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Search Results (198)

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20 pages, 19123 KB  
Article
Spatial Exceedance Probability Mapping of Monthly Rainfall Using Gridded Precipitation Products in an Orographically Complex Monsoon Basin, Western Thailand
by Manatchanok Pannak, Ketvara Sittichok, Chaiyapong Thepprasit and Chuphan Chompuchan
Hydrology 2026, 13(6), 155; https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrology13060155 - 15 Jun 2026
Viewed by 625
Abstract
In many orographically complex monsoon basins, rain gauge networks are sparse and lack the long-term continuous records required for reliable precipitation probability analysis. Traditional regional frequency analysis assumes spatially uniform precipitation across the analysis zone, which is inadequate for basins with steep rainfall [...] Read more.
In many orographically complex monsoon basins, rain gauge networks are sparse and lack the long-term continuous records required for reliable precipitation probability analysis. Traditional regional frequency analysis assumes spatially uniform precipitation across the analysis zone, which is inadequate for basins with steep rainfall gradients and strong seasonal variability. Gridded precipitation products (GPPs) provide spatially continuous, long-term records that enable grid-cell-level probability distribution fitting. However, GPPs may exhibit local biases and errors, and statistical evaluation against gauge observations is necessary before application. This study was conducted in the Phetchaburi–Prachuap Khiri Khan River Basin, western Thailand, a region with steep orographic and coastal rainfall gradients. Four GPPs, namely CHIRPS, CHELSA, WorldClim, and PERSIANN-CCS-CDR, were evaluated against gauge observations. The best-performing product, after monthly bias correction, was then used to generate spatially continuous monthly exceedance probability maps using grid-cell gamma distribution fitting. CHELSA showed the best overall performance across all evaluation metrics (correlation coefficient (r) = 0.908, percent bias (PBIAS) = 7.0%, root mean square error (RMSE) = 48.3 mm), passing the Kolmogorov–Smirnov (KS) goodness-of-fit test at all 96 station-months. CHIRPS and WorldClim showed satisfactory overall performance but exhibited localized biases in complex terrain, whereas PERSIANN-CCS-CDR substantially overestimated wet-season rainfall, limiting its suitability for this basin. Spatial precipitation patterns varied markedly between monsoon regimes, shifting from a dominant west-to-east orographic gradient during the southwest monsoon to a less differentiated advective pattern during the northeast monsoon. Furthermore, analysis at the 75% exceedance probability level showed that mean-based effective rainfall overestimated reliable water supply in high-variance months, leading to underestimation of supplemental irrigation demand. The generated maps provide spatially explicit dependable rainfall estimates across the basin, supporting probabilistic agricultural water management at multiple planning scales in orographically complex monsoon basins. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Statistical Hydrology)
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25 pages, 13745 KB  
Article
Mapping of Spatially Distributed Soil Erosion over the Tungabhadra River Sub-Basin (TRB) Using Satellite-Based Precipitation Products (SPPs) and RUSLE Modelling
by Saravanan Subbarayan and Ramanarayan Sankriti
Hydrology 2026, 13(6), 148; https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrology13060148 - 5 Jun 2026
Viewed by 429
Abstract
In many developing regions, the lack of on-site weather data impedes the estimation of rainfall-driven processes, such as soil erosion. Satellite-based precipitation products (SPPs) can support hydrological modelling in gauge-sparse regions by providing continuous rainfall estimates. Accurate rainfall estimation is crucial to soil [...] Read more.
In many developing regions, the lack of on-site weather data impedes the estimation of rainfall-driven processes, such as soil erosion. Satellite-based precipitation products (SPPs) can support hydrological modelling in gauge-sparse regions by providing continuous rainfall estimates. Accurate rainfall estimation is crucial to soil erosion modelling, particularly in data-scarce regions such as the TRB. In this study, seven satellite-based precipitation products—CHIRPS, IMERG, TRMM, ERA5, GLDAS, and PERSIANN-CDR, along with the IMD gridded dataset—were evaluated for their ability to represent rainfall patterns and support R-factor estimation in the RUSLE framework. This is the first comprehensive evaluation of multiple SPPs for RUSLE-based soil erosion modelling in the Tungabhadra river basin (TRB), providing insights for ungauged watersheds in India. CHIRPS and IMERG displayed relatively smooth and continuous patterns, while PERSIANN-CDR and TRMM exhibited fragmented rainfall zones. ERA5 and GLDAS demonstrated consistent but moderate values across the basin. IMD data served as the reference product for comparison. The findings reveal that the choice of precipitation dataset directly affects the accuracy of erosion estimation. Therefore, multi-dataset evaluation is recommended for reliable assessment of soil loss and watershed planning in ungauged or partially gauged catchments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Soil and Hydrology)
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24 pages, 19974 KB  
Article
A Novel Optimal Layout Method for Rain Gauge Network Based on Mutual Information Entropy and Deep Learning Model
by Yanyan Huang, Xin Lu, Han Luo, Bin Liu and Rui Wang
Sensors 2026, 26(11), 3532; https://doi.org/10.3390/s26113532 - 3 Jun 2026
Viewed by 335
Abstract
Rain gauge networks are the core infrastructure for hydrological and water resource monitoring, flood control and disaster mitigation early warning, and water resource planning and regulation. The rationality of their layout directly determines the accuracy, representativeness, and economy of regional precipitation data acquisition. [...] Read more.
