Study on Precipitation Image Downscaling Based on the Method of Ill-posed Problems Solving

Downscaling of remote sensing precipitation products and the forecasting of circulation model are always the intense interests in hydrology and meteorology. The essence of downscaling is primarily to enhance resolution of observation or simulated rainfall field, and to appropriately increase its details or high frequency characteristics. Precipitation, as the main driving factors of the earth’s hydrologic cycle, not only affects the moisture and heat condition of a certain river basin, but also affects the global water and heat circulation. Based on the properties of rainfall self-similarity structure, the mathematically ill-posed precipitation problem solving method was used in low resolution downscaling precipitation for high resolution reconstruction. When solving the downscaling ill-posed problem, the greedy method of orthogonal matching pursuit was introduced so as to get the best high-resolution estimation in an optimal sense. It is hard to imagine that we might be able to find very similar (in mathematical norms) precipitation patterns over relatively large storm-scales. However, finding similar features over sufficiently small sub-storm scales seems more feasible. Based on the characteristics that small scale organized precipitation features tend to recur across different storm environments, the precipitation of both high and low resolution was obtained by training, which could be used to reconstruct the desired high-resolution precipitation field. Multi-source merged precipitation products were used in this experiment. Given the consideration of incompleteness of merged precipitation dataset, it was firstly interpolated based on the method of Fields of Experts (FoEs), which could solve the problem that common interpolation method could hardly work on the interpolation for dataset where consecutive missing data exists. Secondly, ideal experiments of precipitation products downscaling were carried out, where smooth coupling sampling and resampling operator were adopted respectively. Assessment based on the metrics of fidelity and spatial structural similarity demonstrates that the method used in this paper is feasible.     

A method of downscaling temperature maps based on analytical hillshading for use in species distribution modelling

Climate maps have been widely used for the construction of species distribution models. These maps derive from interpolation of data collected by meteorological stations. The sparse distribution of stations generates maps with coarse spatial resolution that are unable to detect microclimates or areas that can serve as plant or animal refuges. This work proposes a method for downscaling temperature maps using the solar radiation falling upon hillsides as predictor for the influence of relief on local variability. Solar irradiance is estimated from a digital elevation model of the study area using a routine based on analytical hillshading. Some examples of downscaling from 1 km to 25 m spatial resolution are shown. The results are compared with the surface temperature maps from Landsat 8 satellite imagery.     

Downscaling of precipitation for climate change scenarios: A support vector machine approach

The Climate impact studies in hydrology often rely on climate change information at fine spatial resolution. However, general circulation models (GCMs), which are among the most advanced tools for estimating future climate change scenarios, operate on a coarse scale. Therefore the output from a GCM has to be downscaled to obtain the information relevant to hydrologic studies. In this paper, a support vector machine (SVM) approach is proposed for statistical downscaling of precipitation at monthly time scale. The effectiveness of this approach is illustrated through its application to meteorological sub-divisions (MSDs) in India. First, climate variables affecting spatio-temporal variation of precipitation at each MSD in India are identified. Following this, the data pertaining to the identified climate variables (predictors) at each MSD are classified using cluster analysis to form two groups, representing wet and dry seasons. For each MSD, SVM- based downscaling model (DM) is developed for season(s) with significant rainfall using principal components extracted from the predictors as input and the contemporaneous precipitation observed at the MSD as an output. The proposed DM is shown to be superior to conventional downscaling using multi-layer back-propagation artificial neural networks. Subsequently, the SVM-based DM is applied to future climate predictions from the second generation Coupled Global Climate Model (CGCM2) to obtain future projections of precipitation for the MSDs. The results are then analyzed to assess the impact of climate change on precipitation over India. It is shown that SVMs provide a promising alternative to conventional artificial neural networks for statistical downscaling, and are suitable for conducting climate impact studies.     

