Abstract
Watershed runoff is essential for water management. However, runoff materials are lacking in poorly gauged catchments and not always accessible. Microwave remote sensing offers emerging capabilities for hydrological simulation. In this study based on multi-satellite retrievals for Global Precipitation Measurement (IMERG), Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) products, and World Meteorological Organization (WMO) interpolated precipitation data, we simulated runoff using a variable infiltration capacity (VIC) model and studied the differences among the results. Then, we analyzed the impacts of the runoff on a moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer vegetation leaf area index (LAI) during dry seasons. The results showed that (1) IMERG V5 and TRMM products are capable of monitoring the night-day rainfall diurnal cycle and have higher correlations than the WMO daily observation interpolations. However, the WMO shows less overestimation of total precipitation than remote-sensing precipitation; (2) in the downstream, the TRMM shows better runoff simulation accuracy in the tributaries, and the WMO shows better results in the mainstreams. Therefore, at basin outlets in mainstreams, the Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency coefficients of monthly runoff by the WMO are higher than the simulations by the TRMM; (3) for the whole basin during dry seasons, the LAI variation is correlated with the outlet runoff, which is similar to the correlation with three- to six-month accumulated precipitation. TRMM products can be used to depict both precipitation deficit and runoff deficit, which cause vegetation variations. Our research suggests the potential of microwave precipitation products for detailed watershed runoff simulations and water management.
Highlights
In most of the tropics and subtropics outside the equatorial rain belt, vegetation is driven primarily by precipitation [1].Tropical monsoon climate regions feature significant dry/rainy season alteration where rice is widely planted
The results of this paper validated the usefulness of satellite precipitation products for runoff simulation and ecology evaluation
We found that hourly Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) and Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) IMERG products can display diurnal variations in precipitation
Summary
In most of the tropics and subtropics outside the equatorial rain belt, vegetation is driven primarily by precipitation [1].Tropical monsoon climate regions feature significant dry/rainy season alteration where rice is widely planted. Water is scarce during dry seasons, so dams and canal systems are constructed to support rice planting and provide water resources. The NDVI can often be saturated across densely vegetated regions or during high-growth periods [4], whereas the leaf area index (LAI) has been shown to be more effective for drought monitoring [5,6]. The evolution of meteorological hydrological factors affects vegetation growth [10]. Both factors—precipitation and runoff—that cause variations in the vegetation LAI, should be examined separately
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