CHAPTER 2

Fun Facts About Water

In a 100-year period, a water molecule spends 98 years in
the ocean, 20 months as ice, about 2 weeks in lakes and
rivers, and less than 1week in the atmosphere.
All the freshwater flowing in rivers and held in lakes is only
1 percent of the water on Earth.
There is the same amount of water on Earth as there was
when Earth was formed. The water from your faucet could
contain molecules that dinosaurs drank.
The bathroom is the room in the house where the most
water is used.

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 2
PRECIPITATION

PRECIPITATION

TYPE OF PRECIPITATION

TYPE OF PRECIPITATION

TYPE OF PRECIPITATION

CLASSES OF PRECIPITATION

CLASSES OF PRECIPITATION

CLASSES OF PRECIPITATION

FORMATION OF PRECIPITATION

FORMATION OF PRECIPITATION

ANNUAL PRECIPITATION

ACID PRECIPITATION

CONTAMINATION OF PRECIPITATION

TERMS OR MEASUREMENTS

EXAMPLE 2.1

SOLUTION 2.1
1.08 = 0.18/(10/60)hr
1.26 = 0.21/(10/60)hr

TYPE OF RAIN GAUGES

TYPE OF RAIN GAUGES

Rain Gauges

Record

Weighing
Tipping bucket
Float

Non- Record

TYPE OF RAIN GAUGES

Rain gauge

TYPE OF RAIN GAUGES

Non Record

TYPE OF RAIN GAUGES

Weighing gauge

TYPE OF RAIN GAUGES

Tapping Bucket

TYPE OF RAIN GAUGES

Float Type

POINT PRECIPITATION
DEW POINT
Dew point is measured by the OUTDOOR HUMIDITY/TEMP SENSOR.
The dew point temperature is derived from the outdoor temperature
and relative humidity measurements.
OUTDOOR HUMIDITY / TEMP SENSOR

POINT PRECIPITATION
WIND CHILL
Wind chill temperature is measured
by the WIND SENSOR and
OUTDOOR TEMPERATURE
SENSOR. It is calculated from wind
speed and outdoor temperature
measurements by the ULTIMETER
weather station.

LOCATION

Rain gage

h
75cm or
2-5 ft

h
>2h

POINT and LOCATION

Ideal Placement of your Gauge

In open areas strive to be twice as far

from obstacles as they are high.
In developed areas strive to be as far
from obstacles as they are high.
In open areas place the gauge top approx.
2 feet off the ground.
Make sure your gauge is level
Distance from obstacles

In developed areas place the gauge top

approx. 5 feet off the ground

MISSING DATA
Arithmetic Mean
Method

Quadrant Method

Normal Ratio Method

Gage Consistency

Arithmetic Mean
Method

EXAMPLE

Arithmetic Mean
Method

EXAMPLE 2.2

694-69.4 = 624.6
694 + 69.4 = 763.4

EXAMPLE

Normal Ratio Method

Normal Ratio Method

EXAMPLE 2.3

EXAMPLE

Quadrant Method

Quadrant Method
EXAMPLE
2.4

If all station
coordinated in
quadrant, calculate all
station

EXAMPLE 2.4

Draw coordinates in the quadrant

Calculate L2

II

I
B

Select one nearest point to A every

quadrant
( only one point lower L2 )

F
A
D
E

Calculate Wi and WiPi (Table)

III
Px = Total (WiPi) (Table)

IV

Quadrant Method
correction

EXAMPLE 2.4

25.5

42.5

ignore

42.66
42.66 mm

EXAMPLE

Gage Consistency

EXAMPLE

Gage Consistency

Pa = Px [Ma/Mo]

correction

Px

EXAMPLE

Gage Consistency

Gage Consistency

EXAMPLE 2.5

Gage Consistency

EXAMPLE 2.52.5- cont

Calculate point for 1927, 1928, 1929

correction

Gage Consistency

EXAMPLE 2.52.5- cont

Draw cumm. Rainfall in graph paper
Cul. every year adjusted
Determine years changes to adjust
Cul. New cumm. and draw
Determine the slopes, Ma /Mo

Adjust new slope adjusted slope

Gage Consistency

EXAMPLE 2.52.5- cont

[679-148]/[2785-774]

Ma

Mo

P1929 = 40.55 mm
P1928 = ?

[148-33]/[774-154]

P1927 = 38.5 mm
P1926 = 45 mm

MEAN AREA PRECIPITATION

Arithmetic Mean
Method
Thiessen Polygon
Method

Isohyetal Method

Arithmetic Mean
Method

MEAN AREA PRECIPITATION

Thiessen Polygon
Method

MEAN AREA PRECIPITATION

Thiessen Polygon
Method

MEAN AREA PRECIPITATION

Thiessen Polygon
Method

MEAN AREA PRECIPITATION

Thiessen Polygon
Method

MEAN AREA PRECIPITATION

Draw boundary and stations in the graph
paper (black dotted line)
Connect every station by draw the straight
line ( blue dotted lines)
Construct 90o perpendicular bisectors
(red solid lines)
Connect each line to forming polygons

Area of polygons in boundary

Thiessen Polygon
Method

EXAMPLE 2.6

Isohyetal Method
EXAMPLE
2.6

Isohyetal Method

Draw the boundary in the

graph paper
Draw stations precipitation
Start point from the lower
precipitation
Estimate extra point by
draw the line by connect to
each point precipitation
Draw contour lines by scale
unit from boundary to
boundary
Find the area and calculate
(table)

Isohyetal Method

EXAMPLE 2.7
Column 2
[30+40]/2

Column 1

Isohyetal Method
Calculate on graph paper
Column 1

Column 2

EXAMPLE 2.7

Conclusion
Precipitation input is the main driver of the hydrologic
cycle, as it relates to river flow, water supply and urban
drainage. Too much or too little can mean the difference
between prosperity and disaster. In between these
extremes are the normal precipitation event that are
experienced with a frequency and intensity related mainly
to geographic position and topographic features.
At the end of this chapter you should be able to
estimate point and areal precipitation amounts from
gauge data and conceptualize simple hydrologic process
models.