MRI-CGCM模式气候预测回报试验在东亚夏季的检验和降尺度订正

应用1979—2010年MRI-CGCM模式回报、NCEP/NCAR再分析数据和中国东部降水观测资料检验了模式对东亚夏季风的模拟能力,并利用模式500 hPa高度场回报资料建立了中国东部夏季降水的奇异值分解（SVD）降尺度模型。模式较好地模拟了亚洲季风区夏季降水的气候态,但模拟的季风环流偏弱、偏南,导致降水偏弱。模拟降水的方差明显偏小,且模拟降水的外部、内部方差比值低,模拟降水受模式初值影响较大。模式对长江雨型的模拟能力最高,华南雨型次之,华北雨型最低。模式对东亚夏季风第1模态的模拟能力明显高于第2模态。对于东亚夏季风第1模态,模式模拟出了西太平洋异常反气旋,但强度偏弱,且未模拟出中高纬度的日本海气旋、鄂霍次克海反气旋,导致长江中下游至日本南部降水偏弱。各时次模拟环流均能反映但低估了ENSO衰减、印度洋偏暖对西太平洋反气旋的增强作用。对于东亚夏季风第2模态,模式对西太平洋的“气旋-反气旋”结构有一定的模拟能力,但未模拟出贝加尔湖异常反气旋和东亚沿海异常气旋,导致中国东部“北少南多”雨型在模拟中完全遗漏。仅超前时间小于4个月的模拟降水能够反映ENSO发展对降水分布的作用。通过交叉检验选取左场时间系数可以提高降尺度模型的预测技巧,SVD降尺度模型在华南、江南、淮河、华北4个区域平均距平相关系数分别为0.20、0.23、0.18、0.02,明显高于模式直接输出。      

Risk-adjusted approaches for planning sustainable agricultural development

In this paper we show that explicit treatment of risks and uncertainties in agricultural production planning may considerably alter strategies for achieving robust outcomes with regard to sustainable agricultural developments. We discuss production planning models under uncertainties and risks that may assist in planning location-specific production expansion within environmental and health risk indicators and constraints. The proposed approaches are illustrated with the example of spatially explicit livestock production allocation in China to 2030.     

Downscaling法在贵州冬季气温和降水预测中的应用

基于CGCM模式输出500 hPa位势高度场、NCEP/NCAR再分析500 hPa高度资料、贵州冬季降水和气温历史资料,利用降尺度法,对贵州冬季降水和气温预报的技巧和预测效果进行了预测试验和改进。结果表明,该方法从动力与统计相结合的角度,给出季尺度大气环流与局地降水、气温之间的关系,有明确的动力学背景和天气学意义。20年回算及两年回报试验证明了该关系的合理性;对贵州冬季降水的预测率约70%,而对气温的预测率为65%左右。另外,通过对气温反演方程订正后,其预测率达67%左右;在极端异常年,该方法对降水的预测率变幅不大,而对气温的预测效果影响极大。最后利用该方法对2005年贵州冬季降水和气温趋势进行了展望。     

Sub-pixel Mapping of Coarse Satellite Remote Sensing Images with Stochastic Simulations from Training Images

Super-resolution or sub-pixel mapping is the process of providing fine scale land cover maps from coarse-scale satellite sensor information. Such a procedure calls for a prior model depicting the spatial structures of the land cover types. When available, an analog of the underlying scene (a training image) may be used for such a model. The single normal equation simulation algorithm (SNESIM) allows extracting the relevant pattern information from the training image and uses that information to downscale the coarse fraction data into a simulated fine scale land cover scene. Two non-exclusive approaches are considered to use training images for super-resolution mapping. The first one downscales the coarse fractions into fine-scale pre-posterior probabilities which is then merged with a probability lifted from the training image. The second approach pre-classifies the fine scale patterns of the training image into a few partition classes based on their coarse fractions. All patterns within a partition class are recorded by a search tree; there is one tree per partition class. At each fine scale pixel along the simulation path, the coarse fraction data is retrieved first and used to select the appropriate search tree. That search tree contains the patterns relevant to that coarse fraction data. To ensure exact reproduction of the coarse fractions, a servo-system keeps track of the number of simulated classes inside each coarse fraction. Being an under-determined stochastic inverse problem, one can generate several super resolution maps and explore the space of uncertainty for the fine scale land cover. The proposed SNESIM sub-pixel resolution mapping algorithms allow to: (i) exactly reproduce the coarse fraction, (ii) inject the structural model carried by the training image, and (iii) condition to any available fine scale ground observations. Two case studies are provided to illustrate the proposed methodology using Landsat TM data from southeast China.     