Rain gauge networks are the core infrastructure for hydrological and water resource monitoring, flood control and disaster mitigation early warning, and water resource planning and regulation. The rationality of their layout directly determines the accuracy, representativeness, and economy of regional precipitation data acquisition. Considering that information entropy can accurately characterize the spatial distribution law and information complexity of rainfall, and spatiotemporal deep learning models have strong capabilities in fitting spatiotemporal features, this paper couples mutual information entropy with a spatiotemporal deep learning model and proposes a novel optimal layout method for rain gauge networks. Daily observed rainfall data from 50 ground-based rain gauges in the upper reaches of the Tuojiang River during 2015–2024, as well as the PERSIANN-CCS remote sensing precipitation product for the same period, were used in the study. A CNN-LSTM spatiotemporal deep learning model integrating spatial features and temporal dependence was constructed, coupled with the mutual information entropy index, and the GA-PSO hybrid optimization algorithm was applied for solution. The superiority of the proposed method was verified by comparison with the calculation results of the traditional mutual information entropy-based greedy optimization algorithm. The results show that the hybrid optimization algorithm driven by the spatiotemporal deep learning model coupled with mutual information entropy is significantly superior to the comparison algorithm in terms of the rationality of the station network structure, the ability to characterize spatial rainfall distribution, the control of average relative error, and the improvement of total information entropy. After optimization, the number of rain gauges in the upper reaches of the Tuojiang River can be reduced from 50 to 25. While greatly reducing the number of stations, the optimized network can still relatively accurately reflect the spatiotemporal characteristics of rainfall in the basin, which can provide a theoretical basis and technical support for the optimal layout of basin rain gauge networks and water resource management. Full article
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22 pages, 27038 KB  
Article
Rainstorm Disaster Risk Assessment in the Yangtze River Basin with Fengyun Satellite Precipitation Products
by Chuanguo Yang, Ying Li, Shiqin You, Jian Hu, Lanrui Wang and Chaojie Wang
Remote Sens. 2026, 18(11), 1756; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs18111756 - 1 Jun 2026
Viewed by 333
Abstract
Rainstorm disasters rank among the most impactful natural hazards globally. The application of satellite precipitation products (SPPs) plays a crucial role in enhancing regional disaster prevention and mitigation strategies by improving the accuracy and timeliness of meteorological disaster warning. The Yangtze River Basin, [...] Read more.
Rainstorm disasters rank among the most impactful natural hazards globally. The application of satellite precipitation products (SPPs) plays a crucial role in enhancing regional disaster prevention and mitigation strategies by improving the accuracy and timeliness of meteorological disaster warning. The Yangtze River Basin, historically prone to severe rainstorm disasters, was selected as the study area. This study evaluates the accuracy of China’s Fengyun series (FY-2 and FY-4; hereafter FY), IMERG-early and PERSIANN-CCS, constructs a basin-scale indicator system for rainstorm disaster risk assessment, and delineates rainstorm risk zones using different FY products. The results indicate that IMERG-early and FY-2G have the highest monitoring capability with a correlation coefficient (CC) of spatial distribution >0.80 and a time series CC >0.70, respectively. FY-4B and FY-4A exhibit similar performance, whereas FY-2H and PERSIANN-CCS show lower performance than the FY-4 series. Thus, a basin-scale rainstorm disaster risk assessment indicator system was developed using the domestic FY-2G product. The risk zoning results show that high- and medium-high-risk areas account for approximately 12.79% and 26.32% of the total basin area, respectively, and are predominantly concentrated in the middle–lower Yangtze region and the Sichuan plain. These high- and medium-high-risk zones exhibit a spatial overlap rate of 82.35% with the rainstorms and their cascading hazards documented in China’s Annual Top 10 Natural Disasters since 2019. Future research should prioritize dynamic exposure assessment and enhance monitoring and early warning applications for specific rainstorm events. Full article
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28 pages, 13979 KB  
Article
Comparison Analysis of Thirteen Global Precipitation Datasets over Mainland China
by Hanqing Chen, Xiaopeng Liu, Yuan Gao, Hua Wang and Hang Yang
Remote Sens. 2026, 18(10), 1459; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs18101459 - 7 May 2026
Viewed by 342
Abstract
Various global precipitation datasets have been used in precipitation-related fields such as hydrology, meteorology, climatology, and ecology to achieve different research objectives. Error analysis is an integral part before applying them to operational fields. However, the growing number of precipitation products and the [...] Read more.
