A Cascading Bias Correction Method for Global Climate Model Simulated Multiyear Precipitation Variability

Abstract

The use of global climate model (GCM) precipitation simulations typically requires corrections for precipitation biases at subgrid spatial scales, typically at daily or monthly time scales. However, over many regions GCMs under-estimate the magnitudes of multiyear precipitation extremes in the observed climate, resulting in a likely underestimation of the magnitudes of multiyear precipitation extremes in future scenarios. The objective of this study is to propose a method to extract from GCMs more realistic scenarios of multiyear precipitation extremes over time horizons of decades to one century. This proposed correction method is analogous to widely used bias correction methods, except that it is applied to variability at longer time scales than previous implementations (i.e., multiyear rather than daily or monthly). A case study of precipitation over a basin from the New York City water supply system demonstrates the potential magnitude of the underestimation of multiyear precipitation using uncorrected GCM scenarios, and the potential impact of the correction on multiyear hydrological extremes. Overall, it is a practical, conceptually simple approach meant for water supply system impact studies, but can be used for any impact studies that require more realistic multiyear extreme precipitation extreme scenarios.