Complexity‐reduction modelling for assessing the macro‐scale patterns of historical soil moisture in the Euro‐Mediterranean region

Complexity‐reduction modelling can be useful for increasing the understanding of how the climate affects basin soil moisture response upon historical times not covered by detailed hydrological data. For this purpose, here is presented and assessed an empirical regression‐based model, the European Soil Moisture Empirical Downscaling (ESMED), in which different climatic variables, easily available on the web, are addressed for simplifying the inherent complexity in the long‐time studies. To accommodate this simplification, the Palmer Drought Severity Index, the precipitation, the elevation and the geographical location were used as input data in the ESMED model for predicting annual soil moisture budget. The test area was a large region including central Europe and Mediterranean countries, and the spatial resolution was initially set at 50 km. ESMED model calibration was made according to the soil moisture values retrieved from the Terrestrial Water Budget Data archive by selecting randomly 285 grid points (out of 2606). Once parameterized, ESMED model was performed at validation stage both spatially and temporally. The spatial validation was made for the grid points not selected in the calibration stage while the comparison with the soil moisture outputs of the Global Land Data Assimilation System–NOAH10 simulations upon the period 1950–2010 was carried out for the temporal validation. Moreover, ESMED results were found to be in good agreement with a root‐zone soil moisture product obtained from active and passive microwave sensors from various satellite missions. ESMED model was thus found to be reliable for both the temporal and spatial validations and, hence, it might represent a useful tool to characterize the long‐term dynamics of soil moisture–weather interaction. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

多模式集合预报及其降尺度技术在东亚夏季降水预测中的应用

利用动力季节模式输出的匹配域投影技术和多模式集合预报技术对多个国家和城市的站点月平均降水进行预报。预报变量是北京1个站、韩国60个站和曼谷地区8个站点的月平均降水,预报因子是从多个业务动力季节预报模式输出的多个大尺度变量。模式回报数据和站点观测降水数据时段是1983—2003年。降尺度预报降水的技巧是在交叉验证的框架下进行的。匹配域投影方法是设定一个可以活动的窗口在全球范围内大尺度场上进行扫描,寻求与目标站点降水最优化的因子和最相关的区域,目标站点的降水变率就是由该匹配域上大尺度环流场信息决定的。最终预报是用多个降尺度模式预报结果的集合预报(DMME)。多个降尺度模式预报结果的集合预报能显著地提高站点降水的预报技巧。北京站,多个降尺度模式预报结果的集合预报的预报和观测降水的相关系数可以提高到0.71;韩国地区,多个降尺度模式预报结果的集合预报平均技巧提高到0.75;泰国,多个降尺度模式预报结果的集合预报技巧是0.61。     

The NAFE’06 data set: Towards soil moisture retrieval at intermediate resolution

The National Airborne Field Experiment 2006 (NAFE’06) was conducted during a three week period of November 2006 in the Murrumbidgee River catchment, located in southeastern Australia. One objective of NAFE’06 was to explore the suitability of the area for SMOS (Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity) calibration/validation and develop downscaling and assimilation techniques for when SMOS does come on line. Airborne L-band brightness temperature was mapped at 1 km resolution 11 times (every 1–3 days) over a 40 by 55 km area in the Yanco region and 3 times over a 40 by 50 km area that includes Kyeamba Creek catchment. Moreover, multi-resolution, multi-angle and multi-spectral airborne data including surface temperature, surface reflectance (green, read and near infrared), lidar data and aerial photos were acquired over selected areas to develop downscaling algorithms and test multi-angle and multi-spectral retrieval approaches. The near-surface soil moisture was measured extensively on the ground in eight sampling areas concurrently with aircraft flights, and the soil moisture profile was continuously monitored at 41 sites. Preliminary analyses indicate that (i) the uncertainty of a single ground measurement was typically less than 5% vol. (ii) the spatial variability of ground measurements at 1 km resolution was up to 10% vol. and (iii) the validation of 1 km resolution L-band data is facilitated by selecting pixels with a spatial soil moisture variability lower than the point-scale uncertainty. The sensitivity of passive microwave and thermal data is also compared at 1 km resolution to illustrate the multi-spectral synergy for soil moisture monitoring at improved accuracy and resolution. The data described in this paper are available at www.nafe.unimelb.edu.au.