Sum of image values for three consecutive images in collection GEE

Question

I have a collection of 457 images, where each image is the total precip in a month, 1981-present.

I want to find the total precip in each quarter i.e. reduce three consecutive images by sum thereby producing another image collection of sie ~ 152

I have the below code, but I am unable to iterate it through all the images

var listofmonthlyprecip = collection.toList(collection.size());// convert collection of 457 images into a list
print (listofmonthlyprecip);

var trial1 = ee.Image(listofmonthlyprecip.get(0));// Jan 1981
var trial2 = ee.Image(listofmonthlyprecip.get(1));// Feb 1981
var trial3 = ee.Image(listofmonthlyprecip.get(2));// Mar 1981

var imgcollection = ee.ImageCollection([trial1, trial2, trial3]); //make collection of first three months 
var quarter_trial = imgcollection.reduce(ee.Reducer.sum());// add values
print (quarter_trial);
Map.addLayer (quarter,{min:0, max: 1143}, 'first quarter'); map

How do I iterate through all images to get sum of values for groups of 3 consecutive images?

Answer 1

You should first make a list of all quarters and a list of all years. You can then map over both to calculate a summed image for each quarter:

// set the collection (unsure what you use...)
var collection = ee.ImageCollection("IDAHO_EPSCOR/GRIDMET").select('pr');

// set list to map over
var quarters = ee.List.sequence(1,10,3);
var years = ee.List.sequence(1980, 2020);

// Group by year and quarter, reduce within groups by sum();
var byQuarter = ee.ImageCollection.fromImages(
      years.map(function (year) { // map over years
        year = ee.Number(year);
        var images = quarters.map(function(quarter){ // map over quarters
          quarter = ee.Number(quarter);
          var start = ee.Date.fromYMD(year, quarter, 1);
          var yearEnd = ee.Number(ee.Algorithms.If(quarter.eq(10), year.add(1), year));
          var quarterEnd = ee.Number(ee.Algorithms.If(quarter.eq(10), 1, quarter.add(3)));
          var end = ee.Date.fromYMD(yearEnd, quarterEnd, 1);
          return collection.filterDate(start, end).sum().set({
            'system:time_start': start.millis(), 'system:time_end': end.millis(),
            quarterStart: quarter, quarterEnd: quarter.add(3), year: year});
        });
  return images
}).flatten())
    // optionally filter out empty images
    .filter(ee.Filter.listContains('system:band_names', 'pr'));

Unsure what image colleciton you used, so I just picked one with precipitation. See here the full link.