Areal Estimation of

rainfall

CIVL4017 : HYDROLOGY
Rainfall- Point measurement
Nonrecording type Recording type
(Manual raingauge) (Tipping Bucket Rain Gauge)

Funnel Funnel

Graduated Tipping
cylinder buckets

Can measure only total

amount of rainfall Measures amount of rainfall,
time distribution of rainfall

Further reading: http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/cdo/about/rain-measure.shtml

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Tipping bucket rain gauge
Rainfall simulator

Laboratory setup Source: Bedient, Huber & Vieux (2019)

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Areal estimation
point measurements need to be
converted to cover an area to make
use in rainfall-runoff models
Rainfall Gauge 3.0 cm
Stations

• Arithmetic average 2.4 cm

1.6 cm

• Thiessen polygon method 1.0 cm

• Isohyetal method Basin area

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Arithmetic Average
• Uses arithmetic mean of rainfalls from available gages
• Not accurate for large areas with variable distribution
• Only works if gages are uniformly distributed

σ𝑛
𝑖=1 𝑝𝑖
Average areal rainfall =
𝑛
where: pi = rainfall depth at station i
n = no. of raingauges within the basin

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Arithmetic Average
Example:
3.0 cm Plan area=15.6 km2
Rainfall Gauge
Stations

2.4 cm
1.6 cm

1.0 cm

2.4+1.6+1
Average areal rainfall = = 1.67 cm
3

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Thiessen Polygon Method
• Areal weighting of rainfall for each gage
• Series of polygons created by connecting each gauge and drawing
perpendicular bisectors
• Most widely used method
σ𝑛
𝑖=1 𝐴𝑖 𝑝𝑖
Average areal rainfall = σ𝑛
𝑖=1 𝐴𝑖

where: pi = rainfall depth at station i

Ai = basin area representing raingauge i
n = no. of raingauges

✓ It does not consider orographic effects.

*Orographic precipitation is caused by mechanical lifting of moist air
over mountain ranges. The clouds and precipitation will be
concentrated on the windward side of mountains.
Windward side Lee side
CIVl4017: HYDROLOGY
Source: Bedient, Huber & Vieux (2019) 7
Thiessen Polygon Method
Example:
Basin area=15.6 km2 Station Rainfall depth Area represented Ranfall volume
P (cm) by station A AP (km2-cm)
3.0 cm (km2)
D
2.4 cm A 2.4 3.8 9.12
A B 1.0 7.8 7.8
C 1.6 cm
C 1.6 3.5 5.6
Rainfall
Gauge D 3.0 0.5 1.5
Stations B
Total 15.6 24.02
1.0 cm
Perpendicular
bisector
24.02
Average rainfall = = 1.54 cm
15.6

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Isohyetal Method
• Draw contours of equal precipitation based on gauge data
• Needs an extensive raingauge network
• Can consider orographic effects
• Most accurate method
σ𝑛
𝑖=1 𝐴𝑖 𝑝𝑖
Average areal rainfall = σ𝑛
𝑖=1 𝐴𝑖

where: pi = rainfall depth at station i

Ai = area between isohytes

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Isohyetal Method
Isohyet Average rainfall Area between Ranfall
Example: 3.0 cm (cm) Pav (cm) isohytes A volume
(km2) AP (km2-cm)
Isohytes 2.4 cm
3
1.6 cm
2.4 (3+2.4)/2=2.7 1.5 4.05
2.4 cm 1.0 cm 1.6 (2.4+1.6)/2=2 6.5 13
Rainfall 1.6 cm
1.0 (1.6+1)/2=1.3 5.6 7.28
Gauge
Stations 1.0 cm 0.5* (1+0.5*)/2=0.75 2.0 1.5

Total 15.6 25.83

*Assumed value

25.83
Average rainfall = = 1.65 cm
15.6

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