Estimation of the Weibull distribution with applications to tornado climatology

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dc.contributorWang, Pu
dc.contributorKim, Seongsin
dc.contributor.advisorBelbas, Stavros Apostol
dc.contributor.authorMcClellan, Michael B.
dc.contributor.otherUniversity of Alabama Tuscaloosa
dc.date.accessioned2017-03-01T16:24:46Z
dc.date.available2017-03-01T16:24:46Z
dc.date.issued2012
dc.descriptionElectronic Thesis or Dissertationen_US
dc.description.abstractSome general properties of the Weibull distribution are discussed. The mathematical development of the distribution is linked to the family of extreme value distributions, and the origins in science are found to be related to survival analysis. Some generalizations of the distribution are noted, and a limited discussion of its numerous applications undertaken. One such application is the Weibull model of tornado intensity developed by Dotzek, Grieser, and Brooks (2003). In an attempt to improve this model, several methods for estimating the parameters of the Weibull distribution are discussed. Maximum likelihood estimation is found to be the best method of estimation for the two-parameter Weibull distribution with respect to the asymptotic estimator properties discussed. An existing algorithm to locate the maximum likelihood estimator for the three-parameter Weibull distribution is described, and the complexities of the three-parameter case investigated. It is known that the maximum likelihood estimates for the Weibull distribution display bias for small sample sizes. An equation is analytically derived to estimate this small sample bias in the two-parameter case, and numerical unbiasing procedures discussed. Simulated data are analyzed using the methods developed, and the asymptotic properties of the estimates discussed for the two-parameter case. The estimation procedures are then applied to actual tornado intensity data from the April 25th - 28th, 2011 tornado outbreak as well as the historic records for both Alabama and the United States as a whole. In all cases, the Weibull model is found to be appropriate as judged by the Chi-squared test at 5 percent significance.en_US
dc.format.extent59 p.
dc.format.mediumelectronic
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.otheru0015_0000001_0000842
dc.identifier.otherMcClellan_alatus_0004M_11095
dc.identifier.urihttps://ir.ua.edu/handle/123456789/1345
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoen_US
dc.publisherUniversity of Alabama Libraries
dc.relation.hasversionborn digital
dc.relation.ispartofThe University of Alabama Electronic Theses and Dissertations
dc.relation.ispartofThe University of Alabama Libraries Digital Collections
dc.rightsAll rights reserved by the author unless otherwise indicated.en_US
dc.subjectStatistics
dc.subjectMeteorology
dc.titleEstimation of the Weibull distribution with applications to tornado climatologyen_US
dc.typethesis
dc.typetext
etdms.degree.departmentUniversity of Alabama. Department of Mathematics
etdms.degree.disciplineMathematics
etdms.degree.grantorThe University of Alabama
etdms.degree.levelmaster's
etdms.degree.nameM.A.

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