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OCR for page 44
G lossary
Basin: The entire land area with a common outlet for sur-
face runoff.
Basin boundary: The perimeter of a basin (or on a map, the
line demarcating the perimeter) beyond which surface
runoff drains away into another basin.
Calibration: The process of optimizing parameters of a hy-
drologic model to provide the best simulation of histori-
cal stream flow by use of precipitation, temperature, and
other hydrometeorological data from the historical
record.
Climate Data Continuity Project (CDCP): A NOAA-
funded project to document differences in several hy-
drometeorological observations (i.e., temperature, pre-
cipitation, and wind) measured by pre-Automated Sur-
face Observing System instrumentation and ASOS in-
strumentation at airport locations.
Climatic areas: Regions that can be grouped according to
distinctive types of average weather conditions, espe-
cially patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature.
Differences in climate between two areas can have a
strong effect on the corresponding hydrologic charac-
teristics of each area.
Cooperative observer: An individual (or institution) who
takes precipitation and temperature observations and
in some cases other observations such as river stage,
soil temperature, and evaporation at or near his or her
home or place of business. Many observers transmit
their reports by touch-tone telephone to an NWS com-
puter, and nearly all observers mail monthly reports to
the National Climatic Data Center to be archived and
published.
Data collection platforms (DCPs): Devices that acquire,
record, and transmit data from various types of environ-
mental sensors. pops often operate on a timed basis.
The term pop is often modified to describe a data col-
lection network to which the pop belongs (e.g., Geo-
stationary Operational Environmental Satellite pop for
44
pops that report environmental data by way of the Geo-
stationary Operational Environmental Satellite).
Doppler radar: A radar capable of measuring the change in
frequency of a radar wave caused by the relative mo-
tion of an object in the atmosphere within the area of
radar coverage. Doppler capabilities are not used in
the process of converting radar echoes to precipitation
estimates.
Drought: A period of abnormally dry weather sufficiently
prolonged to cause a serious hydrological imbalance.
Ensemble forecasting: In a hydrologic modeling context, a
process whereby a hydrologic model is successively ex-
ecuted several times for the same forecast period by the
use of varied data input scenarios or a perturbation of a
key variable state for each model run. A common
method employed to obtain a varied data input scenario
is to use the historical meteorological record, with the
assumption that several years of observed data covering
the time period beginning on the current date and ex-
tending through the forecast period comprise a reason-
able estimate of the possible range of future conditions.
Flash flood: A flood caused by water that rises rapidly from
a normal level to inundation. Within the context of NWS
hydrologic services, "rapidly" means within six hours.
Flood: A higher than normal flow on a stream, triggered by
a causative event such as heavy rainfall, snowmelt, or
reservoir release, in which the stream level equals or
exceeds a predetermined flood stage.
Flood forecast: Any numerical forecast product made for a
stream in which at least one forecast value exceeds flood
stage or flow (same as "river flood forecast".
Flood stage: An established stream level at a given gauge
location at which high water begins to have an adverse
impact either upstream or downstream from the gauge
location.
Flood warning: An NWS product issued to provide ad-
vance notice that a specific river or rivers will equal or
OCR for page 45
GLOSSARY
exceed flood stage. Actions to be taken to mitigate losses
are determined by the level of severity indicated in the
flood warning product.
Forecast skill: A statistical measure of how well forecasts
predict what actually occurs.
Forecast verification: The process by which forecasts are
later compared to observed values for the same time
period to evaluate the accuracy and timeliness of fore-
casted values.
Hydrograph: A graphical plot of stream stage or discharge
versus time that shows how stream flow varies over time
at a given stream location.
Hydrologic cycle: The continual process by which water
evaporates from the surface of oceans, lakes, other wa-
ter bodies, and land; exists in the form of atmospheric
moisture; forms into clouds and falls to the ground as
precipitation; and flows through a stream network or
groundwater system back to the oceans to repeat the
process.
Hydrologic model: A conceptual or physically based proce-
dure to simulate numerically a process or processes that
occur in a stream basin.
Hydrologic services: A general term referring to the opera-
tions, products, verbal communication, and related
forms of support provided by the NWS regarding the
streams, rivers, and other areas affected by surface water.
Hydrology: The science dealing with the processes that con-
trol the movement of water across and under the surface
of the land.
Hydrometeorology: An interdisciplinary science involving
the study and analysis of the interrelationships between
the atmospheric and land phases of water as it moves
through the hydrologic cycle.
Kalman filter: A mathematical formulation that weighs two
comparable pieces of information (e.g., an observation
and a simulated value) to provide an optimized output
based on the error characteristics of both pieces of in-
formation.
Local-area forecast: In the pre-modernization and associ-
ated restructuring of NWS, a locally tailored weather
forecast that was prepared and issued by a WSO based
on more general forecast products received from a "par-
ent" Weather Service Forecast Office. This process did
not apply to hydrologic forecasts, which were prepared
initially by River Forecast Centers and issued to the
public by NWS offices with hydrologic service area re-
sponsibility.
Local Climatological Data (LCD): A National Climatic
Data Center publication that contains monthly and an-
nual summaries of hydrometeorological parameters for
surface-observing sites primarily at airport locations.
The LCD is an important source of climate records.
