Evaluation of the performance of TRMM Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA) estimation over Iran

This study focuses on the evaluation of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA v7) over Iran. The evaluation was conducted for a 16-year period extending between 1998 and 2013 using the rain gauge observation stations. The spatial and temporal variations of precipitation were well captured by the multi-satellite product TMPA. In spite of the consistent spatial and temporal patterns, the absolute values differed by season and region. The high performance of satellite database as compared with rain gauge observations was found over Zagros Mountains range in western parts of the country, where rainfall is mainly associated with synoptic scale atmospheric circulation patterns, in contrast with other regions of the country where convective events and complex orography play key roles. The product captured the wet and dry seasons well, but the performance increased throughout the wet period. In terms of the probability of detection rainy day events, TMPA had good performance in the western parts of the country with regard to rain gauge-based observations.