A CONTRIBUTION TO THE PROBLEM OF SPACING RAINGAUGES IN RUGGED TERRAIN

IT IS KNOWN THAT THE AREAL VARIABILITY OF RAINFALL IS AFFECTED BY THE NATURE OF THE TERRAIN, AND THAT IT IS NECESSARY TO ESTABLISH A GREATER NETWORK DENSITY IN MOUNTAINOUS AREAS THAN IN FLAT ONES. THE SELECTION OF RAINGAUGE DENSITY HAS USUALLY BEEN DONE BY RULE OF THUMB OR BY TRIAL ERROR METHODS. AN EXAMINATION IS MADE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF ESTABLISHING QUANTITATIVE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE LOCAL RELIEF, USED AS A MEASURE OF THE RUGGEDNESS OF THE TERRAIN, AND THE REQUIRED NETWORK DENSITY FOR GIVEN ACCURACIES OF ESTIMATES FOR MEAN CATCHMENT RAINFALL. THIS IS DONE BY COMPARING THE VARIABILITY OF RAINFALL ON THREE CLIMATICALLY SIMILAR AREAS, TWO IN NEW ZEALAND, AND ONE THEORETICALLY DERIVED FLAT AREA WHICH IS SUBJECTED TO A STATISTICALLY SIMILAR RAINFALL REGIME. QUANTITATIVE CONCLUSIONS ARE REACHED CONCERNING THE EFFECT OF LOCAL RELIEF ON THE AREAL VARIABILITY OF RAINFALL, WHICH ARE BEING USED IN A FURTHER EXPERIMENT IN NEW ZEALAND, BUT IT IS CONSIDERED THAT FURTHER WORK IS NEEDED BEFORE THE POSSIBILITY OF PROVIDING A METHOD HAVING UNIVERSAL APPLICATION IS REALIZED. /AUTHOR/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Vol 12, No 1, PP 1-14, 6 FIG, 2 TAB, 11 REF
• Authors:
  • HUTCHINSON, P
• Publication Date: 1970-12

Media Info

• Serial:
  • Journal Hydrology /Neth/

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Measuring instruments; Rain gauges; Rainfall; Spacing; Terrain
• Subject Areas: Highways; Hydraulics and Hydrology;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00204330
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 3 1971 12:00AM