Precipitation in the Mediterranean basin as seen from the 2000-2010 TRMM-3B42-v6 database

Sarrand, B. et al.Trabajo presentado en la EGU General Assemby 2012, celebrada del 22 al 27 de septiembre de 2012 en Viena (Austria)This work presents a detailed analysis of 11 yrs of the version 6 of the TRMM-3B42 multi-sensor precipitation product (3-h and 0.25° resolution) from March 2000 to February 2011 over the whole Mediterranean basin and surrounding areas including the Black Sea (25°N-50°N, 10°W-43°E). We first discuss some issues in the data set regarding spatial and temporal discontinuities in coastal areas, and further illustrate a critical underestimation of light rains at latitudes higher than 36-37° that somewhat improves from 2007 on and is associated to the absence of coverage by the Precipitation Radar. North of the radar field of view, it seems that the marine coastal band is subject to a significant under detection of precipitation, whereas, on the opposite, the terrestrial coastal band south of 35°N in North Africa and the Near East shows unrealistic over detection of precipitation. We then evaluate the product against rain gauges with a focus on the western Mediterranean basin and the Adriatic. Our reference rain gauge data set includes about 1 million daily rain reports from more than 260 Mediterranean surface stations from Croatia, France, Italy, Malta, Spain (including 2 stations on the northern coast of Africa) and Tunisia, and from 9 additional non-Mediterranean stations from a flat region in France. It includes stations from almost 20 small Mediterranean islands. The comparison shows a significant correlation between TRMM-3B42v6 and rain gauges but with an overall tendency to underestimation. The average ratio of daily rates between surface stations and TRMM product is ~0.63 with significant regional variations, Corsica showing the poorest results and Spain the best. Over the Mediterranean stations considered, the average rate of success on the occurrence of precipitation (~0.75) is enhanced by the high proportion of dry days in the Mediterranean climate (~4 over 5 on average in the rain gauge data set) and drops off when only days with precipitation recorded at surface stations are considered. Averaging fallout at monthly and annual time scales somewhat improves the comparison to rain gauges. We find that results are better in summer and likely more generally in unstable conditions, as illustrated by a subset of data composed of days with high African dust load over the basin. Using a few TRMM pixels that cover 3 or even 5 surface stations, we further illustrate how the small scale heterogeneity of precipitation is a limitation in the comparison between the integrated view of precipitation from space and the local surface measurements. Finally we integrate the variability of the rainfall geographical distribution at seasonal and annual scales over 5 sub-basins (western and eastern Mediterranean, Adriatic, Aegean, and Black Sea). An increasing trend in annual precipitation in the Mediterranean basin is observed over the decade that is also found at the global scale and appears related to the improving performance of the product with time regarding the detection of light rains, especially over Europe and the Mediterranean. Finally we compare the TRMM-3B42v6 precipitation budget over the basin with comparable budgets from ERA-Interim, HOAPS and CMAP data setsPeer Reviewe

The role of sea–land air thermal difference, shape of the coastline and sea surface temperature in the nocturnal offshore convection

Nocturnal precipitation cells and lines occur near the coastline in the whole Mediterranean basin in all seasons. The precipitation events are mainly located in areas where coastal mountain ranges and rivers enhance convergence though the interaction of nocturnal mesoscale and local flows (land breeze, katabatic and drainages winds) with prevailing synoptic wind or with other mesoscale and local flows. The methodology used here to study this phenomenon consists of three stages. First, the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) radar satellite database is used to detect nocturnal precipitation near the coastline, from 18 to 09 UTC. An event is included in the study if the 3 hours accumulated precipitation detected by TRMM is stationary near the coast, or has moved slightly onshore or offshore, and has lasted no more than six consecutive hours. Second, the NCEP reanalysis database is used to describe the synoptic conditions and to discard precipitation associated with synoptic events (large low pressure areas, dynamic polar fronts, or troughs, for example). In the final step by using the version 3 of the Weather Research Forecast model, we simulate and analyse some of the selected events to determine the role of the land–sea temperature differences, the curvature of the coastline and the sea surface temperature.The simulations confirm that the nocturnal precipitation studied in the Mediterranean basin near the coastline is formed from the interaction between relatively warm and wet sea-air with the cold air mass from drainage winds, as well as from the convergence of several drainage winds offshore. The mechanism is the same that is used to explain nocturnal precipitation in tropical areas