ELEVATION EFFECTS ON RAINFALL: A STOCHASTIC MODEL

THE VARIATION IN POINT PRECIPITATION WITH ELEVATION IS INVESTIGATED USING AN EVENT-BASED STOCHASTIC MODEL OF THUNDERSTORM RAINFALL AND EMPIRICAL DATA. PARAMETERS OF THE MODEL CORRESPOND TO THE NUMBER OF EVENTS PER UNIT OF TIME AND THE DEPTH OF RAINFALL PER EVENT. AN INCREASE IN PRECIPITATION WITH ELEVATION MAY BE DUE TO AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF EVENTS, IN THE AMOUNT OF RAINFALL PER EVENT OR TO SOME COMBINATION OF BOTH POSSIBILITIES. THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE NUMBER OF EVENTS PER SEASON IS ASSUMED TO BE A POISSON VARIATE WHILE THE DISTRIBUTION OF POINT RAINFALL DEPTHS MAY BE TAKEN AS GEOMETRIC. THE SUMMATION OF A RANDOM NUMBER OF RANDOM VARIABLES IS USED TO REPRESENT SEASONAL POINT PRECIPITATION. ASSUMING THAT THE TWO PARAMETERS OF THE MODEL INCREASE LINEARLY WITH ELEVATION, THEN TOTAL SEASONAL RAINFALL INCREASES AS A QUADRATIC POLYNOMIAL WITH ELEVATION. THE USE OF THE MODEL ALLOWS ONE TO OBTAIN THE RETURN PERIOD OF STORM RAINFALL OF A GIVEN MAGNITUDE DESPITE A SHORT HISTORICAL RECORD. AN INDEPENDENT SET OF DATA WAS USED TO VERIFY THE PROCEDURE. /AUTHOR/

• Authors:
  • Duckstein, L
  • Fogel, M M
  • Thames, J L
• Publication Date: 1973-1

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: p. 21-35
• Serial:
  • Journal Hydrology /Neth/
  • Volume: 18
  • Issue Number: 1

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Altitude; Mathematical models; Rainfall; Seasons; Stochastic processes; Thunderstorms
• Uncontrolled Terms: Elevation; Models; Seasonal variations
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Hydraulics and Hydrology;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00204493
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 2 1973 12:00AM