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Yamaji, M., T. Kubota, and M. K. Yamamoto, 2021: An approach to reliability characterization of GSMaP near-real-time precipitation product. J. Meteor. Soc. Japan, 99, 673-684.
Special Edition on Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM): 5th Anniversary,
https://doi.org/10.2151/jmsj.2021-033
Graphical Abstract NEW GA

Plain Language Summary: Reliability information of satellite precipitation products is required for various applications, such as agricultural monitoring, public health, and education, as well as weather monitoring and disaster prevention. This study confirms effectiveness for a reliability flag of the Global Satellite Mapping of Precipitation Near-Real-Time precipitation product (GSMaP_NRT), which is developed to characterize the reliability of GSMaP_NRT data “simply” and “qualitatively”.
 

Highlights:

• We described the algorithm of the GSMaP_NRT reliability flag (Fig. 1), considering three major factors, and found that the flag represents the differences in GSMaP accuracy.
• Seasonal changes in the GSMaP errors were well represented by the reliability flag (Fig.2).
• This study also raises the possibility of improving the reliability flag by using information related to heavy orographic rainfall by showing how the error features of heavy orographic rainfall differ from those of the total rainfall.