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Pattern evaluation of operational radar reflectivity–rainfall relationship for Quitandinha River flooding events: Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)

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Abstract

Real-time rainfall distribution is required for decision-making based on the support of warning systems, especially in situations of imminent floodings and landslides. In this work, six relationships on radar reflectivity–rainfall relationships were calibrated and evaluated for 33 rainfall events associated with Quitandinha River flooding with occurred between 2013 and 2016. These events were chosen with the purpose of finding new relationships that could characterize with better accuracy the properties of storms and precipitation associated with Quitandinha floods. The procedure of applying variations of 5%, 10%, and 20% in reflectivity band-pass filter was used to minimize the different types of uncertainties associated with the measurement of radar reflectivity and rain gauges. Multiple linear regression analysis approach showed that radar reflectivity–rainfall relationships which were calibrated at 20% presented the lowest dimensionless coefficient of variability (CV), systematic error (BIAS), mean absolute deviation MAD), and root-mean-square error (RMSE). The calibrated expression between Marshall–Palmer and Nexrad showed the best performance among the six relationships examined.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express their gratitude to the Civil Engineering Program of the Alberto Luiz Coimbra Institute of Postgraduate Studies and Research in Engineering (COPPE), which is part of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), for the support offered, particularly through availability of the Water Resources and Environmental Studies Laboratory (LABH2O). The study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)–Finance Code 001, which also helped support this work through CAPES Call 27/2013-Pró-Equipamentos Institucional and CAPES/MEC Call No. 03/2015—BRICS. The authors are thankful to the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), which helped to fund this work through CNPq Universal Calls No. 14/2013–Proceeding No. 485136/2013-9; No. 28 /2018–Proceeding No. 435714/2018-0; and also by CNPq Call No. 12/2016–Proceeding No. 306944/2016-2 and CNPq Call No. 06/2019–Proceeding No. 303846/2019-4 . The authors are also grateful to the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ), which helped to fund this work through Project FAPERJ—Pensa Rio—Call 34/2014 (2014-2021).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Civil Engineering Program, Alberto Luiz Coimbra Institute for Postgraduate Studies and Research in Engineering-COPPE, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21945-970, Brazil

    Fabricio Polifke da Silva, Otto Corrêa Rotunno Filho & Rafael João Sampaio

  2. Meteorology Laboratory, Science and Technology Center, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro-UENF, Avenida Brenand, s.n., Imboassica, Macaé, RJ, 27925-535, Brazil

    Maria Gertrudes Alvarez Justi da Silva

  3. Engineering and Society Group, Exact Sciences and Technologies School, Universidade Iguaçu - UNIG, Av. Abílio Augusto Távora, 2134-Jardim Nova Era, Nova Iguaçu, RJ, 26275-580, Brazil

    Fabricio Polifke da Silva, Gisele Dornelles Pires & Rafael João Sampaio

  4. Department of Water Resources and Environment, Polytechnic School, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro–UFRJ, Av. Athos da Silveira Ramos, CT, Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, 21941-590, RJ, Brazil

    Afonso Augusto Magalhães de Araújo

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  1. Fabricio Polifke da Silva
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  2. Maria Gertrudes Alvarez Justi da Silva
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da Silva, F.P., Justi da Silva, M.G.A., Rotunno Filho, O.C. et al. Pattern evaluation of operational radar reflectivity–rainfall relationship for Quitandinha River flooding events: Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). Environ Earth Sci 79, 525 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-020-09273-z

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