United States Average Monthly or Annual Precipitation, 1961-90

Metadata also available as

Metadata:

Identification_Information:
Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator:
Chris Daly and George Taylor of the Spatial Climate Analysis Service at Oregon State University.
Publication_Date: 200008
Title: United States Average Monthly or Annual Precipitation, 1961-90
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Corvallis, Oregon, USA
Publisher:
Spatial Climate Analysis Service at Oregon State University (SCAS/OSU)
Description:
Abstract:
This data set contains spatially gridded precipitation of average monthly and annual precipitation for the climatological period 1961-90. Distribution of the point measurements to a spatial grid was accomplished using the PRISM model, developed by Chris Daly of SCAS/OSU.
Purpose:
Display and/or analyses requiring spatially distributed monthly or annual precipitation for the climatological period 1961-90.
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. Precipitation was modeled monthly. An annual grid was produced by summing the monthly grids. A Gaussian filter was applied to increase the resolution of the grids from the base resolution 2.5 arc-minutes (~4 km) to 1.25 arc-minutes (~2 km). This filter is a modification of the Barnes filter (Barnes, 1964), originally adapted by Dr. Stephen Esbensen of Oregon State University, and later modified for use here by Wayne P.Gibson, also of Oregon State University.
Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Range_of_Dates/Times:
Beginning_Date: 19610101
Ending_Date: 19901231
Currentness_Reference:
Climatological period from which the point observations were taken.
Status:
Progress: Complete
Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency:
None planned for the 1961-90 climatological period. However, this data set will most likely be updated in 2001 for the new 1971-2000 climatological period.
Spatial_Domain:
Bounding_Coordinates:
West_Bounding_Coordinate: -126.01041666666
East_Bounding_Coordinate: -64.989583333333
North_Bounding_Coordinate: 50.010416666666
South_Bounding_Coordinate: 24.072916666666
Keywords:
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Theme_Keyword: raster data
Theme_Keyword: precipitation
Theme_Keyword: grid cell
Place:
Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Place_Keyword: United States, USA
Access_Constraints: Access pursuant to license agreement
Use_Constraints:
Acknowledgement of the following agencies in products derived from these data: Spatial Climate Analysis Service at Oregon State University and Climate Source, LLC
Point_of_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Person_Primary:
Contact_Person: George H. Taylor, State Climatologist
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing address
Address:
Strand Ag Hall 316, Spatial Climate Analysis Service, Oregon State University
City: Corvallis
State_or_Province: OR
Postal_Code: 97331-2209
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: (541) 737-5705
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: (541) 737-5710
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: taylor@oce.orst.edu
Security_Information:
Security_Classification_System: None
Security_Classification: Unclassified
Security_Handling_Description: None
Native_Data_Set_Environment: SunOS, 5.5.1, sun4m UNIX

Data_Quality_Information:
Logical_Consistency_Report:
All data were based on the same averaging period (1961-1990). Similar quality assurance procedures were used with all input data sets.
Completeness_Report:
Point estimates of precipitation originated from the following sources: National Weather Service Cooperative (COOP) stations, 2) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) SNOTEL, 3) local networks. All COOP station data were subjected to quality control checks by the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) and Spatial Climate Analysis Service.
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% probability.
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: 1991
Title:
U.S. National 1961-1990 Climate Normals, Climatography of the United States No. 81
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Asheville, NC, USA
Publisher: National Climatic Data Center (NCDC)
Type_of_Source_Media: digital files
Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Range_of_Dates/Times:
Beginning_Date: 19610101
Ending_Date: 19901231
Source_Currentness_Reference: ground condition
Source_Citation_Abbreviation: CLIM81
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: 1991
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 US states
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: 19610101
Ending_Date: 19901231
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: 19610101
Ending_Date: 19901231
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
Online_Linkage: <URL:http://edcwww.cr.usgs.gov/doc/edchome/ndcdb/ndcdb.html>
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Washington, DC
Publisher: U.S. Geological Survey
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 precipitaion between known points.
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://www.ocs.orst.edu/prism/>.
Process_Date: 200008

Spatial_Data_Organization_Information:
Direct_Spatial_Reference_Method: Raster
Raster_Object_Information:
Raster_Object_Type: Grid Cell
Row_Count: 1245
Column_Count: 2929

Spatial_Reference_Information:
Horizontal_Coordinate_System_Definition:
Geographic:
Latitude_Resolution: .0208333333
Longitude_Resolution: .0208333333
Geographic_Coordinate_Units: Decimal degrees
Geodetic_Model:
Horizontal_Datum_Name: World Geodetic System 1972 (WGS 1972)
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: average precipitation grid cell value
Entity_Type_Definition: ASCII values
Entity_Type_Definition_Source: Self-evident
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: average precipitation grid cell value
Attribute_Definition: spatially gridded average 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:
Range_Domain:
Range_Domain_Minimum: 0
Range_Domain_Maximum: 7108
Attribute_Units_of_Measure: mm
Attribute_Measurement_Resolution: 1
Enumerated_Domain:
Enumerated_Domain_Value: <=-1
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: no data available or outside of range domain
Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: Spatial Climate Analysis Service PRISM Project

Distribution_Information:
Distributor:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Person_Primary:
Contact_Person: Climate Source, LLC
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing address
Address: 946 NW Circle Blvd. #222
City: Corvallis
State_or_Province: OR
Postal_Code: 97330-1410
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone:
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone:
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: taylor@oce.orst.edu
Distribution_Liability:
This is a license agreement and not an agreement for sale. This agreement between the end user (Licensee) and The Climate Source (TCS) grants certain limited rights to use proprietary climate data (the Database) distributed by TCS. All rights not specifically granted in this agreement are reserved to TCS. Licensee acknowledges that the Database may contain some defects, errors, or inconsistencies. TCS does not warrant that the Database will meet the needs of the Licensee or that all defects can or will be corrected. TCS assumes no responsibility for decisions, judgments, or analyses which are based in any way on the Database.
Standard_Order_Process:
Digital_Form:
Digital_Transfer_Information:
Format_Name: ARC/INFO ASCII Grid
Digital_Transfer_Option:
Offline_Option:
Offline_Media: CD ROM
Recording_Format: ISO 9660
Fees: Packaged price per CD
Technical_Prerequisites: CD ROM drive with ISO 9660 software driver

Metadata_Reference_Information:
Metadata_Date: 20000925
Metadata_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Person_Primary:
Contact_Person: Climate Source, LLC
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing address
Address: 946 NW Circle Blvd. #222
City: Corvallis
State_or_Province: OR
Postal_Code: 97330-1410
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone:
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone:
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: info@climatesource.com
Metadata_Standard_Name: FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata
Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001-1998
Metadata_Security_Information:
Metadata_Security_Classification_System: None
Metadata_Security_Classification: Unclassified
Metadata_Security_Handling_Description:
None ÿ

Generated by mp version 2.5.3 on Wed Feb 28 11:15:57 2001