Evaluación de Imágenes Satelitales de Precipitaciones (TRMM 3B43 mensual) en región Costa, Sierra y Oriente del Ecuador

Abstract

Accurate precipitation data is of utmost importance for water resources management. However, it is difficult to estimate, especially in regions of high spatial variability and scarcity of rain gauge networks, such as Ecuador. Algorithms that use satellite outputs to estimate precipitation spatially can cope with this problem. Nevertheless, they have a limited accuracy and resolution; therefore, their evaluation is necessary in order to find additional datasets that support characterization of precipitation patterns in a region.The present research evaluates the TRMM 3B43 algorithm precipitation estimates on a monthly scale with fourteen rain gauge data series from the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology of Ecuador (INAMHI). Stations are distributed in the three regions of Ecuador (Costa, Sierra and Oriente) and the time series are from 1998 to 2010.In general, TRMM 3B43 estimates capture monthly precipitation qualitatively in the study region. According to the statistical errors and satellite scores calculated, the Coastal and Oriental regions are better estimated quantitatively than the Andean region.Evaluation of a newly launched algorithm that is widely used and consistent results in a complex region provide methodology and conclusions that can be extrapolated to more detailed studies in the future such as calibration and bias correction of precipitation estimates.