{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,4]],"date-time":"2026-04-04T04:27:26Z","timestamp":1775276846101,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":67,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2015,9,11]],"date-time":"2015-09-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1441929600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Remote Sensing"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Accurate estimation of rainfall in mountainous areas is necessary for various water resource-related applications. Though rain gauges accurately measure rainfall, they are rarely found in mountainous regions and satellite rainfall data can be used as an alternative source over these regions. This study evaluated the performance of three  high-resolution satellite rainfall products, the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM 3B42), the Global Satellite Mapping of Precipitation (GSMaP_MVK+), and the Precipitation Estimation from Remotely-Sensed Information using Artificial Neural Networks (PERSIANN) at daily, monthly, and seasonal time scales against rain gauge records over data-scarce parts of Eastern Ethiopia. TRMM 3B42 rain products show relatively better performance at the three time scales, while PERSIANN did much better than GSMaP. At the daily time scale, TRMM correctly detected 88% of the rainfall from the rain gauge. The correlation at the monthly time scale also revealed that the TRMM has captured the observed rainfall better than the other two. For Belg (short rain) and Kiremt (long rain) seasons, the TRMM did better than the others by far. However, during Bega (dry) season, PERSIANN showed a relatively good estimate. At all-time scales, noticing the bias, TRMM tends to overestimate, while PERSIANN and GSMaP tend to underestimate the rainfall. The overall result suggests that monthly and seasonal TRMM rainfall performed better than daily rainfall. It has also been found that both GSMaP and PERSIANN performed better in relatively flat areas than mountainous areas. Before the practical use of TRMM, the RMSE value needs to be improved by considering the topography of the study area or adjusting the bias.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/rs70911639","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2015,9,15]],"date-time":"2015-09-15T03:46:33Z","timestamp":1442288793000},"page":"11639-11663","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":73,"title":["Performance of High Resolution Satellite Rainfall Products over Data Scarce Parts of Eastern Ethiopia"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"7","author":[{"given":"Shimelis","family":"Gebere","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department for Geology, Technische Universit\u00e4t Bergakademie Freiberg, Freiberg,  09599 Gustav-Zeuner-Str. 12, Germany"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7491-4401","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tena","family":"Alamirew","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Water and Land Resource Centre, P.O.Box 3880, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia"}]},{"given":"Broder","family":"Merkel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department for Geology, Technische Universit\u00e4t Bergakademie Freiberg, Freiberg,  09599 Gustav-Zeuner-Str. 12, Germany"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4724-9367","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Assefa","family":"Melesse","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Earth and Environment, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2015,9,11]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"487","DOI":"10.1175\/1525-7541(2004)005<0487:CAMTPG>2.0.CO;2","article-title":"Cmorph: A method that produces global precipitation estimates from passive microwave and infrared data at high spatial and temporal resolution","volume":"5","author":"Joyce","year":"2004","journal-title":"J. Hydrometeorol."},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"Mirshahi, B., Onof, C., and Wheater, H. (2008, January 15\u201317). Spatialtemporal daily rainfall simulation for a semi-arid area in Iran: A preliminary evaluation of generalised linear models. Proceedings of the 10th BHS National Hydrology Symposium: Sustainable Hydrology for the 21st Century, Exeter, UK."