AMAZON RIVER BASIN PRECIPITATION DATA SET


1.0  Introduction

This README file contains information on the structure of the
Amazon River Basin precipitation data, locations, and pertinent
scientific references.

The Amazon River Basin precipitation data were provided by
Dr. Jeffrey Richey at the University of Washington.  The precipitation grids
were derived from data which was collected daily by the gauging network
operated by the Divisao Nacional de Aguas e Energia Eletrica (DNAEE, SGAN 603
Modulo J, Anexo DNC, CEP 70.830-030 Brasilia DF, Brazil).  The DNAEE provided
the EOS Regional Amazon Model (EOSRAM) project with this data for cooperative
analysis.

The EOSRAM project has recently been renamed to the EOS Amazon
Project.  The project includes both empirical and modeling studies of
rainfall and runoff from sample hillslopes to the entire Amazon basin.
The principal investigator for the project is Thomas Dunne, Department
of Geological Sciences, University of Washington, AJ-20, Seattle, WA
98195, tdunne@bigdirt.geology.washington.edu.  Additional information
about the project can be obtained from MOSAIC at the University of
Washington Amazon River Basin Home Page.

The precipitation data is 0.2 degree gridded monthly precipitation data.
The data spans the period from January 1972 to December 1992.

2.0  Monthly Amazon River Basin Precipitation Data

The data is contained in one file which is in tar and compressed format
covering the period from January 1972 through December 1992.  When this
file is uncompressed and untarred, 21 HDF files are generated.  Each
HDF file corresponds to one year within the data set and contains 12
images (one image per month).  The monthly total precipitation is in a
126 by 151 element array.  The data is based on monthly rain datasets
from Peru and Bolivia and daily rain datasets from Brazil.  The
precipitation data is derived from a linear interpolation of all
stations within one degree with data from a minimum of four stations.
Topographic and other information is not used int the interpolations.
The precipitation data is in units of total mm/month.  The extent of
the gridded data ranges from  latitudes of 20.0S to 5.2N and longitudes
from 79.6W to 49.4W.  The data are extrapolated to the edge of the
Amazon River Basin, and are much less reliable outside Brazil and
Bolivia.  Cells outside the Amazon River Basin are coded zero.

3.0  Scientific References

No publications to date.



For additional information contact:

ORNL DAAC User Services Office
ORNL DAAC
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Oak Ridge, TN 
865-241-3952


Author:  MSFC DAAC Staff