Various global precipitation datasets have been used in precipitation-related fields such as hydrology, meteorology, climatology, and ecology to achieve different research objectives. Error analysis is an integral part before applying them to operational fields. However, the growing number of precipitation products and the absence of comprehensive error comparison research jointly impede users in distinguishing product-specific error patterns and constrain developers from enhancing precipitation estimation accuracy. To address this issue, we performed error analysis and comparison of thirteen global precipitation products—categorized as delayed time (DT), near real-time (NRT), and real-time (RT) types—across mainland China. Results revealed that GSMaP-Gauge (Gauge-adjusted Global Satellite Mapping of Precipitation) performed best in terms of detection indicators, while MGP (Multi-source merged global precipitation product) performed best in estimating precipitation accuracy. However, IMERG-Final (Integrated Multisatellite Retrievals for Global Precipitation Measurement Final Run) proved ineffective in reducing the overestimations of both storm and light precipitation events in regions of complex topography. Furthermore, two DT products (i.e., ERA5 (Fifth generation of ECMWF atmospheric reanalyses of the global climate) and MGP) overestimated the frequency of light precipitation events, with relative rainfall occurrence biases exceeding 80%. This bias is attributable to both false detections and the misclassification of high intensity rainfall as light precipitation. Although GSMaP-NOW (based exclusively on passive microwave data) detected precipitation more effectively than the infrared-only PDIRNow (Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Information Using Artificial Neural Networks (PERSIANN)—Dynamic Infrared Rain Rate (Now)), it achieved lower accuracy. This discrepancy reflects the tradeoff between the higher precipitation sensitivity of passive microwave observations and their sparse temporal sampling, compared with the continuous coverage provided by infrared data. Finally, our findings indicated that current evaluation approaches do not reliably determine the optimal precipitation product, since product superiority is contingent upon the selected error metric. This underscores the urgent need to develop theoretically grounded and operationally reliable methods for selecting optimal precipitation products to support data users in deriving robust and reliable conclusions in hydrology, meteorology, and ecology. Full article
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24 pages, 22374 KB  
Article
The Efficiency of Satellite Products to Assess Climate Change Impacts on Runoff and Water Availability in a Semi-Arid Basin
by Sana Elomari, El Mahdi El Khalki, Oussama Nait-Taleb, Maryem Ismaili, Jaouad El Atiq, Samira Krimissa, Mustapha Namous and Abdenbi Elaloui
Sustainability 2026, 18(8), 4089; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18084089 - 20 Apr 2026
Viewed by 1170
Abstract
Climate change poses an escalating threat to global water resources, with semi-arid regions such as Morocco being particularly vulnerable due to high climatic variability and limited adaptive capacity. In these regions, including the Tassaoute watershed in central Morocco, data scarcity and uncertainties related [...] Read more.
