Global Weather Data for SWAT

[suresh sharma]

Dear all,

 

I am concerned about the link in SWAT documentation. There is a link http://globalweather.tamu.edu/ in SWAT website. It prepares the climate data based on lattitude and longitude. It is very easy to prepare the climate data but it is not the observed data. Any of you are aware of this data? Is it an observed data? . I think it is CFSSR data based on some climate model (CFSV2). I am not sure how can we use this data for model calibration/validation?

 

Friends, please share your experience. May be, I am confused. you suggestion will be a great asset to me

 

 

thanks,

Suresh Sharma, PhD

[Kerem Güngör]

Hello Suresh,

I downloaded weather data from the site you mentioned and I used it to create a custom weather generator for my area of study. I think this data can be best used for creating a weather generator for your area of study like I did. As long as, you think that the data is fairly accurate and representing weather conditions in the area.  

There is a paper addressing CFSR accessible from the following address: http://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/pdf/10.1175/2010BAMS3001.1

To my understanding, the data is simulated, not observed. 

Frankly, I have concerns about how well the simulated data agree with the actual data observed in the field. For instance, the mean annual total precipitation data I downloaded from  http://globalweather.tamu.edu/ was more than 100% off from the observed data set I obtained from a nearby weather station. 

I will send a separate message to the SWAT-user group regarding my concern.

Best,

Kerem Gungor