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"W07542","DOI":"10.1029\/2009WR008965","article-title":"Hydrologic evaluation of multisatellite precipitation analysis standard precipitation products in basins beyond its inclined latitude band: A case study in Laohahe basin, China","volume":"46","author":"Yong","year":"2010","journal-title":"Water Resour. Res."},{"key":"ref_4","first-page":"105","article-title":"Spatial and temporal analysis of rain gauge data and TRMM rainfall retrievals in Hong Kong","volume":"14","author":"Wong","year":"2008","journal-title":"Geogr. Inf. Sci."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4107","DOI":"10.3390\/rs5084107","article-title":"Evaluating satellite products for precipitation estimation in mountain regions: A case study for Nepal","volume":"5","author":"Krakauer","year":"2013","journal-title":"Remote Sens."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"943","DOI":"10.13031\/2013.18507","article-title":"Geostatistical methods for prediction of spatial variability of rainfall in a mountainous region","volume":"48","author":"Sarangi","year":"2005","journal-title":"Trans. ASAE"},{"key":"ref_7","unstructured":"Chokngamwong, R., and Chiu, L.S. (2004). Comparisons of Daily Thailand Rain Gauge with GPCC and TRMM Satellite Precipitation Measurements, George Mason University."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"927","DOI":"10.2151\/jmsj.87.927","article-title":"Evaluation of multi-satellite TRMM derived rainfall estimates over a western state of India","volume":"87","author":"Nair","year":"2009","journal-title":"J. Meteorol. Soc. Jpn. Ser. II"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2591","DOI":"10.1175\/2010JAMC2462.1","article-title":"Evaluation of the research-version TMPA rainfall estimate at its finest spatial and temporal scales over the Rome metropolitan area","volume":"49","author":"Villarini","year":"2010","journal-title":"J. Appl. Meteorol. Climatol."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"413","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jhydrol.2006.02.031","article-title":"Spatial and temporal rainfall variability in mountainous areas: A case study from the south Ecuadorian Andes","volume":"329","author":"Buytaert","year":"2006","journal-title":"J. Hydrol."},{"key":"ref_11","first-page":"39","article-title":"Spatial patterns of precipitation and topography in the Himalaya","volume":"398","author":"Anders","year":"2006","journal-title":"Geol. Soc. Am. Spec. Pap."},{"key":"ref_12","unstructured":"Hughes, D.A. (2006). Hydrological Modelling in Arid and Semi-Arid Areas, Cambridge University Press."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"379","DOI":"10.1080\/02626668809491261","article-title":"Problems of rainfall-runoff modelling in arid and semiarid regions","volume":"33","author":"Pilgrim","year":"1988","journal-title":"Hydrol. Sci. J."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"35","DOI":"10.1002\/met.120","article-title":"On the propagation of uncertainty in weather radar estimates of rainfall through hydrological models","volume":"16","author":"Collier","year":"2009","journal-title":"Meteorol. Appl."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"445","DOI":"10.1002\/qj.375","article-title":"REAL-Ensemble radar precipitation estimation for hydrology in a mountainous region","volume":"135","author":"Germann","year":"2009","journal-title":"Q. J. R. Meteorol. Soc."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"568","DOI":"10.1623\/hysj.53.3.568","article-title":"Analysis of radar-rainfall error characteristics and implications for streamflow simulation uncertainty","volume":"53","author":"Habib","year":"2008","journal-title":"Hydrol. Sci. J."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Villarini, G., Krajewski, W.F., Ciach, G.J., and Zimmerman, D.L. (2009). Product-error-driven generator of probable rainfall conditioned on WSR-88d precipitation estimates. Water Resour. Res., 45.","DOI":"10.1029\/2008WR006946"},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"415","DOI":"10.1175\/2009JAMC2305.1","article-title":"Optimally merging precipitation to minimize land surface modeling errors","volume":"49","author":"Yilmaz","year":"2009","journal-title":"J. Appl. Meteorol. Climatol."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"207","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jhydrol.2008.07.032","article-title":"Daily hydrological modeling in the Amazon basin using TRMM rainfall estimates","volume":"360","author":"Collischonn","year":"2008","journal-title":"J. Hydrol."