45
Local flood warning system: A network of stream and rain
gauges usually linked with one or more computerized
terminal systems to monitor hydrologic events as they
occur. These data, in conjunction with historical data
and seasonal trends, provide a basis for flood prediction
and forecasting.
Manual weather observation: An observation of a meteo-
rological parameter such as temperature or precipitation
that is made with the human eye and recorded by hand
before it is forwarded to the NWS.
Meteorology: The science concerned with weather and at-
mospheric phenomena.
NEXRAD base reflectivities: Raw radar data obtained by
the receiver (dish) and converted to output by the radar
data acquisition computer. Base reflectivity is propor-
tional to the sixth power of the diameter of rain drops
encountered by the radar beam.
Operational test and evaluation: Demonstration of a cen-
trally developed system at selected field offices, per-
formed prior to nationwide implementation to ensure
that field office operational requirements have been met.
Precipitation gauge: A device that measures the water-
equivalent depth of precipitation that has fallen in the
frozen (e.g., snow) or liquid (i.e., rain) states.
Probabilistic QPF (pQPF): A form of QPF (see definition
for QPF below) that includes an assigned probability of
occurrence for each numerical value in the forecast
product.
Quantitative precipitation forecast (QPF): A numerical
forecast of precipitation amount provided in a format
such that the forecasted depth of precipitation is given
for specified locations, depicted graphically for an
area, or computed for each grid in an area that can be
used as input to hydrologic forecast models or other
applications.
Restructuring: In reference to NWS field offices, the pro-
cess of converting from the two-tiered Weather Service
Forecast Office-Weather Service Office configuration to
the single-tiered Weather Forecast Office configuration.
Risk reduction: In the context of the NWS modernization,
the process of implementing newly developed software
and hardware technology and operations at selected field
offices to demonstrate their operational viability and to
obtain forecaster input on needed refinements prior to
widespread implementation at field offices.
River crest: The highest stage or level of a flood wave as it
passes a given stream location.
River-flow modeling: The continuous process by which
flows and corresponding river stages are numerically
simulated (see also "hydrologic model"~.
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46
ASSESSMENT OF HYDROLOGIC AND HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL OPERATIONS AND SERVICES
River forecasts: One or more numerical values prepared to
predict the level (stage), flow rate (discharge), or veloc-
ity at a given location along a river for a future time or
time period.
Severe weather: Weather activity of an exceptional nature
that exceeds predetermined criteria at which life and/or
property are known to be threatened.
Site-specific: Term used in conjunction with the words
"forecast" or "warning" to highlight the fact that a hy-
drologic (stream) forecast is produced for an individual
stream gauge location as opposed to a general area (e.g.,
a city or county), as is commonly done in many types of
weather forecasts.
Spatially lumped parametric models: In the context of
hydrologic models, one that assumes that each hydro-
meteorological input (e.g., rainfall) or basin variable
state (e.g., soil moisture) can be represented by a param-
eter that characterizes average or aggregate conditions
across the entire basin.
Stage I (precipitation processing): The first level of pre-
cipitation processing, occurring within the NEXRAD
computer and performed for each volume scan of the
radar. Base reflectivity data are converted to a precipita-
tion estimate for each grid in the radar umbrella, using a
complex algorithm that includes quality control proce-
dures, a ZIR relationship, and a bias adjustment using
data from a ground-based precipitation gauge network.
Several graphical and digital products are produced for
Weather Forecast Office operations and subsequent
processing.
Stage II (precipitation processing): The second level of
precipitation processing, occurring within the Weather
Forecast Office Advanced Weather Interactive Process-
ing System and performed on an hourly basis. Stage I
precipitation estimates are further refined using data
from additional precipitation gauges and other sources
of information such as rain/no rain determinations from
satellite imagery. Stage II may also be executed at RFCs
for backup purposes.
Stage III (precipitation processing): The third level of pre-
cipitation processing, performed interactively at RFCs.
Stage II precipitation estimates from multiple
NEXRADs are mosaicked into an RFC-wide product
for use in river basin hydrologic modeling operations.
RFC forecasters can review the mosaicked product, in-
teractively edit areas of bad data, and substitute
gauge-only data fields into portions of the "mosaicked"
radar-based product.
State variable (also variable state): The current numerical
value simulated for a given unknown (e.g., soil mois-
ture, snow-water content) in the hydrologic modeling
process. The state of hydrologic model variables at any
given time control how the model will simulate response
to new input such as precipitation or snowmelt.
Stream gauge: Any site along a stream where the stage
(water level) is read either manually, by eye, or mea-
sured with recording equipment.
Technology transfer: The process of providing hydrologic
models, systems, and procedures developed for NWS
operations to the private sector, to other federal, state, re-
gional, and local agencies, and to international interests.
Telemetered data: Hydrometeorological data, measured by
a conventional sensor such as a rain gauge or thermom-
eter, but which are read, digitized, stored, and transmit-
ted electronically.
Telemetry networks: A collection of hydrometeorological
sensors that have the capability to transmit data electroni-
cally. Transmission of data may be by land phone lines,
satellites, or land-based radio-microwave equipment.
Trace: A hydrograph or similar plot for an extended-range
time horizon showing one of many scenarios generated
through an ensemble forecast process.
ZIR relationship: The empirical conversion relationship
between radar reflectivity and precipitation rate.
Representative terms from entire chapter:
weather forecast
