A dataset of gridded precipitation intensity-duration-frequency curves in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP), a high mountain area prone to destructive rainstorm hazards and inducing natural disasters, underscores the importance of developing precipitation intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) curves for estimating extreme precipitation characteristics. Here we introduce the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Precipitation Intensity-Duration-Frequency Curves (QTPPIDFC) dataset, the first gridded dataset tailored for estimating extreme precipitation characteristics in QTP. The generalized extreme value distribution is chosen to fit the annual maximum precipitation samples at 203 weather stations, based on which the at-site IDF curves are estimated; then, principal component analysis is done to identify the southeast-northwest spatial pattern of at-site IDF curves, and its first principal component gives a 96% explained variance; finally, spatial interpolation is done to estimate gridded IDF curves by using the random forest model with geographical and climatic variables as predictors. The dataset provides precipitation information within 1, 2, 3, 6, 12, 24 hours and 5, 10, 20, 50,100 return years, with a 1/30° spatial resolution. The QTPPIDFC dataset can solidly serve for hydrometeorological-related risk management and hydraulic/hydrologic engineering design in QTP.