Nathalie Voisin 1 , Florian Pappenberger 2 , Dennis Lettenmaier 1 , Roberto Buizza 2 ,

1. Nathalie Voisin1, Florian Pappenberger2, Dennis Lettenmaier1, Roberto Buizza2, and John Schaake3 1 University of Washington 2 ECMWF 3 National Weather Service – NOAA CEE Department Seminar, University of Washington, June 3 2010 A probabilistic quantitative hydrologic forecast system using satellite-based observation for application in ungauged basins

2. Background Existing Flood Alert Systems in mostly-ungauged basins Limpopo 2000 Early Flood Alert System for Southern Africa (Artan et al. 2001) South Asia 2000 Mekong River Commission – basin wide approach for flood forecasting Bangladesh 2004 (Hopson and Webster 2010)* Horn of Africa 2004 (Thiemig et al. 2010, EU - AFAS)* Zambezi 2001,2007,2008 (EU-AFAS, in process)* * Ensemble flow forecasting

3. Outline • Basics • What is meteorological ensemble forecasting? • What is hydrological ensemble forecasting? • Structure of a medium-range flood forecast system • A medium range flood forecast system for global application • Ensemble hydrological forecast verification

4. BasicsEnsemble weather forecasts • Generation of the ensemble members Set of perturbed initial conditions … X members Weather forecast Model (global or regional) Quasi 3D models Spatially distributed … X ensemble members Surface air temperature, 24h precipitation, surface wind … Processing of the probabilities Calibration of forecast

5. BasicsEnsemble weather forecasts www.probcast.washington.edu • Probabilistic forecast / ensemble forecast

6. BasicsEnsemble weather forecasts www.probcast.washington.edu • Maps of probabilistic forecasts

7. BasicsEnsemble Hydrological Forecasting • EFAS – CHPS – other probabilistic flood forecast system Ensemble weather forecast … 51 members Calibration of weather forecasts (OPTIONAL) … In-situ observation: Precipitation, temperature, wind (Semi-)distributed/lumped hydrological model … Ensemble flow forecast OBSERVED river flow Post-processor : calibration of the flow forecast

8. Objective Develop a medium range probabilistic quantitative hydrologic forecast system applicable globally: • Using only (quasi-) globally available tools: • Global Circulation Model ensemble weather forecasts • High spatial resolution satellite-based remote sensing • Using a semi distributed hydrology model • applicable for different basin sizes, not basin dependent • flow forecasts at several locations within large ungauged basins • Daily time steps, up to 2 weeks lead time • Reliable and accurate for potential real time decision in areas with no flood warning system, sparse in situ observations (radars, gauge stations, etc) or no regional atmospheric model.

9. Forecast scheme Voisin et al. (2010, in review) Today Initial State

10. Science Questions • What is the forecast skill of the system? • What are the resulting hydrologic forecast errors related to errors in the calibrated and downscaled weather forecasts? • Is the forecast skill different for basins of different size?

11. Ensemble precipitation forecast calibration and downscaling • Analog method vs interpolation: • - maintained resolution & discrimination • slightly lower predictability • BUT largely improved reliability • smaller mean error • more realistic precipitation patterns

12. Experiment Ensemble weather forecast … 51 members Simulated Temp, Wind Satellite Precip Calibration of weather forecasts (OPTIONAL) … (Semi-)distributed/lumped hydrological model … Ensemble flow forecast Experiment 1 : WITHOUT calibration of weather forecasts Experiment 2 : WITH calibration of weather forecasts Experiment 3 : 0 precip forecasts

13. Calibration of the hydrology and routing models • → Use “simulated observed flow” as reference • (ECMWF Analysis and TMPA precipitation) • →Focus on weather forecasts errors • No flow observation uncertainties • No hydrology model and routing model ( structure, parameter estimation) uncertainties

14. Forecast Verification Which forecasts? • Spatially distributed ensemble runoff forecasts • Ensemble flow forecasts at 4 locations Verification: Deterministic Forecast Skill Measures: • Bias ( accuracy, mean errors) • RMSE (accuracy) • Correlation (accuracy, predictability) Probabilistic Forecasts Skill Measures: • Continuous Rank Probability Skill Score (accuracy, reliability, resolution, predictability) • Rank Histograms ( ensemble spread i.e. probabilistic forecast reliability) For forecast categories: What can I expect when a forecast falls in a certain forecast category? ( oriented for real-time decision )

15. Verification of ensemble runoff forecasts Ohio River Basin 2003-2007 1826 15-day forecasts (10 day fcst, +5 days 0-precip) 848 0.25o grid cells

16. Ensemble flow forecasts verification

17. Ensemble flow forecasts verification Ensemble reliability at Metropolis and Elizabeth

18. Conclusions A preliminary probabilistic quantitative hydrologic forecast system for global application was developed and evaluated: • Skill for 10 days for spatially distributed runoff • Skill for 1-12+ day forecasts depending on concentration times at the flow forecast locations • For small basins : skills for 10 days, with good reliability for short lead times • For larger basins: for 10 days + concentration time • Ensemble weather forecasts need to be calibrated: • for better hydrologic probabilistic forecasts ( reliability ) • For better forecast accuracy in sub basins locations • Will incorporate PUB and HEPEX results and ideas. ( PUB: Predictions in Ungauged Basins HEPEX: Hydrologic Ensemble Prediction Experiment)

19. Thank you – Questions?

20. Calibration of the hydrology and routing models • -Differences between TMPA and observed precipitation • -Daily flow fluctuations due to navigation, flood control, hydropower generation • Uncertainties in VIC and routing models physical processes, structure and parameters → Use “simulated observed flow” as reference →Focus on weather forecasts errors

21. Ensemble forecast verification Relative Operating characteristic (ROC) Plot Hit Rate vs. False Alarm Rate for a set of increasing probability threshold to make the yes/no decision. Diagonal = no skill Skill if above the 1:1 line Measure resolution A bias forecast may still have good discrimination.

22. Ensemble Forecast Verification Ensemble reliability: • Reliability plot: PROBABILISTIC fcsts • Choose an event = event specific • Each time the event was forecasted with a specific probability ( 20%, 40%, etc), how many times did it happen ( observation >= chosen event). It requires a sharpness diagram to give the confidence in each point. It should be on a 1:1 line. • Talagrand diagram (rank):PROBABILISTIC QUANTITAVE fcsts • Give a rank to the observation with respect to the ensemble forecast ( 0 if obs below all ensemble members, Nmember + 1 if obs larger ) • Is uniform if ensemble spread is reliable, (inverse) U-shaped if ensemble is too small (large), asymetric is systematic bias.

23. Continuous Rank Probability Score • Probabilistic quantitative forecast verification • measures the difference between the predicted and observed cumulative distribution functions: resolution, reliability, predictability • For one forecast(gridcell, lead time, t): ∆PN2 1 dNmember ProbFcst d3 d2 1 1 1 d1 ∆P12 0 magnitude

24. BasicsEnsemble Hydrological Forecasting • Seasonal flow forecasting using ESP ESP ( Extended Streamflow Prediction) Previous year meteorological info … # of years members • Initial conditions: • Observed : SWE • Simulated : soil • moisture Semi distributed Hydrology Model VIC One basin at the time … Ensemble of flow forecasts … Processing of the probabilities

25. BasicsEnsemble Hydrological Forecasting University of Washington – West Wide Seasonal Flow Forecast System CEE , Land Surface Hydrology Group