The size distribution of spatiotemporal extreme rainfall clusters around the globe
- The scaling behavior of rainfall has been extensively studied both in terms of event magnitudes and in terms of spatial extents of the events. Different heavy-tailed distributions have been proposed as candidates for both instances, but statistically rigorous treatments are rare. Here we combine the domains of event magnitudes and event area sizes by a spatiotemporal integration of 3-hourly rain rates corresponding to extreme events derived from the quasi-global high-resolution rainfall product Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission 3B42. A maximum likelihood evaluation reveals that the distribution of spatiotemporally integrated extreme rainfall cluster sizes over the oceans is best described by a truncated power law, calling into question previous statements about scale-free distributions. The observed subpower law behavior of the distribution's tail is evaluated with a simple generative model, which indicates that the exponential truncation of an otherwise scale-free spatiotemporal cluster size distribution over the oceans could beThe scaling behavior of rainfall has been extensively studied both in terms of event magnitudes and in terms of spatial extents of the events. Different heavy-tailed distributions have been proposed as candidates for both instances, but statistically rigorous treatments are rare. Here we combine the domains of event magnitudes and event area sizes by a spatiotemporal integration of 3-hourly rain rates corresponding to extreme events derived from the quasi-global high-resolution rainfall product Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission 3B42. A maximum likelihood evaluation reveals that the distribution of spatiotemporally integrated extreme rainfall cluster sizes over the oceans is best described by a truncated power law, calling into question previous statements about scale-free distributions. The observed subpower law behavior of the distribution's tail is evaluated with a simple generative model, which indicates that the exponential truncation of an otherwise scale-free spatiotemporal cluster size distribution over the oceans could be explained by the existence of land masses on the globe.…
Verfasserangaben: | Dominik TraxlGND, Niklas BoersORCiDGND, Aljoscha RheinwaltORCiDGND, Bedartha GoswamiORCiDGND, Jürgen KurthsORCiDGND |
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DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL070692 |
ISSN: | 0094-8276 |
ISSN: | 1944-8007 |
Titel des übergeordneten Werks (Englisch): | Geophysical research letters |
Verlag: | American Geophysical Union |
Verlagsort: | Washington |
Publikationstyp: | Wissenschaftlicher Artikel |
Sprache: | Englisch |
Jahr der Erstveröffentlichung: | 2016 |
Erscheinungsjahr: | 2016 |
Datum der Freischaltung: | 22.03.2020 |
Band: | 43 |
Seitenanzahl: | 9 |
Erste Seite: | 9939 |
Letzte Seite: | 9947 |
Fördernde Institution: | DFG/FAPESP [IRTG 1740/TRP 2011/50151-0]; Alexander von Humboldt Foundation; German Federal Ministry for Education and Research |
Organisationseinheiten: | Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät / Institut für Geowissenschaften |
Peer Review: | Referiert |
Name der Einrichtung zum Zeitpunkt der Publikation: | Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät / Institut für Erd- und Umweltwissenschaften |