Climate change poses an escalating threat to global water resources, with semi-arid regions such as Morocco being particularly vulnerable due to high climatic variability and limited adaptive capacity. In these regions, including the Tassaoute watershed in central Morocco, data scarcity and uncertainties related to data availability and quality frequently hinder robust assessments of climate change impacts. Recent advances in data science and remote sensing offer promising alternatives to overcome these limitations. This study investigates the potential of the PERSIANN-CDR satellite-derived precipitation product for assessing climate change impacts on water resources. The capability of PERSIANN-CDR to reproduce observed precipitation patterns and associated hydrological responses is evaluated through a comparative analysis using observed precipitation data. Results indicate that PERSIANN-CDR generally underestimates peak precipitation events and total rainfall amounts compared to in situ observations. Runoff is simulated using two hydrological models: GR2M (Génie Rural 2 parameters Mensuel) and the Thornthwaite water balance method, both driven by observed meteorological data and PERSIANN-CDR precipitation. The future water availability was assessed using 5 climate models, under two scenarios: RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 for the periods 2030–2060 and 2061–2090. Results show a marked temperature increase of 2–3 °C across all models, accompanied by a general decline in precipitation ranging from −30% to −60% under RCP4.5 and −20% to −80% under RCP8.5. These climatic changes translate into substantial reductions in runoff, with stronger decreases projected under the high-emission scenario and during the dry season. Monthly analyses reveal pronounced seasonal contrasts, highlighting the increased sensitivity of low-flow periods to climate forcing. Overall, runoff is projected to decrease by 50–90%, with model and data-source differences highlighting the importance of multi-model and satellite-derived approaches in data-sparse regions. These results emphasize the utility of satellite precipitation datasets in guiding climate-adaptive water management strategies. Full article
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33 pages, 3914 KB  
Article
Interpreting Satellite Rainfall Bias Correction Through a Rainfall–Runoff Framework in a Monsoon-Influenced River Basin: The Phetchaburi River Basin, Thailand
by Jutithep Vongphet, Thirasak Saion, Ketvara Sittichok, Songsak Puttrawutichai, Chaiyapong Thepprasit, Polpech Samanmit, Bancha Kwanyuen and Sasiwimol Khawkomol
Water 2026, 18(8), 964; https://doi.org/10.3390/w18080964 - 18 Apr 2026
Viewed by 522
Abstract
Accurate rainfall information is essential for rainfall–runoff modeling in monsoon-influenced basins, where pronounced spatial variability and limited gauge coverage introduce significant uncertainty. Satellite precipitation products provide spatially continuous estimates but are affected by systematic biases, and improvements in statistical rainfall accuracy do not [...] Read more.
Accurate rainfall information is essential for rainfall–runoff modeling in monsoon-influenced basins, where pronounced spatial variability and limited gauge coverage introduce significant uncertainty. Satellite precipitation products provide spatially continuous estimates but are affected by systematic biases, and improvements in statistical rainfall accuracy do not necessarily translate into hydrologically consistent model forcing. This study interpreted satellite rainfall bias correction through a rainfall–runoff framework in the Phetchaburi River Basin, Thailand, using the DWCM-AgWU hydrological model. Simulations were driven by gauge observations and multiple satellite-based rainfall products (GSMaP, CMORPH, CHIRPS, and PERSIANN-CCS), with bias correction applied using Linear Scaling and Quantile Mapping under rainfall-specific calibration. Results showed that bias correction significantly modified rainfall characteristics in distinct ways. Linear Scaling primarily preserved temporal and spatial structure while adjusting rainfall magnitude, whereas Quantile Mapping improved the distributional representation of rainfall intensities. These differences propagated through hydrological processes, leading to systematic variations in runoff responses across multiple metrics, including water balance consistency, peak magnitude, and timing errors. This suggests that each method performs differently depending on the aspect of system response. Rather than identifying a universally optimal method, the findings highlight trade-offs in how rainfall correction strategies influence hydrological system response. Runoff behavior is interpreted as a process-level indicator of rainfall representation, emphasizing that hydrological consistency depends not only on rainfall accuracy but also on its interaction with model structure. These results suggest a process-oriented perspective for interpreting the role of satellite rainfall products in regulated and monsoon-affected basins. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Hydrology)
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28 pages, 15164 KB  
Article
Fusion and Analysis of Multi-Source Precipitation Data (2003–2021) in the Yangtze River Basin
by Runzhi Sun, Yanbo Zhang, Jinglin Cong, Gang Chen and Jifa Chen
Remote Sens. 2026, 18(8), 1191; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs18081191 - 16 Apr 2026
Viewed by 608
Abstract
A vital region for China’s water resource storage and ecological balance maintenance, the Yangtze River Basin is strategically significant for maintaining regional water security and promoting long-term social and economic development. Precipitation is the main driver of the hydrological cycle. In order to [...] Read more.
