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，对于陆地水循环的研究至关重要，更广泛地说，对于陆地环境中的地球化学循环的研究至关重要。 Hydro-NEXRAD系统包括多个用户在巴尔的摩生态系统研究（BES）LTER研究网站，特别侧重于分析？热点？激情时刻？与湿润和干燥事件有关的地球化学循环。 系统升级和数据集的扩展将增加用户基础，包括在美国各地不同环境中参与陆地地球化学循环研究的科学家。 在地球化学循环相关领域进行研究或教学的人来自许多学科，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在与他们的研究和教育兴趣有关的实际研究项目中测试过的可用工具，许多需要降雨数据的学科的研究人员将获得一个创新的软件产品，这将有助于迅速获得更精确和可靠的信息，以支持科学发现。 一个经过测试和改进的产品将被传递给一个网络基础设施团队，以便在项目结束后继续提供用户支持。 在获得可靠的降水数据方面的转变将改变水平衡研究，而水平衡研究是广泛研究的基础。 尤其重要的是，该系统能够在广泛的时间和空间尺度上进行降雨分析，并按流域进行组织。 Hydro-NEXRAD是一种创新的互联网技术，用于组织和访问来自国家气象雷达网络的数据，从而能够在水文研究和教育中更多地使用数据。 这项技术可以通过合并来自多个雷达和雨量计的数据，快速制作以流域为中心的定制降雨图。 该提案旨在测试系统性能，以支持研究人员在洪水水文学、水质建模、水和地球化学循环的生态水文分析、河流网络中的水传输、分布式水文模型的评估和校准等方面的工作。重要问题是精度限制、验证方法、估计不确定性以及这些如何随气候、地形、在真实的时间中工作和利用？超分辨率？2008年升级NEXRAD系统。 其他用户需要在使用产品时浮出水面，以支持课程工作。 我们的目标是缩小这一差距？降雨产品？然后呢？用户需求？通过与两个数据提供商（主要是NOAA和UCAR？s Unidata）和用户。 该产品将为水文科学的研究和教学服务，并为今后的雷达降雨数据系统提供原型，供一般研究使用，并用于公共和私营部门的水资源管理。 Hydro-NEXRAD系统已经建立了一个强大的用户基础，部分通过用户的支持信记录在案，但应努力扩大用户基础，以包括水文、农业、工程设计、生态、林业和城市规划方面的广泛应用。但这些出版物应针对在当前用户群中代表性不足的应用程序组。 PI也将使用？外展我们的目标是向潜在的用户群体提供能力，特别是通过像CUAHSI这样的社区组织。 Hydro-NEXRAD系统还发展了一批积极开展教育活动的用户。 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降雨量绘图，并使广大政府和私人用户更容易获得这种绘图，以用于业务目的。

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.