by the rain gauge networks of the two islands through statistical and graphical tools.