Journal of the Korean Geographical Society ISSN:1225-6633(Print) 대한지리학회지

The accuracy of rainfall data for a hydrological modeling study is important. NEXRAD (Next Generation Radar) rainfall data estimated by WRS-88D (Weather Surveillance Radar - 1988 Doppler) radar system has advantages of its finer spatial and temporal resolution. In this study, NEXRAD rainfall data was tested and compared with conventional weather station data using the previously calibrated SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) model to identify local storms and to analyze the impacts on hydrology. The previous study used NEXRAD data from the year of 2000 and the NEXRAD data was substituted with weather station data in the model simulation in this study. In a selected watershed and a selected year (2006), rainfall data between two datasets showed discrepancies mainly due to the distance between weather station and study area. The largest difference between two datasets was 94.5 ㎜ (NEXRAD was larger) and 71.6 ㎜ (weather station was larger) respectively. The differences indicate that either recorded rainfalls were occurred mostly out of the study area or local storms only in the study area. The flow output from the study area was also compared with observed data, and modeled flow agreed much better when the simulation used NEXRAD data.