Overview of rainfall data as an input for models applied for evaluation of LID efficiency

The comparison represents the collected substantial information about methods related to creation of rainfall IDF curves (intensity-duration-frequency) and design storms. Beside observed rainfall, design storms are crucial part of rainfall-runoff modeling, representing the input data for models used for analysis of LID (low impact development) practices. The models are applied in order to numerically describe rainfall-runoff process, while the objective of implementation of LIDs is reduction of flood risk (mainly in urban areas), that is, reduction of runoff peak and runoff volume. Design storms are hypothetical storms (hypothetical distribution of rainfall intensities in time, for chosen return period and duration of storm) created from IDF curves. Sometimes, LIDs efficiency are evaluated on observed rainfall events, sometimes on design storms of certain return periods.

Explanation:
data type - defines which data was used for creation of IDF curves;
data observation stations - defines the number of stations (gauges) used in the research;
temporal resolution of observations - temporal resolution of observations (rainfall) observed at rain gauge(s);
historical dataset length - dataset length of observations (rainfalls) at rain gauges;
models (estimators) - name of model(s) applied in the research
model calibration on observed rainfall event - defines wether model is calibrated on observed (real) rainfall;
model verification on observed rainfall event - defines wether model is verified on observed (real) rainfall (after the process of calibration);
observed rainfall event - defines wether scenarios (urbanization, implementation of LIDs) were analyzed with observed (real) rainfall event;
creation of IDF curves from historical data - defines wether historical dataset was used for creation of IDF curves;
creation of IDF curves from climate model output - defines wether IDF curves were created based on the output from climate models (climate projections);
uncertainty estimation - defines wether confidence intervals for rainfall intensities (or depths), that is, for design storms were used;
design storm - defines type of design storm (hypothetical storm derived from IDF curve characterized by return period, duration and temporal distribution of rainfall intensities);
return period - return periods of design storms used in the research