PIRE Research Paper published on Hydrology and Earth Systems Sciences
Ying Zhang, PhD student at University of Wisconsin (now a postdoc at John Hopkins University), Dr. Semu Moges and Dr. Paul Block, have recently published a journal paper on objective cluster analysis and its usefulness as a precursor to seasonal precipitation prediction at local scale with an application at western Ethiopia.
The study proposes advancing local-level seasonal precipitation predictions by first conditioning on regional-level predictions, as defined through objective cluster analysis, for western Ethiopia. To the authors knowledge, this is the first study predicting seasonal precipitation at high resolution in this region, where lives and livelihoods are vulnerable to precipitation variability given the high reliance on rain-fed agriculture and limited water resources infrastructure. The combination of objective cluster analysis, spatially high-resolution prediction of seasonal precipitation, and a modeling structure spanning statistical and dynamical approaches makes clear advances in prediction skill and resolution, as compared with previous studies.
Zhang Y., Moges S., and Block P. (2018) Does objective cluster analysis serve as a useful precursor to seasonal precipitation prediction at local scale? Application to western Ethiopia, Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 22, 143-157, doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-143-2018
Categories: News
Published: February 23, 2018