Et-Takaouy et al. (2026) Performance evaluation of four satellite-based precipitation products (SPPs) in hydrological modelling across five northern moroccan catchments

Identification

• Journal: Journal of African Earth Sciences
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-03-26
• Authors: Chaimaa Et-Takaouy, Mourad Aqnouy, Richard B. Coffin, Khalid En-Nagre, Morad Chahid, Jamal Eddine Stitou El Messari
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2026.106149

Research Groups

• Laboratory of Applied and Marine Geosciences, Geotechnics and Geohazards (LR3G), Faculty of Sciences, Abdelmalek Essaadi University, Tetouan, Morocco
• Geosciences and Technologies Research Team, Department of Geosciences, Moulay Ismail University of Meknes, Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, Errachidia, Morocco
• Department of Physical and Environmental Science, Texas A&M University—Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX, USA

Short Summary

This study evaluates the performance of four satellite-based precipitation products (GPM, TRMM, CHIRPS, PERSIANN-CDR) in hydrological modeling using HEC-HMS across five Northern Moroccan catchments. It reveals significant variability in SPP performance based on elevation and modeling phase, with CHIRPS demonstrating superior performance in high-altitude, semi-humid regions during validation.

Objective

• To examine the application and evaluate the performance of four well-established satellite-based precipitation products (GPM, TRMM, CHIRPS, and PERSIANN-CDR) in hydrological modeling using HEC-HMS across five catchments in Northern Morocco.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Five catchments in Northern Morocco (CHB, TMZ, BFR, JBR, OGN), varying in elevation (some >1500 m) and land cover.
• Temporal Scale: 10-year calibration period (2000–2010) and a 5-year validation period (2010–2015).

Methodology and Data

• Models used: HEC-HMS (Hydrologic Engineering Center – Hydrologic Modeling System)
• Data sources:
  • Satellite-based precipitation products (SPPs): GPM (Global Precipitation Measurement), TRMM (Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission), CHIRPS (Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Station data), PERSIANN-CDR (Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Information using Artificial Neural Networks – Climate Data Record).
  • Observed streamflow (discharge) data.

Main Results

• Hydrological simulations were more effective in high-elevation catchments (>1500 m; CHB, TMZ, and BFR) compared to those at lower elevations.
• During the calibration phase (2000–2010), TRMM consistently demonstrated the best performance across catchments (Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) = 0.495, coefficient of determination (R²) = 0.506).
• During the validation phase (2010–2015), CHIRPS outperformed other SPPs, particularly in higher-altitude, semi-humid regions (NSE = 0.316, R² = 0.352).
• GPM and PERSIANN-CDR displayed an overall less reliable performance.
• The highest accuracy was recorded in the Sb Bouferah (NSE = 0.561, Percent Bias (Pbias) = 10.2%) and Sb Timezouk (NSE = 0.548, Pbias = 7.9%) catchments.
• Performance was lower in Sb Jouaber (NSE = 0.267, Pbias = 35.4%) and Sb Oughane (NSE = 0.162, Pbias = 48.1%) catchments.
• Significant variability in SPP performance was observed across different modeling phases and catchments with diverse elevations and land cover.

Contributions

• Provides a comprehensive performance evaluation of four widely used satellite-based precipitation products for hydrological modeling in data-scarce Northern Moroccan catchments.
• Enhances understanding of how geomorphological and climatic factors affect SPP performance when integrated into a hydrological framework for the Martil and Loukkos basins.
• Offers crucial insights for effective water resource management and climate change adaptation strategies in Northern Morocco, particularly for supporting arid areas.

Funding

• [No explicit funding information was provided in the paper text.]

Citation

@article{EtTakaouy2026Performance,
  author = {Et-Takaouy, Chaimaa and Aqnouy, Mourad and Coffin, Richard B. and En-Nagre, Khalid and Chahid, Morad and Messari, Jamal Eddine Stitou El},
  title = {Performance evaluation of four satellite-based precipitation products (SPPs) in hydrological modelling across five northern moroccan catchments},
  journal = {Journal of African Earth Sciences},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2026.106149},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2026.106149}
}