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National Weather Service |
Assess the quality and impact of hydrometeorological data inputs to the operational hydrologic forecast process.
As a part of the river forecasting process, the forecaster must eliminate or adjust questionable or erroneous hydrologic and meteorologic inputs to augment the quality control performed by the HAS function or by automated quality control processes. The forecaster also must recognize hydrometeorological conditions that are beyond the capabilities of the hydrologic models.
1. Spatially analyze hydromet data and identify inconsistencies.
2. Know what factors, both physical and mechanical, affect field measurements and how they can be recognizied in data.
3. Coordinate with the HAS function and/or WFOs over data discrepancies.
4. Analyze hydromet data to determine its spatial and temporal distribution.
5. Know how preprocessors prepare observed (e.g., MAP,MAT,MAPE) and forecast (e.g., FMAP, FMAT) time series for use in the hydrologic simulation model.
6. Know how to combine information on spatial and temporal variability of input data with knowledge of model limitations to improve model simulation results.
Instructional Component 1.1: - Web Module (Under Construction): Assessing Hydrometeorological Inputs to A Hydrologic Modeling System. This module qualitatively describes the most frequently used approaches for assessing hydrometeorological inputs to an operational hydrologic forecasting system. The module covers: (1) how input data such as precipitation and temperature is aggregated by NWSRFS preprocessors prior to its use in the hydrologic modeling process, (2) inherent strengths and weaknesses in various types of point and areal data (both observed and forecast) data being aggregated, and (3) approaches for intuitively assessing the likely effect of aggregated data inputs on the hydrologic modeling system before it is executed.
Instructional Component 1.2: - Web Module (proposed, converted from Lesson 6 in the Correspondence Course): Basic Hydrology - An Introduction to Hydrologic Modeling. A portion of this module introduces some of the limitations of current data inputs to the hydrologic modeling process.
Instructional Component 1.3 - Web module (Proposed, converted from a section in the draft hydromet lesson of the Correspondence Course): Analysis of Extreme Events. This module will describe the concepts of event return period and probable maximum precipitation. A commonly used approach for estimating event return period will be described. The methods used to conduct precipitation design studies (e.g., precipitation return period, probable maximum precipitation, and depth/area/duration analyses) and flood frequency studies (e.g., probable maximum flood) will also be introduced.
Instructional Component 1.4 - NWSRFS Documentation: Section II.6-CALB-MAP: Calibration Mean Areal Precipitation Computational Procedure provides background on the various methods for computing mean areal precipitation (MAP) and describes how these are used when preparing historical MAP inputs to the model calibration process.
Instructional Component 1.5 - NWSRFS Documentation: Section II.6-OFS-MAP describes the processing steps for computation of 6-hour mean areal precipitation (MAP) time series.
Instructional Component 1.6 - NWSRFS Documentation: Section II.6-OFS-FMAP describes the processing steps for computation of 6-hour future mean areal precipitation (FMAP) time series.
Instructional Component 1.7 - NWSRFS Documentation: Section II.6-OFS-MAPX describes the processing steps for computation of 1-hour mean areal precipitation (MAPX) time series based on gridded estimates of precipitation from the radar network.
Instructional Component 1.8 - NWSRFS Documentation: Section II.7-CALB-MAT: Calibration Mean Areal Temperature Computational Procedure provides background on the various methods for computing mean areal temperature (MAT) and describes how these are used when preparing historical MAT inputs to the model calibration process.
Instructional Component 1.9 - NWSRFS Documentation: Section II.7-OFS-MAT describes the processing steps for computation of 6-hour MAT time series.
Instructional Component 1.10 - NWSRFS Documentation: Section II.8-OFS-RRS describes the steps for conversion of variably spaced river, reservoir, and snow observations into time series form using the river, reservoir, and snow (RRS) preprocessor.
Instructional Component 1.11 - NWSRFS Documentation: Section V.3.3-MERGE-TS describes the operation which allows selection between time series with the same information from different sources.
Instructional Component 1.12 - NWSRFS Documentation: Section V.3.3-MULT/DIV describes the operation which either multiplies two time series together or divides one time series by the other.
Instructional Component 1.13 - Precipitation Processing System Documentation: RFCWide-Multisensor Precipitation Estimator (MPE) Documentation describes the programs and basic features of the RFCWide-MPE system.
Instructional Component 1.14 - OFS Documentation: Operational Forecast System Data Entry (OFSDE) describes how real-time data from the Informix database is processed and output to files used by the OFS.
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