A vital region for China’s water resource storage and ecological balance maintenance, the Yangtze River Basin is strategically significant for maintaining regional water security and promoting long-term social and economic development. Precipitation is the main driver of the hydrological cycle. In order to address current problems with the basin’s ecological environment and water supplies, comprehensive analyses of multi-source precipitation data are necessary. They provide an essential scientific basis for evaluating the sustainability of water resources in the Yangtze River Basin in the context of climate change. Most existing precipitation fusion studies utilize only a limited number of datasets and do not fully consider the independence among different data sources, which leads to less-than-ideal fusion accuracy and assessment metrics. This paper employs the Triple Collocation (TC) method to evaluate and fuse multiple precipitation datasets over a 19-year period from 2003 to 2021, with the aim of enhancing precipitation accuracy in the Yangtze River Basin. The Multi-Source Weighted-Ensemble Precipitation (MSWEP) precipitation data were found to have the highest accuracy among seven datasets, with a Correlation Coefficient (CC), Relative Bias (Rbias), and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 0.907, −0.027, and 25.930 mm, respectively. The “MSWEP–PERSIANN–NOAH (MPN)” fusion was shown to be the best using the Multiplicative Triple Collocation (MTC) method in conjunction with cross-error analysis. Compared to MSWEP alone, it improved CC by 0.8% and decreased RMSE by 3.8%, with matching spatial-grid CC and RMSE improvements of 1.2% and 1.8%, respectively. Further spatiotemporal analysis of the fused data increase detection capabilities for short-term flood and waterlogging occurrences and provide better knowledge of basin water-resource status. Full article
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29 pages, 10454 KB  
Article
Assessing the Hydrological Utility of Multiple Satellite Precipitation Products in the Yellow River Source Region with Error Propagation Analysis
by Chengcheng Meng, Xingguo Mo and Liqin Han
Remote Sens. 2026, 18(4), 537; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs18040537 - 7 Feb 2026
Viewed by 701
Abstract
Satellite precipitation products (SPPs) generally exhibit varying accuracy and error characteristics, which influence their applicability in hydrological modeling. Based on gauge-observed precipitation and streamflow data, as well as runoff simulations from the SWAT model, this study evaluates the data accuracy, hydrological utility, and [...] Read more.
Satellite precipitation products (SPPs) generally exhibit varying accuracy and error characteristics, which influence their applicability in hydrological modeling. Based on gauge-observed precipitation and streamflow data, as well as runoff simulations from the SWAT model, this study evaluates the data accuracy, hydrological utility, and error propagation characteristics of eight SPPs derived from the GSMaP, IMERG, and PERSIANN algorithms in the Yellow River Source Region (YRSR), an alpine mountainous watershed. Results show that for estimating precipitation amounts and detecting precipitation events, post-processed GSMaP_Gauge (GGauge) performs best, followed by IMERG Final run data. These two datasets present good substitutability for gauge-based observations and demonstrate considerable potential in streamflow modeling. Specifically, after parameter recalibration, the performance of GGauge is comparable to that of gauge-derived simulations. Most propagation ratios of systematic bias (γRB) exceed one, while the ratios of random error (γubRMSE) are below 1, indicating that, through hydrological simulation, systematic bias in precipitation data is more likely to be amplified, whereas random error is generally suppressed. Additionally, γubRMSE exhibits more pronounced autocorrelation than γRB, with hotspots in the central region and cold spots in the western part of the YRSR, which is highly related to the basin slope. The statistical features and spatial patterns of error propagation indices help to identify zones that are sensitive to precipitation errors in the study area and highlight the need for targeted strategies to address different types of data error in the modification of SPPs for hydrological application. Full article
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30 pages, 16791 KB  
Article
Assessment of Remote Sensing Precipitation Products for Improved Drought Monitoring in Southern Tanzania
by Vincent Ogembo, Erasto Benedict Mukama, Ernest Kiplangat Ronoh and Gavin Akinyi
Climate 2026, 14(2), 36; https://doi.org/10.3390/cli14020036 - 30 Jan 2026
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 885
Abstract
In regions lacking sufficient data, remote sensing (RS) offers a reliable alternative for precipitation estimation, enabling more effective drought management. This study comprehensively evaluates four commonly used RS datasets—Climate Hazards Center InfraRed Precipitation with Station data (CHIRPS), Tropical Applications of Meteorology using Satellite [...] Read more.
