The potential of using satellite-related precipitation data sources in arid regions (CHAPTER 7)

Abstract

Arid regions are defined as areas receiving only light and irregular precipitation, with rates falling below those of evaporation. Arid and semiarid regions represent 30 percent of the worlds terrestrial area. Data availability is a limiting factor when deriving scientific conclusions of studies on arid and semiarid regions, with insufficient data reducing the quality of results and leading to misguided decisions and policies. Ground-based rain gauges are traditionally used to measure precipitation by measuring an incremental mass of accumulated rainfall as a function of time. However, the existing network of rain gauges is far from satisfactory in resolving the spatiotemporal characteristics of precipitation. Although this knowledge gap is partly bridged via the use of other ground-based instruments (e.g., disdrometers, ground-based radars), sensors onboard satellites are currently the only instruments that can provide global and homogeneous precipitation measurements. Michaelides et al. (2009) provide a comprehensive discussion of ground- and space-based precipitation measurement instruments.