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"497","DOI":"10.1080\/02626667.2010.481374","article-title":"Evaluating the performance of ground-based and remotely sensed near real-time rainfall fields from a hydrological perspective","volume":"55","author":"Ghile","year":"2010","journal-title":"Hydrol. Sci. J."},{"key":"ref_21","first-page":"405","article-title":"Evaluation of high-resolution satellite precipitation products with surface rain gauge observations from Laohahe basin in northern China","volume":"3","author":"Jiang","year":"2010","journal-title":"Water Sci. Eng."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"38","DOI":"10.1175\/JHM560.1","article-title":"The TRMM multi-satellite precipitation analysis (TMPA): Quasi-global, multi-year, combined-sensor precipitation estimates at fine scales","volume":"8","author":"Huffman","year":"2007","journal-title":"J. Hydrometeorol."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"237","DOI":"10.3923\/tasr.2011.237.255","article-title":"Evaluation of stochastic geographical matters: Morphologic geostatistics, conditional sequential simulation and geographical weighted regression","volume":"6","author":"Negreiros","year":"2011","journal-title":"Trends Appl. Sci. Res."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3069","DOI":"10.1016\/j.rse.2011.06.009","article-title":"A statistical spatial downscaling algorithm of TRMM precipitation based on NDVI and DEM in the Qaidam Basin of China","volume":"115","author":"Jia","year":"2011","journal-title":"Remote Sens. Environ."},{"key":"ref_25","first-page":"132","article-title":"Evaluation of geostatistical interpolation of rainfall by TRMM satellite data at the regional scale","volume":"5","author":"Adab","year":"2013","journal-title":"Int. J. Agric. Crop Sci."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"742","DOI":"10.1175\/1520-0469(2001)058<0742:ACSIAP>2.0.CO;2","article-title":"A combined satellite infrared and passive microwave technique for estimation of small-scale rainfall","volume":"18","author":"Todd","year":"2001","journal-title":"J. Atmos. Ocean. Technol."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"331","DOI":"10.1175\/1520-0450(2003)042<0331:VOTRRD>2.0.CO;2","article-title":"Validation of TRMM radar rainfall data over major climatic regions in Africa","volume":"42","author":"Adeyewa","year":"2003","journal-title":"J. Appl. Meteorol."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"178","DOI":"10.1175\/JCLI3259.1","article-title":"Comparison of TRMM precipitation retrievals with rain gauge data from ocean buoys","volume":"18","author":"Bowman","year":"2005","journal-title":"J. Clim."},{"key":"ref_29","first-page":"359","article-title":"Evaluation of TRMM 3B42 precipitation product using rain gauge data in meichuan watershed, Poyang Lake basin, China","volume":"3","author":"Junzhi","year":"2012","journal-title":"J. Res. Ecol."},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"809","DOI":"10.1175\/1520-0426(1998)015<0809:TTRMMT>2.0.CO;2","article-title":"The tropical rainfall measuring mission (TRMM) sensor package","volume":"15","author":"Kummerow","year":"1998","journal-title":"J. Atmos. Ocean. Technol."},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2259","DOI":"10.1109\/TGRS.2007.895337","article-title":"Global precipitation map using satellite-borne microwave radiometers by the GSMaP project: Production and validation","volume":"45","author":"Kubota","year":"2007","journal-title":"IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote Sens."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1176","DOI":"10.1175\/1520-0450(1997)036<1176:PEFRSI>2.0.CO;2","article-title":"Precipitation estimation from remotely sensed information using artificial neural networks","volume":"36","author":"Hsu","year":"1997","journal-title":"J. Appl. Meteorol."},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2035","DOI":"10.1175\/1520-0477(2000)081<2035:EOPSSE>2.3.CO;2","article-title":"Evaluation of persiann system satellite-based estimates of tropical rainfall","volume":"81","author":"Sorooshian","year":"2000","journal-title":"Bull. Am. Meteorol. Soc."},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1401","DOI":"10.1175\/BAMS-D-11-00122.1","article-title":"Aphrodite: Constructing a long-term daily gridded precipitation dataset for Asia based on a dense network of rain gauges","volume":"93","author":"Yatagai","year":"2012","journal-title":"Bull. Am. Meteorol. Soc."