In regions lacking sufficient data, remote sensing (RS) offers a reliable alternative for precipitation estimation, enabling more effective drought management. This study comprehensively evaluates four commonly used RS datasets—Climate Hazards Center InfraRed Precipitation with Station data (CHIRPS), Tropical Applications of Meteorology using Satellite data (TAMSAT), Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Information using Artificial Neural Networks–Climate Data Record (PERSIANN-CDR), and Multi-Source Weighted-Ensemble Precipitation (MSWEP) against ground-based data—with respect to their performance in detecting precipitation and drought patterns in the Great Ruaha River Basin (GRRB), Tanzania (1983–2020). Statistical metrics including the Pearson correlation coefficient (r), mean error (ME), root mean square error (RMSE), and bias were employed to assess the performance at daily, monthly, seasonal (wet/dry), and annual timescales. Most of the RS products exhibited lower correlations (r < 0.5) at daily timestep and low RMSE, bias, and ME. Monthly performance improved substantially (r > 0.8 at most stations) particularly during the wet season (r = 0.52–0.82) while annual and dry-season performance declined (r < 0.5 and r < 0.3, respectively). Performance under RMSE, bias, and ME declined at higher timescales, particularly during the wet season and annually. CHIRPS, MSWEP, and PERSIANN generally overestimated precipitation while TAMSAT consistently underestimated it. Spatially, CHIRPS and MSWEP reproduced coherent basin-scale patterns of drought persistence, with longer dry-spells concentrated in the northern, central, and western parts of the basin and shorter dry-spells in the eastern and southern regions. Trend analysis further revealed that most products captured consistent large-scale changes in dry-spell characteristics, although localized drought events were more variably detected. CHIRPS and MSWEP showed superior performance especially in capturing monthly precipitation patterns and major drought events in the basin. Most products struggled to detect extreme dry conditions with the exception of CHIRPS and MSWEP at certain stations and periods. Based on these findings, CHIRPS and MSWEP are recommended for drought monitoring and water resource planning in the GRRB. Their appropriate use can help water managers make informed decisions, promote sustainable resource use, and strengthen resilience to extreme weather events. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Extreme Precipitation and Responses to Climate Change)
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26 pages, 11973 KB  
Article
Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Water Erosion in the Tafna Watershed (Algeria) Using the RUSLE Model and Bias-Corrected Rainfall Data (1983–2023)
by Soumia Manel Hachemi, Abdesselam Megnounif, Madani Bessedik and Navneet Kumar
Land 2026, 15(2), 217; https://doi.org/10.3390/land15020217 - 27 Jan 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 838
Abstract
Soil erosion poses a significant environmental challenge in semi-arid and Mediterranean regions, jeopardizing the sustainability of land and water resources. This study explores the spatio-temporal dynamics of water erosion within the Tafna watershed in Algeria, which encompasses an area of approximately 7200 km [...] Read more.
Soil erosion poses a significant environmental challenge in semi-arid and Mediterranean regions, jeopardizing the sustainability of land and water resources. This study explores the spatio-temporal dynamics of water erosion within the Tafna watershed in Algeria, which encompasses an area of approximately 7200 km2. Utilizing the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) integrated with Geographic Information Systems (GIS), the assessment relies on bias-corrected simulated rainfall data that offers consistent spatial coverage over the past four decades (1983–2023). Additionally, the rainfall asymmetry coefficient (Cs) was calculated to evaluate the impact of temporal rainfall variability on soil loss. The results indicate significant spatial and temporal variability; average erosion rates vary from less than 6 t/ha/year in stable areas to 23–27 t/ha/year in steep, sparsely vegetated regions. Overall, soil erosion has increased by approximately 16% during the study period, driven by heightened rainfall aggressiveness and an intensification of erosive potential. Correlation analysis underscores the intricate relationships between rainfall, topography, and erosive dynamics, highlighting the exacerbating effect of irregular rainfall patterns (Cs). These findings underscore the Tafna watershed’s high vulnerability to both natural and human-induced pressures, reinforcing the necessity for differentiated land management and targeted soil and water conservation strategies. The methodology developed in this study provides a transferable approach for assessing water erosion in other semi-arid and Mediterranean watersheds facing similar data limitations and hydro-climatic variability. Full article
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28 pages, 7508 KB  
Article
Intercomparison of Gauge-Based, Reanalysis and Satellite Gridded Precipitation Datasets in High Mountain Asia: Insights from Observations and Discharge Data
by Alessia Spezza, Guglielmina Adele Diolaiuti, Davide Fugazza, Maurizio Maugeri and Veronica Manara
Climate 2025, 13(12), 253; https://doi.org/10.3390/cli13120253 - 17 Dec 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2206
Abstract
High Mountain Asia (25–40° N, 70–100° E) plays a critical role in sustaining water resources for nearly two billion people; however, the accurate estimation of precipitation remains challenging. Numerous gridded products have been developed, yet their performance across the region remains uncertain and [...] Read more.
