The Impact of Spatial-Temporal Averaging on the Dynamic-Statistical Properties of Rain Fields

Abstract

Knowledge of the spatial-temporal variation of rain fields is required for the planning and optimization of wide-area high-frequency terrestrial and satellite communication networks. This article presents data and a method for characterizing multi-resolution statistical/dynamic parameters describing the spatial-temporal variation of rain fields across ocean climate in North-Western Europe. The data are derived from the NIMROD network of rain radars. The characterizing parameters include 1) statistical distribution of point 1 min rainfall rates, 2) spatial and temporal correlation functions of rainfall rate, and 3) the probability of rain/no rain. The main contributions of this article are the assessment of the impact of varying spatial and temporal integration lengths on these parameters, their dependencies on the integration volumes and area sizes, and the model for both temporal and spatial correlation parameters.