103-Year High-Resolution Precipitation Climate Data Set for the Conterminous United States

Metadata:

• Identification_Information
• Data_Quality_Information
• Spatial_Data_Organization_Information
• Spatial_Reference_Information
• Entity_and_Attribute_Information
• Distribution_Information
• Metadata_Reference_Information

Identification_Information:

Citation:

Citation_Information:

Originator:

Chris Daly and Wayne Gibson of the The PRISM Climate Group at Oregon State University, George Taylor of the Oregon Climate Service at Oregon State University

Publication_Date: 200207

Title:

103-Year High-Resolution Precipitation Climate Data Set for the Conterminous United States

Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: raster digital data

Publication_Information:

Publication_Place: Corvallis, Oregon, USA

Publisher: The PRISM Climate Group, Oregon

Online_Linkage: <URL:ftp://ftp.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/prism100>

Description:

Abstract:

Spatially distributed monthly and annual precipitation. Each file represents 1 month of 1 year for the period 1895-1997. Distribution of the point measurements to a spatial grid was accomplished using the PRISM model, developed by Christopher Daly, Director, The PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University. Care should be taken in estimating precipitation values at any single point on the map. Precipitation estimated for each grid cell is an average over the entire area of that cell; thus, point precipitation can be estimated at a spatial precision no better than half the resolution of a cell. For example, the precipitation data were distributed at a resolution of approximately 4km. Therefore, point precipitation can be estimated at a spatial precision no better than 2km. However, the overall distribution of precipitation features is thought to be accurate. For further information, the online PRISM homepage can be found at <URL:http://prism.oregonstate.edu>.

Further information on the current state of this project can be found at <URL:ftp://ftp.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/prism100>

Purpose:

Display and/or analyses requiring spatially distributed monthly or annual precipitation for the period 1895-1997.

Supplemental_Information:

There are many methods of interpolating precipitation from monitoring stations to grid points. Some provide estimates of acceptable accuracy in flat terrain, but few have been able to adequately explain the extreme, complex variations in precipitation that occur in mountainous regions. Significant progress in this area has been achieved through the development of PRISM (Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model). PRISM is an analytical model that uses point data and a digital elevation model (DEM) to generate gridded estimates of monthly and annual precipitation (as well as other climatic parameters). PRISM is well suited to regions with mountainous terrain, because it incorporates a conceptual framework that addresses the spatial scale and pattern of orographic precipitation.

Time_Period_of_Content:

Time_Period_Information:

Range_of_Dates/Times:

Beginning_Date: 18950101

Ending_Date: 19971231

Currentness_Reference:

Climatological period from which the point observations were taken.

Status:

Progress: Complete

Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: None planned at this time.

Spatial_Domain:

Bounding_Coordinates:

West_Bounding_Coordinate: -125.020833333333

East_Bounding_Coordinate: -66.47916757

North_Bounding_Coordinate: 49.93750000

South_Bounding_Coordinate: 24.06250000000

Keywords:

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: None

Theme_Keyword: raster data

Theme_Keyword: precipitation

Theme_Keyword: grid cell

Place:

Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: None

Place_Keyword: Conterminous USA

Access_Constraints: n/a, no restrictions apply

Use_Constraints:

Acknowledgement of the following agencies in products derived from these data: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) , National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), PRISM Model, the The PRISM Climate Group and the Oregon Climate Service at Oregon State University.

Point_of_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Person_Primary:

Contact_Person: Christopher Daly

Contact_Organization: Director, The PRISM Climate Group

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: mailing address

Address:

The PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, 2001 Kelley Engineering Center

City: Corvallis

State_or_Province: OR

Postal_Code: 97331-2209

Country: USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone: (541) 737-2531

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: daly@nacse.org

Security_Information:

Security_Classification_System: None

Security_Classification: Unclassified

Security_Handling_Description: None

Native_Data_Set_Environment: Solaris 2.8, UNIX

Data_Quality_Information:

Logical_Consistency_Report:

National Weather Service Cooperative (COOP) TD3200 daily data were passed through QA/QC procedures developed at the National Climatic Data Center prior to creation of the TD3220 monthly precipitation data. For further information, see <URL:http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov>

Completeness_Report:

Point estimates of monthly precipitation originated from the following sources: National Weather Service Cooperative (COOP) stations, 2) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) SNOTEL, 3) local networks, and 4) statistically in-filled missing monthly data to produce a serially complete station data set, generated by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR).