},{"key":"ref_35","first-page":"I_37","article-title":"Verification of GSMaP rainfall estimates over the central Himalayas","volume":"67","author":"Shrestha","year":"2011","journal-title":"J. Jpn. Soc. Civ. Eng."},{"key":"ref_36","first-page":"1665","article-title":"Rainfall estimation over the Wadi Dhuliel arid catchment, Jordan from GSMaP_MVK+","volume":"8","author":"Abushandi","year":"2011","journal-title":"Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss."},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1044","DOI":"10.1175\/2009JAMC2298.1","article-title":"Evaluation of high-resolution satellite precipitation products over very complex terrain in Ethiopia","volume":"49","author":"Hirpa","year":"2010","journal-title":"J. Appl. Meteorol. Climatol."},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"926","DOI":"10.1175\/JAMC-D-11-080.1","article-title":"Evaluation of TRMM rain estimates using ground measurements over central Florida","volume":"51","author":"Wang","year":"2012","journal-title":"J. Appl. Meteorol. Climatol."},{"key":"ref_39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1965","DOI":"10.1175\/1520-0450(2001)040<1965:TSOTTR>2.0.CO;2","article-title":"The status of the tropical rainfall measuring mission (TRMM) after two years in orbit","volume":"39","author":"Kummerow","year":"2000","journal-title":"J. Appl. Meteorol."},{"key":"ref_40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1505","DOI":"10.5194\/hess-15-1505-2011","article-title":"Evaluation of satellite rainfall estimates over Ethiopian river basins","volume":"15","author":"Romilly","year":"2011","journal-title":"Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci."},{"key":"ref_41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"67","DOI":"10.1002\/joc.1699","article-title":"Evaluation of reanalysis rainfall estimates over Ethiopia","volume":"29","author":"Diro","year":"2009","journal-title":"Int. J. Climatol."},{"key":"ref_42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1723","DOI":"10.1002\/joc.1623","article-title":"Trends and spatial distribution of annual and seasonal rainfall in Ethiopia","volume":"28","author":"Cheung","year":"2008","journal-title":"Int. J. Climatol."},{"key":"ref_43","unstructured":"National Meteorology Service Agency (1996). Climatic and Agroclimatic Resources of Ethiopia."},{"key":"ref_44","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"973","DOI":"10.1002\/joc.1052","article-title":"Recent changes in rainfall and rainy days in Ethiopia","volume":"24","author":"Seleshi","year":"2004","journal-title":"Int. J. Climatol."},{"key":"ref_45","unstructured":"Huffman, G.J., and Bolvin, D.T. TRMM and Other Data Precipitation Data Set Documentation, Available online: http:\/\/ftp:\/\/meso-a.gsfc.nasa.gov\/pub\/trmmdocs\/3B42_3B43_doc.pdf."},{"key":"ref_46","unstructured":"The TRMM Webpage, Available online: http:\/\/disc2.nascom.nasa.gov\/tovas\/."},{"key":"ref_47","unstructured":"The PERSIANN System. Available online: http:\/\/chrs.web.uci.edu\/research\/satellite_precipitation\/activities00.html."},{"key":"ref_48","unstructured":"PERSIANN 0.25\u00b0 Product Access Tools. Available online: http:\/\/chrs.web.uci.edu\/persiann\/data.html."},{"key":"ref_49","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Gebremichael, M., and Hossain, F. (2010). Satellite Rainfall Applications for Surface Hydrology, Springer.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-90-481-2915-7"},{"key":"ref_50","unstructured":"GSMaP_MVK+. Available online: http:\/\/sharaku.eorc.jaxa.jp\/GSMaP_crest\/gdac\/doc\/GSMaP_MVK+_e.html."},{"key":"ref_51","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"Q07023","DOI":"10.1029\/2011GC003513","article-title":"Evaluation of precipitation data sets along the Himalayan front","volume":"12","author":"Andermann","year":"2011","journal-title":"Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst."},{"key":"ref_52","unstructured":"American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) (1996). Hydrology Handbook, American Society of Civil Engineers."},{"key":"ref_53","unstructured":"Vieux, B.E. (2008). Encyclopedia of GIS, Springer Science & Business Media."},{"key":"ref_54","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1414","DOI":"10.1175\/2009JHM1139.1","article-title":"PERSIANN-MSA: A precipitation estimation method from satellite-based multispectral analysis","volume":"10","author":"Behrangi","year":"2009","journal-title":"J. Hydrometeorol."