Temporal Scaling Characteristics of Sub‐Daily Precipitation in Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau

Abstract

Abstract The Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau (QTP) is highly susceptible to destructive rainstorm hazards and related natural disasters. However, the lack of sub‐daily precipitation observations in this region has hindered our understanding of rainstorm‐related hazards and their societal impacts. To address this data gap, a new approach is devised to estimate sub‐daily precipitation in QTP using daily precipitation data and geographical information. The approach involves establishing a statistical relationship between daily and sub‐daily precipitation based on data from 102 observation sites. This process results in a set of functions with six associated parameters. These parameters are then modeled using local geographical and climatic information through a machine learning algorithm called support vector regression. The results indicated that the temporal scaling characteristics of sub‐daily precipitation can be accurately described using a logarithmic function. The uncertainty of the estimates is quantified using the coefficient of variance and coefficient of skewness, which are estimated using a logarithmic and linear curve, respectively. Additionally, the six parameters are found to be closely linked to geographical conditions, enabling the creation of a 1‐km parameters data set. This data set can be utilized to quantitatively describe the probabilistic distribution and extract key information about maximum precipitation duration (from 1 to 12 hr). Overall, the findings suggest that the generated parameters data set holds significant potential for various applications, including risk analysis, forecasting, and early warning for rainstorm‐related natural disasters in QTP. The innovative method developed in this study proves to be an effective approach for estimating sub‐daily precipitation and assessing its uncertainty in ungauged regions.

Keywords

• sub‐daily precipitation
• databases
• temporal scale
• natural disasters
• Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau
• high mountain regions