United States Average Monthly or Annual Precipitation, 1981-2010

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: The PRISM Climate Group at Oregon State University.

Publication_Date: 071012

Title:

United States Average Monthly or Annual Precipitation, 1981 - 2010

Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: raster digital data

Publication_Information:

Publication_Place: Corvallis, Oregon, USA

Publisher: PRISM Climate Group at Oregon State University.

Description:

Abstract:

This data set contains spatially gridded average monthly and annual precipitation for the climatological period 1981-2010. Distribution of the point measurements to a spatial grid was accomplished using the PRISM model, developed and applied by Chris Daly of the PRISM Climate Group at Oregon State University.

Purpose:

Display and/or analyses requiring spatially distributed monthly or annual precipitation for the climatological period 1981-2010.

Supplemental_Information:

There are many methods of interpolating climate 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 climate 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 an underlying grid such as a digital elevation model (DEM) or a 30 yr climatological average (e.g. 1981-2010 average) to generate gridded estimates of monthly and annual precipitation and temperature (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 processes. Grids were modeled on a monthly basis. Annual grids of temperature are produced by averaging the monthly grids, and summing for precipitation.

Time_Period_of_Content:

Time_Period_Information:

Range_of_Dates/Times:

Beginning_Date: 19810101

Ending_Date: 20101231

Currentness_Reference:

Climatological period from which the point observations were taken.

Status:

Progress: Complete

Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: As needed

Spatial_Domain:

Bounding_Coordinates:

West_Bounding_Coordinate: -125.02083333

East_Bounding_Coordinate: -66.47916667

North_Bounding_Coordinate: 49.9375

South_Bounding_Coordinate: 24.0625

Keywords:

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: None

Theme_Keyword: None

Place:

Place_Keyword: raster data

Stratum:

Stratum_Keyword: precipitation

Temporal:

Temporal_Keyword: grid cell

Access_Constraints: Access pursuant to license agreement

Use_Constraints:

Acknowledgement of the following agencies in products derived from these data: The PRISM Climate Group at Oregon State University.

Point_of_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Person_Primary:

Contact_Person: Matthew Doggett

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: mailing address

Address: 2001 Kelley Engineering Center

City: Corvallis

State_or_Province: Oregon

Postal_Code: 97331-2209

Country: USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone: (541) 737-2531

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: Doggett@nacse.org

Native_Data_Set_Environment:

Microsoft Windows 2000 Version 5.0 (Build 2195) Service Pack 2; ESRI ArcCatalog 8.1.2.671

Data_Quality_Information:

Logical_Consistency_Report:

All data were based on the same averaging period (1981-2010). Similar quality assurance procedures were used with all input data sets.

Completeness_Report:

Point estimates of precipitation originated from some or all of the following sources: 1) National Weather Service (NWS) Cooperative (COOP) stations, 2) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) SNOTEL, 3) United States Forest Service (USFS) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) RAWS Stations, 4) Bureau of Reclemation (AGRIMET) stations, 5) California Data Exchange Center (CDEC) stations, 6) Storage guages, 7) NRCS Snowcourse stations, 8) Other State and local station networks, 9) Estimated station data, 10) Canadian stations, 11) Upper air stations, 12) NWS/Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Automated surface observation stations (ASOS), and 13) CoCoRaHS (Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network) stations. All COOP station data were subjected to quality control checks by the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). All COOP, SNOTEL and other data were subjected to further quality control checks by the PRISM Climate Group.

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: 2012

Title: Global Historical Climate Network Daily

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: 19810101

Ending_Date: 20101231

Source_Currentness_Reference: ground condition

Source_Citation_Abbreviation: GHCN - Daily

Source_Contribution:

Location and values of known average monthly and annual precipitation

Spatial_Data_Organization_Information:

Direct_Spatial_Reference_Method: Raster

Raster_Object_Information:

Raster_Object_Type: Grid Cell

Row_Count: 3105

Column_Count: 7025

Vertical_Count: 1

Spatial_Reference_Information:

Horizontal_Coordinate_System_Definition:

Geographic:

Latitude_Resolution: 0.008333

Longitude_Resolution: 0.008333

Geographic_Coordinate_Units: Decimal degrees

Planar:

Planar_Coordinate_Information:

Planar_Coordinate_Encoding_Method: row and column

Coordinate_Representation:

Abscissa_Resolution: 0.008333

Ordinate_Resolution: 0.008333

Geodetic_Model:

Horizontal_Datum_Name: North American Datum of 1983

Ellipsoid_Name: Geodetic Reference System 80

Semi-major_Axis: 6378137.000000

Denominator_of_Flattening_Ratio: 298.257000

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_Definition: spatially gridded average precipitation values

Attribute_Definition_Source:

Daly, C., Halbleib, M., Smith, J.I., Gibson, W.P., Doggett, M.K., Taylor, G.H., Curtis, J., and Pasteris, P.A. 2008. Physiographically-sensitive mapping of temperature and precipitation across the conterminous United States. International Journal of Climatology, 28: 2031-2064.

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Range_Domain:

Range_Domain_Minimum: 0

Range_Domain_Maximum: 1500000

Attribute_Units_of_Measure: Inches average annual precipitation (1981-2010)

Distribution_Information:

Distributor:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Person_Primary:

Contact_Person: Matthew Doggett

Contact_Organization:The PRISM Climate Group

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: mailing address

Address: 2001 Kelley Engineering

Address: Oregon State University

City: Corvallis

State_or_Province: OR

Postal_Code: 97331

Country: USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone: (541) 737-2531

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: Doggett@nacse.org

Resource_Description: Downloadable Data

Distribution_Liability:

This digital data set publication was prepared by the PRISM Climate Group. Neither the PRISM Climate Group 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 PRISM Climate Group or any agency thereof. Any views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the PRISM Climate Group or any agency thereof.

Standard_Order_Process:

Digital_Form:

Digital_Transfer_Information:

Format_Name: ARC/INFO ASCII Grid

Transfer_Size: 87.126

Metadata_Reference_Information:

Metadata_Date: 20120731

Metadata_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Person_Primary:

Contact_Person: Michael Halbleib

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

 

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address:halbleib@nacse.org

 

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