High Mountain Asia (25–40° N, 70–100° E) plays a critical role in sustaining water resources for nearly two billion people; however, the accurate estimation of precipitation remains challenging. Numerous gridded products have been developed, yet their performance across the region remains uncertain and is often analyzed only over small areas or short periods. This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of five major gridded precipitation datasets (ERA5, HARv2, GPCC, APHRODITE, and PERSIANN-CDR) over 1983–2007 throughout the entire domain through spatial intercomparison, validation against ground stations, and assessment against observed river discharge. Results show that reanalysis products (ERA5, HARv2) better capture spatial precipitation patterns, particularly along the Himalayas and Kunlun range, with HARv2 more accurately representing elevation-dependent gradients. Gauge-based (GPCC, APHRODITE) and satellite-derived (PERSIANN-CDR) datasets exhibit smoother fields and weaker orographic responses. In catchment-scale evaluations, reanalysis shows a superior performance, with ERA5 achieving the lowest bias, highest Kling–Gupta Efficiency, and best water-balance consistency. GPCC and PERSIANN-CDR underestimate discharge, and APHRODITE performs worst overall. No single dataset is optimal for all applications. Gauge-based datasets and PERSIANN-CDR are suitable for localized climatology in well-instrumented areas, while reanalysis products offer the best compromise between spatial realism and hydrological consistency for large-scale modelling in high-altitude regions where observations are limited. Full article
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27 pages, 5468 KB  
Article
Research on Multi-Source Precipitation Fusion Based on Classification and Regression Machine Learning Methods—A Case Study of the Min River Basin in the Eastern Source of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau
by Shuyuan Liu, Jingwen Wang, Fangxin Shi, Peng Zhuo and Tianqi Ao
Remote Sens. 2025, 17(24), 3982; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs17243982 - 9 Dec 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1198
Abstract
Against the backdrop of insufficient accuracy and adaptability of satellite precipitation products in complex terrain areas, this study focused on the Min River Basin (MRB) on the eastern edge of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. A two-step machine learning fusion framework was established, which integrates [...] Read more.
Against the backdrop of insufficient accuracy and adaptability of satellite precipitation products in complex terrain areas, this study focused on the Min River Basin (MRB) on the eastern edge of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. A two-step machine learning fusion framework was established, which integrates precipitation event identification and quantitative intensity estimation in a systematic manner. This framework incorporated 5 precipitation products (PERSIANN-CDR, CMORPH, GSMaP, IMERG, MSWEP), measured data, and environmental variables. The study compared the precipitation estimation performance of Random Forest (RF), Extreme Learning Machine (ELM), eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), Bagging, and Double Machine Learning (DML) models, and analyzed the models’ performance under different precipitation intensities and altitudes, as well as their variable sensitivity. The results showed that: (1) DML models outperformed Single Machine Learning (SML) models and original precipitation products, with RF-Bagging being the optimal model. The daily-scale Correlation Coefficient (CC) of RF-Bagging was over 50% higher than that of original products, while the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and Mean Absolute Error (MAE) were reduced by more than 40% and 35%, respectively. (2) For moderate-to-heavy precipitation, the RF-Bagging and RF-RF models maintain a stable Critical Success Index (CSI) of 0.7. In high-altitude regions, their Probability of Detection (POD) approaches 1, and the Heidke Skill Score (HSS) is 30–40% higher than that in mid-altitude areas, significantly outperforming other models and demonstrating strong adaptability to complex terrain. For light precipitation, while the POD values of these two models are comparable to those of other models, their False Alarm Rate (FAR) is reduced by 15–20%, effectively mitigating precipitation false alarms. (3) GSMaP, IMERG, and MSWEP were the core input variables for all models. RF and ELM models were more dependent on environmental variables, while XGBoost and Bagging models relied more on satellite data. This framework can provide technical references for precipitation estimation in complex terrain areas and contribute to watershed water resource management as well as flood prevention and mitigation. Full article
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18 pages, 6496 KB  
Article
Leveraging Limited ISMN Soil Moisture Measurements to Develop the HYDRUS-1D Model and Explore the Potential of Remotely Sensed Precipitation for Soil Moisture Estimates in the Northern Territory, Australia
by Muhammad Usman and Christopher E. Ndehedehe
Remote Sens. 2025, 17(22), 3723; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs17223723 - 14 Nov 2025
Viewed by 842
Abstract
Soil moisture plays a key role in the critical zone of the Earth and has extensive value in the understanding of hydrological, agricultural, and environmental processes (among others). Long-term (in situ) monitoring of soil moisture measurements is generally not practical; however, short-term measurements [...] Read more.
