Abstract
In this study, five open access gridded precipitation (GP) products (CFSR, MSWEPv1.1, PERSIANN-CDR, CMORPH, and CHIRPSv2.0) and local climate data were evaluated over the Grande de San Miguel (GSM) River Basin in El Salvador. The main purpose was to identify optional data sources of precipitation for hydrological modelling given that ground-based precipitation gauges in El Salvador are scarce and their data includes important temporal and spatial gaps. Firstly, a direct comparison was made between the precipitation data from the five GP products and from the rain gauges. Secondly, the SWAT model was used to simulate the streamflow regimen based on the precipitation datasets. The analysis of results showed that the models produced correct predictions, and the accuracy increased as models were calibrated to each specific precipitation product. Overall, PERSIANN-CDR produced the best simulation results, including streamflow predictions in the GSM basin, and outperformed other GP products and also the results obtained from data precipitation gauges. The findings of this research support the hydrological modelling based on open-access GP products, particularly when the data from precipitation gauges are scarce and poor.
Highlights
Precipitation is a vital input in the numerical simulation of the hydrological responses in a river basin
Since the results presented in the previous section were sensitive to the quality of the observed data, a second analysis was performed based on the simulation of streamflow
The spatial and temporal accuracy of precipitation data is crucial for the reliable simulation of hydrological processes
Summary
Precipitation is a vital input in the numerical simulation of the hydrological responses in a river basin. A precise reproduction of the spatiotemporal variability of precipitation is crucial to accurately simulate hydrological processes. The traditional method of obtaining spatial precipitation data is through ground observations from a network of rain gauges. Rain gauges are not always accurate devices for measuring real precipitation. There is an evident need to enhance data collection and/or explore more accurate alternatives to ground-based data from rain gauges. One useful alternative source of data for poorly gauged and/or ungauged basins is the global gridded precipitation (GP) products that provide continuous precipitation with extensive spatial coverage and much finer spatial resolutions than terrestrial rain gauges [6]
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