Positional_Accuracy:

Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy:

Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Report:

Accuracy of this data set is based on the original specification of the Defense Mapping Agency (DMA) 1 degree digital elevation models (DEM). The stated accuracy of the original DEMs are 130 m circular error with 90% probability.

Quantitative_Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Assessment:

Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Value: 130 m with 90%

Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Explanation: The broad DMA production objective for 1-degree DEM's.

Lineage:

Source_Information:

Source_Citation:

Citation_Information:

Originator: National Climatic Data Center (NCDC)

Publication_Date: 1997

Title: TD3220 Summary of the Month Cooperative (SOM) Data Set.

Publication_Information:

Publication_Place: Asheville, NC, USA

Publisher: National Climatic Data Center

Type_of_Source_Media: digital files

Source_Time_Period_of_Content:

Time_Period_Information:

Range_of_Dates/Times:

Beginning_Date: 189501

Ending_Date: 199712

Source_Currentness_Reference: ground condition

Source_Citation_Abbreviation: Summary of the Month

Source_Contribution:

Location and values of known average monthly and annual precipitation

Source_Information:

Source_Citation:

Citation_Information:

Originator: Natural Resources Conservation Service

Publication_Date: 1997

Title:

Cooperative Snow Survey Data of Federal -State - Private Cooperative Snow Surveys

Series_Information:

Series_Name:

Cooperative Snow Survey Data of Federal - State - Private Cooperative Snow Surveys

Issue_Identification: Annual issue for Western

Publication_Information:

Publication_Place: Portland, OR, USA

Publisher:

Natural Resources Conservation Service, Water and Climate Center

Type_of_Source_Media: digital files, paper reports, online

Source_Time_Period_of_Content:

Time_Period_Information:

Range_of_Dates/Times:

Beginning_Date: 1979

Ending_Date: 1997

Source_Currentness_Reference: ground condition

Source_Citation_Abbreviation: SNOTEL (SNOwpack TELemetry)

Source_Contribution:

Location and values of known average monthly and annual precipitation

Source_Information:

Source_Citation:

Citation_Information:

Originator:

Natural Resources Conservation Service, Water and Climate Center

Publication_Date: Unpublished material

Title: Local Precipitation monitoring networks

Type_of_Source_Media: digital files

Source_Time_Period_of_Content:

Time_Period_Information:

Range_of_Dates/Times:

Beginning_Date: 1895

Ending_Date: 1997

Source_Currentness_Reference: ground condition

Source_Citation_Abbreviation: LOCAL

Source_Contribution:

Location and values of known average monthly and annual precipitation

Source_Information:

Source_Citation:

Citation_Information:

Originator: Defense Mapping Agency

Publication_Date: 1985

Title:

1:250,000-scale Digital Elevation Models (DEM) also known as 1-Degree DEM's

Publication_Information:

Publication_Place: Washington, DC

Publisher: U.S. Geological Survey

Online_Linkage: <URL:http://edc.usgs.gov/geodata>

Type_of_Source_Media: digital files

Source_Time_Period_of_Content:

Time_Period_Information:

Single_Date/Time:

Calendar_Date: 1985

Source_Currentness_Reference: Publication Date

Source_Citation_Abbreviation: DEM

Source_Contribution:

Terrain surface input to PRISM model for estimation of precipitation between known points.

