Enhancing Hydro-NEXRAD: Community Resource for Use of Radar-Rainfall Data

随时获得关于降雨量的可靠的空间和时间数据对于研究陆地水循环以及更广泛地研究陆地环境中的生物地球化学循环是至关重要的。Hydro-NEXRAD系统包括巴尔的摩生态系统研究(BES)LTER研究站点的多个用户，特别关注热点分析？火热的时刻？与湿润和干燥有关的生物地球化学循环。系统升级和数据集的扩展将增加用户基础，将参与美国各地不同环境下的陆地生物地球化学循环研究的科学家包括在内。在生物地球化学循环相关领域进行研究或授课的人来自许多学科，很少有人熟悉现在用于测量降雨量的尖端技术及其优势和局限性。这个项目将为他们提供一个有用的工具，在与他们的研究和教育兴趣相关的实际研究项目中进行测试。许多学科的研究人员需要降雨量数据，他们将获得一个创新的软件产品，该产品将促进快速获得更准确和可靠的信息，以支持科学发现。经过测试和改进的产品将在项目结束后移交给网络基础设施团队，以获得持续的用户支持。在获得可靠的降水数据方面的转变将改变水平衡研究，这些研究是广泛研究的基础。特别重要的是能够在广泛的时间和空间尺度上进行降雨分析，并按流域组织。Hydro-NEXRAD是一种创新的互联网技术，用于组织和访问来自全国天气雷达网络的数据，从而能够在水文研究和教育中更多地使用这些数据。这项技术通过合并来自多个雷达和雨量计的数据，可以快速生成定制的以流域为中心的降雨图。这项提议是为了测试系统的性能，以支持研究人员在洪水水文学、水质建模、水和生物地球化学循环的生态水文分析、河网中的水传输、分布式水文模型的评估和校准等方面的工作。重要的问题是精度限制、验证方法、估计不确定性以及这些因素如何随气候、地形等变化。在实时工作和开发超分辨率？2008年升级NEXRAD系统。其他用户在使用产品支持课程工作方面的需求也浮出水面。我们的目标是缩小降雨产品之间的差距。以及？用户需求？通过与数据提供商(主要是NOAA和UCAR？S Unidata)和用户合作。该产品将为水文科学的研究和教学服务，并为未来的雷达降雨数据系统提供一个原型，供一般研究和公共和私营部门的水资源管理使用。Hydro-NEXRAD系统已经建立了强大的用户基础，这在一定程度上是通过用户的支持信来记录的，但应努力扩大用户基础，以包括在水文、农业、工程设计、生态、林业和城市规划方面的广泛应用。PIs将通过记录系统能力和性能测试的传统出版物来推广其产品，但这些出版物应针对当前用户群体中代表性不足的应用群体。PIS还将利用？外展？向潜在用户群体提供能力，特别是通过CUAHSI等基于社区的组织。Hydro-NEXRAD系统还为教育活动发展了一个活跃的用户群体。将通过推广用户通过CUAHSI外联活动开发的工具，扩大该系统的教育影响。更多的支助将使非专家更容易获得雨量测绘，并使广泛的政府和私人用户出于业务目的。

Ready access to reliable spatial and temporal data on rainfall amounts is essential to studies of the terrestrial water cycle and, more generally for studies of biogeochemical cycling in terrestrial environments. The Hydro-NEXRAD system has included multiple users in the Baltimore Ecosystem Study (BES) LTER study site, with a special focus on analyses of ?hot spot ? hot moment? biogeochemical cycling associated with wetting and drying episodes. System upgrades and expansions of the data sets will increase the user base to include scientists involved in terrestrial biogeochemical cycle research in diverse settings across the US. People who research or teach in fields related to biogeochemical cycling come from many disciplines, and few are familiar with the cutting-edge technology now used to measure rainfall and its strengths and limitations. This project would provide them a usable tool tested in actual research projects that are relevant to their research and educational interests.Researchers in many disciplines who need rainfall data would acquire an innovative software product that would enhance rapid access to more precise and reliable information to support scientific discovery. A tested and refined product would be passed on to a cyber-infrastructure team for continuing user support after the project concludes. The transformation in obtaining reliable precipitation data would transform the water balance studies that are foundational for a wide range of research. Especially important is the capability for rainfall analysis over a broad range of time and space scales and organized by drainage basins.Intellectual merit. Hydro-NEXRAD is innovative over-the-Internet technology for organizing and accessing data from the national network of weather radars thus enabling increased use of the data in hydrologic research and education. This technology allows rapid producing of customized drainage basin-centric rainfall maps by merging data from multiple radars and rain gauges. This proposal is to test system performance against what researchers need to support work on flood hydrology, water quality modeling, eco-hydrological analyses of water and biogeochemical cycles, water transport in river networks, evaluation and calibration of distributed hydrologic models, etc. Important issues are accuracy limits, validation methodologies, estimation uncertainties, and how these vary with climate, topography, etc. Additional issues arise in working in real time and exploiting the ?super-resolution? upgrade of the NEXRAD system in 2008. Other user needs surface in using the products to support course work. The goal is to close this gap between ?rainfall products? and ?user needs? by working with both data providers (principally NOAA and UCAR?s Unidata) and with users.Broader impacts. The product would serve research and teaching in hydrologic science and provide a prototype for future radar-rainfall data systems for general research use and for water resources management in the public and private sectors. The Hydro-NEXRAD system has developed a strong user base, as documented in part through supporting letters from users, but efforts should be made to expand the user base to include a broad spectrum of applications in hydrology, agriculture, engineering design, ecology, forestry and urban planning The PIs will promote their product through conventional publications documenting system capabilities and performance tests, but these publications should be directed at applications groups that are underrepresented in the current set of users. The PIs will also utilize ?outreach? capabilities to potential user groups, especially through community-based organizations like CUAHSI. The Hydro-NEXRAD system has also developed an active group of users for educational activities. The educational impact of the system will be expanded by promoting tools that have been developed by users through the CUAHSI outreach activities. Additional support will make rainfall mapping more accessible to non-experts and for operational purposes by a wide range of governmental and private users.