},{"key":"ref_55","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"47","DOI":"10.1175\/BAMS-88-1-47","article-title":"Comparison of near-real-time precipitation estimates from satellite observations and numerical models","volume":"88","author":"Ebert","year":"2007","journal-title":"Bull. Am. Meteorol. Soc."},{"key":"ref_56","first-page":"8545","article-title":"Evaluation of TRMM multi-satellite precipitation analysis (TMPA) performance in the central andes region and its dependency on spatial and temporal resolution","volume":"7","author":"Scheel","year":"2010","journal-title":"Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss."},{"key":"ref_57","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"85","DOI":"10.1109\/TGRS.2010.2057513","article-title":"Satellite remote sensing and hydrologic modeling for flood inundation mapping in Lake Victoria basin: Implications for hydrologic prediction in ungauged basins","volume":"49","author":"Khan","year":"2011","journal-title":"IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote Sens."},{"key":"ref_58","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"8156","DOI":"10.1080\/01431161.2013.833360","article-title":"Comparison of persiann and v7 TRMM multi-satellite precipitation analysis (TMPA) products with rain gauge data over Iran","volume":"34","author":"Moazami","year":"2013","journal-title":"Int. J. Remote Sens."},{"key":"ref_59","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"966","DOI":"10.1175\/2010JHM1206.1","article-title":"Adjusting satellite precipitation data to facilitate hydrologic modeling","volume":"11","author":"Tobin","year":"2010","journal-title":"J. Hydrometeorol."},{"key":"ref_60","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"837","DOI":"10.5194\/hess-17-837-2013","article-title":"Evaluation of high-resolution satellite precipitation products using rain gauge observations over the Tibetan Plateau","volume":"17","author":"Gao","year":"2013","journal-title":"Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci."},{"key":"ref_61","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"566","DOI":"10.1175\/2009JHM1190.1","article-title":"Evaluation of GSMaP precipitation estimates over the contiguous United States","volume":"11","author":"Tian","year":"2010","journal-title":"J. Hydrometeorol."},{"key":"ref_62","unstructured":"Dahmen, E.R., and Hall, M.J. (1990). Screening of Hydrological Data: Tests for Stationarity and Relative Consistency, International Institute for Land Reclamation and Improvement."},{"key":"ref_63","unstructured":"McCuen, R.H. (1998). Hydrologic Analysis and Design, Prentice Hall. [2nd ed.]."},{"key":"ref_64","first-page":"132","article-title":"Limitations in the use of double-mass curves","volume":"12","author":"Wigbout","year":"1973","journal-title":"J. Hydrol."},{"key":"ref_65","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"713","DOI":"10.1007\/s00704-013-0917-x","article-title":"Assessing the performance of satellite-based precipitation products and its dependence on topography over Poyang Lake basin","volume":"115","author":"Li","year":"2013","journal-title":"Theor. Appl. Climatol."},{"key":"ref_66","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"149","DOI":"10.1175\/2008JHM1052.1","article-title":"An intercomparison and validation of high-resolution satellite precipitation estimates with 3-hourly gauge data","volume":"10","author":"Sapiano","year":"2009","journal-title":"J. Hydrometeorol."},{"key":"ref_67","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"8969","DOI":"10.1080\/01431161.2010.531784","article-title":"Comparison of TRMM multisatellite precipitation analysis (TMPA) products and daily-monthly gauge data over Bali","volume":"32","author":"Tanaka","year":"2011","journal-title":"Int. J. Remote Sens."}],"container-title":["Remote Sensing"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2072-4292\/7\/9\/11639\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T20:48:24Z","timestamp":1760215704000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2072-4292\/7\/9\/11639"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2015,9,11]]},"references-count":67,"journal-issue":{"issue":"9","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2015,9]]}},"alternative-id":["rs70911639"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/rs70911639","relation":{},"ISSN":["2072-4292"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2072-4292","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2015,9,11]]}}}