Source_Information:

Source_Citation:

Citation_Information:

Originator: National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)

Publication_Date: Unpublished Material

Title: Serially complete station data set for 1895-1997

Type_of_Source_Media: digital files

Source_Time_Period_of_Content:

Time_Period_Information:

Range_of_Dates/Times:

Beginning_Date: 189501

Ending_Date: 199712

Source_Currentness_Reference: Publication date

Source_Citation_Abbreviation: serially in-filled data

Source_Contribution:

Serially in-filled data set in which missing monthly values are replaced with reasonable values generated by a statistical process (kriging).

Process_Step:

Process_Description:

It is beyond the scope of this metadata to document the processes involved in generating spatially gridded precipitation using the PRISM model. However, the processes are documented in numerous conference proceedings and journal articles. The references can be found online at

<URL:http://prism.oregonstate.edu/prism_new.html>.

Process_Date: 200207

Process_Step:

Process_Description: Metadata imported.

Spatial_Data_Organization_Information:

Direct_Spatial_Reference_Method: Raster

Raster_Object_Information:

Raster_Object_Type: Grid Cell

Row_Count: 621

Column_Count: 1405

Vertical_Count: 1

Spatial_Reference_Information:

Horizontal_Coordinate_System_Definition:

Geographic:

Latitude_Resolution: .04166666666

Longitude_Resolution: .04166666666

Geographic_Coordinate_Units: Decimal degrees

Planar:

Planar_Coordinate_Information:

Planar_Coordinate_Encoding_Method: row and column

Coordinate_Representation:

Abscissa_Resolution: 0.041667

Ordinate_Resolution: 0.041667

Geodetic_Model:

Horizontal_Datum_Name: World Geodetic Spheroid 1972 (WGS72)

Ellipsoid_Name: WGS72

Semi-major_Axis: 6378135.0

Denominator_of_Flattening_Ratio: 298.26

Entity_and_Attribute_Information:

Detailed_Description:

Entity_Type:

Entity_Type_Label: precipitation grid cell value

Entity_Type_Definition: ASCII values

Entity_Type_Definition_Source: Self-evident

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: precipitation grid cell value

Attribute_Definition: spatially gridded precipitation

Attribute_Definition_Source:

Daly, C., R.P. Neilson, and D.L. Phillips, 1994: A Statistical-Topographic Model for Mapping Climatological Precipitation over Mountainous Terrain. J. Appl. Meteor., 33,140-158.

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Unrepresentable_Domain:

Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: Value

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Enumerated_Domain:

Enumerated_Domain_Value: -9999

Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: no data

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Range_Domain:

Attribute_Units_of_Measure: mm*100

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: Count

Distribution_Information:

Distributor:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Person_Primary:

Contact_Person: National Climatic Data Center (NCDC)

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: mailing address

Address:

National Climatic Data Center Federal Building 151 Patton Avenue

City: Asheville

State_or_Province: NC

Postal_Code: 28801-5001

Country: USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone: (828) 271-4800

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: (828) 271-4876

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: questions@ncdc.noaa.gov

Resource_Description: Downloadable Data

Distribution_Liability:

This digital data set publication was prepared by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, make any warranty, expressed or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or misuse of the data, or for damage, transmission of viruses or computer contamination through the distribution of these data sets or for the usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed in this report, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference therein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. Any views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those!

Standard_Order_Process:

Digital_Form:

Digital_Transfer_Information:

Transfer_Size: 2.687

Metadata_Reference_Information:

Metadata_Date: 20020718

Metadata_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Person_Primary:

Contact_Person: Wayne Gibson

Contact_Organization:

The PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: mailing and physical address

Address: The PRISM Climate Group

Address: Oregon State University

Address: 2001 Kelley Engineering Center

City: Corvallis

State_or_Province: OR

Postal_Code: 97331

Contact_Voice_Telephone: (541) 737-2531

Metadata_Standard_Name: FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata

Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001-1998

Metadata_Time_Convention: local time

Metadata_Security_Information:

Metadata_Security_Classification_System: none

Metadata_Security_Classification: Unclassified

Metadata_Security_Handling_Description: None

Metadata_Extensions:

Online_Linkage: <http://www.esri.com/metadata/esriprof80.html>

Profile_Name: ESRI Metadata Profile