Soil moisture plays a key role in the critical zone of the Earth and has extensive value in the understanding of hydrological, agricultural, and environmental processes (among others). Long-term (in situ) monitoring of soil moisture measurements is generally not practical; however, short-term measurements are often found. Limited soil moisture measurements can be employed to develop a numerical model for long-term and accurate soil moisture estimations. A key input variable to the model is precipitation, which is also not easily accessible, particularly at a finer spatial resolution; hence, publicly available remote sensing data can be used as an alternative. This study, therefore, aims to develop a numerical model HYDRUS-1D to estimate soil moisture in the data-scarce state of the Northern Territory, Australia, with a land cover of shrubland and a Tropical-Savannah type climate. The HDYRUS-1D is based on the numerical solution of Richards’ equation of variably saturated flow that relies on information about the soil water retention characteristics. This study utilized the van Genuchten model parameters, which were optimized (against measured soil moisture) through parameter optimization with initial estimates obtained from the HYDRUS catalogue. Initial estimates from different sources can differ for the same soil texture (e.g., loamy sand) and can induce uncertainties in the calibrated model. Therefore, a comprehensive uncertainty analysis was conducted to address potential uncertainties in the calibration process. The HYDRUS-1D was calibrated for a period between March 2012 and February 2013 and was independently validated against three different periods between March 2013 and October 2016. Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), Pearson’s correlation coefficient (R), and Mean Absolute Error (MAE) were used to assess the efficiency of the model in simulating the measured soil moisture. The model exhibited good performance in replicating measured soil moisture during calibration (RMSE = 0.00 m3/m3, MAE = 0.005 m3/m3, and R = 0.70), during validation period 1 (RMSE = 0.035 m3/m3 and MAE = 0.023 m3/m3, and R = 0.72), validation period 2 (RMSE = 0.054 m3/m3 and MAE = 0.039 m3/m3, and R = 0.51), and validation period 3 (RMSE = 0.046 m3/m3 and MAE = 0.032 m3/m3, and R = 0.61), respectively. Remotely sensed precipitation data were used from the CHRS-PERSIANN, CHRS-CCS, and CHRS-PDIR-Now to assess their capabilities in estimating soil moisture. Efficiency evaluation metrics and visual assessment revealed that these products underestimated the soil moisture. The CHRS-CCS outperformed other products in terms of overall efficiency (average RMSE of 0.040 m3/m3, average MAE of 0.023 m3/m3, and an average R of 0.68, respectively). An integrated approach based on numerical modelling and remote sensing employed in this study can help understand the long-term dynamics of soil moisture and soil water balance in the Northern Territory, Australia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Earth Observation Satellites for Soil Moisture Monitoring)
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Article
Quantifying the Contribution of Global Precipitation Product Uncertainty to Ensemble Discharge Simulations and Projections: A Case Study in the Liujiang Catchment, Southwest China
by Yong Chang, Nan Mu, Yaoyong Qi and Ling Liu
Atmosphere 2025, 16(11), 1260; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos16111260 - 3 Nov 2025
Viewed by 813
Abstract
Reliable precipitation inputs are essential for hydrological modeling, yet global precipitation products often exhibit substantial discrepancies that introduce significant uncertainties into streamflow simulations and projections. In this study, we assessed the relative contribution of precipitation dataset uncertainty to discharge simulations and projections, in [...] Read more.
Reliable precipitation inputs are essential for hydrological modeling, yet global precipitation products often exhibit substantial discrepancies that introduce significant uncertainties into streamflow simulations and projections. In this study, we assessed the relative contribution of precipitation dataset uncertainty to discharge simulations and projections, in comparison with uncertainties from model structure, model parameters, and climate projections, in the Liujiang catchment, southwest China. Three widely used satellite-based products (CHIRPS, PERSIANN, and IMERG) and one reanalysis dataset (ERA5) were combined with three hydrological models of varying structural complexity to simulate streamflow. Using an ANOVA-based variance decomposition framework, we quantified the contributions of different uncertainty sources under both historical and future climate conditions. Results showed that precipitation input uncertainty dominates discharge simulations during the calibration period, contributing over 60% of total variance particularly at high flows, while interactions among precipitation, model structure, and parameters govern low-flow simulations. Under future climate scenarios, climate projection uncertainty overwhelmingly dominates discharge predictions with 50–80% of uncertainty contribution, yet precipitation products still contribute significantly across time scales. The compensation of precipitation biases by hydrological models can cause parameter values to deviate from their true physical meaning. This deviation may further amplify the differences in discharge projections driven by different precipitation products under future climate conditions and increase the overall uncertainty of streamflow projections. Overall, this study introduced an integrated approach to simultaneously assess precipitation uncertainty across flow regimes and future climate scenarios. These results emphasized the necessity of using ensemble approaches that incorporate multiple precipitation products in hydrological forecasting and impact studies, particularly in data-scarce regions reliant on global datasets. Full article
(This article belongs to the Topic Advances in Hydrological Remote Sensing)
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