Visayas State University

College of Forestry and Environmental Science

Department of Forest Science
Visca, Baybay City, Leyte

Name: JACA, JAYCA LOU P. Date: 02/02/23

Course & Year: BSF- 4 Rate:

Exercise No. 6
RAINFALL DATA ANALYSIS

Introduction

Rainfall is an important predictor of the spatial distribution of vegetation in many

environments, particularly in transitional zones, such as arid and semiarid
environments (Shahrokhnia and Ahmadi, 2019); and also causes changes in surface
and groundwater dynamics that reduce the slope stability conditions and cause
landslides (Guzzetti, F., et al., 2022). According to Selase, A.E., et al (2015), is
formed when saturated air is heated (air that cools down at dew point) and rises either
by a mountain, conventional currents or frontal action. The rising saturated air or
water vapor cools down as it rises. It attaches itself to tiny particles of dust,
salts, seeds or smoke in the atmosphere. Each type of rainfall requires a different
mechanism that triggers the vertical movement of unstable air. These types are the
following; (a) conventional rainfal, orographic or relief rainfall and frontal or
cyclonic rainfall. Furthermore, the amount of rainfall is measured by an instrument
called Rain Gauge. The data gathered after measuring will be then analyzed to
determine the rainfall event intensity for specific return periods. Thus, in this exercise,
analyzing the rainfall data will be done in order to determine the monthly rainfall per
year in an area.

Objectives:
1. To analyze and graphically present rainfall data; and
2. To determine the mean rainfall in a watershed using various techniques.
Methodology
A. From the attached rainfall data obtained from the surface meteorological
observation at the VISCA Weather Station, do the following:
1) Plot the average monthly rainfall on a graphing paper using bar graphs.
Determine the wettest and driest months. Use the X-axis for the monthly
rainfall distribution and Y-axis for the volume of rainfall.
2) Compute for the percentage monthly rainfall and superimpose results on the
graph. a. Use the formula below to compute the percent monthly rainfall.

Monthly rainfall
% Monthly rainfall = --------------------------- X 100
Annual rainfall

3) Plot the daily rainfall of the wettest month on a separate graphing paper. In
this method, the average precipitation in each inter-hyetal is taken to be the
mean of the bounding isohyets. The value of each zone is then weighted
according to area, total, and finally divided by the total area of the catchment
(Ward, 1967).
a. In the Thiessen method, delineate and compute for the area of each polygon
enclosing a rain gaging station. Use dot grid acetate to determine the area of
each polygon. Use the same material for the isohyetal method.
b. In the isohetal method, connect the isohyetal lines and compute for the area
bounded by two adjacent isohyetes.
4) Supply all the necessary data on the attached tables. Include all necessary
calculations.

Results and Discussion

The percentage monthly was used in order to determine which has the driest and
wettest month. The obtaineddata from the surface meteorological observation at the
VISCA Weather Station were graphed accordingly; (a) monthly rainfall distribution
and volume of rainfall, (b) percentage monthly rainfall, and (c) wettest month. Using
the formula for the percent monthly rainfall, Table.1 shows the months that has
pronouced driest and wettest seasons.
Table. 1. Monthly rainfall distribution

Months Percent Monthly Rainfall

January 12.3
February 3.40
March 1.63
April 2.49
May 3.57
June 14.08
July 11.32
August 4.81
September 14.84
October 10.60
November 10.82
December 10.33

The results above shows a clear distinction between the driest and the wettest
months or has the highest and lowest monthly rainfall distribution. As shown above,
the driest month happened on the month of March with 1.63 rainfall distribution and
the wettest month happened on September with 14.84 distribution of rainfall. A visual
representation was also done, bar graph (See Figure 1 and 2), to depict a clearer
representation on what months has the highest and lowest volume of rainfall and to
give emphasis on the driest and wettest months.

Figure 1. Monthly rainfall distribution and volume of rainfall

 Figure 2. Percent monthly rainfall

Furthermore, the wettest month, September, has also been subjected for further
speficitation in oder to determine the the total no. of days that has been pronouced
wettest and driest. In Figure 3., shows tha visual representation of the month of
September. Indicated on the graph, the driest days were 2, 3,5,6,21,22,26 and 30 with
a 0.0 volume of rainfall. On the otherhand, the wettest day indicated was Day 28 with
a 115.3 volume of rainfall.

Figure 3. Wettest Month: September

a) Arithmetic Mean
In computing the arithmetic mean of the main rainfall, is simply adding the
observed rainfall and divided it by number of stations inorder to obtain the mean or
the main rainfall. The table (Table 2.) shows the total average rainfall with 180 mm.

Table 2. Computing the main rainfall using Arithmethic Mean

Stations Observed rainfall (mm)
1 262
2 241
3 244
4 181
Main rainfall 180 mm
5 176
6 122
7 125
8 89

b) Thiessen Method
For Thiessen method provided with an illustration. The first step is to create an
imaginary line in order to get a perpendicular line. The perpendicular line must
always be the basis, especially in dealing with the area of each stations (See Figure 4.).
Then a dot grid was used in order to obtained the area of each station, by counting the
total dots. Then multiply the dots of every station then divide the results of total dots.
Thus, the total rainfall volume or the main rainfall using thiessen method was
190.7274 mm (Table 3).

Scale: 1:20,000

Figure 4. Thiessen Method

Table 3. Computing main rainfall using thiessen method

Area Volume
Observed
bounded by (mm)
Stations rainfall
each
(mm)
polygon
1 262 X 0.18394 48.19234
2 241 X 0.170868 41.17927
3 244 X 0.10831 26.42764
4 181 X 0.114846 20.78711 Main rain fall
5 176 X 0.107376 18.89823 190.7274 mm
6 122 X 0.119514 14.58077
7 125 X 0.091503 11.43791
8 89 X 0.103641 9.22409

c) Isohyetal Method
In this method, the process is almost the same with the Thiessen method but the
main difference is that there is a presence of an imaginary line, in order to measure
the interval between stations. After getting thee intervals approximately, each
intervals will be measured using the dot grid again in order to get the area of the of
each intervals (See Figure 5.) Each intervals will have a specific area, and the
computation has the same process with the Thiessen Method (Table 2.). The table
(Table 4.) below indicated the total rainfall volume which is 188.51 mm using
isohyetal method.
Scale: 1:20,000

Figure 5. Isohyetal Method

Guide questions:
1) Discuss why rainfall must be recorded or measured.
Rainfall is an important predictor of the spatial distribution of vegetation in many
environments, particularly in transitional zones, such as arid and semiarid
environments; and causes changes in surface and groundwater dynamics that reduce
the slope stability conditions and cause landslides. Measuring rainfall is an important
tool in orde to determine the total volume of water distributed monthly or annually. It
is an important indication in order to assess the area of it is prone to prone to flooding
or drought seasons. Furthermore, Accurate rainfall measurement is substantial for
understanding the water cycle and rainfall's impact on the environment which helps
track trends and make predictions of the planet's climate. Thus, accurate and precise
rainfall measurement is needed for social, environmental and economic welfare.

2) Illustrate recording and non-recording rain gages and summarize their operations.

 Non-recording Rain Gauge: Symon’s Gauge

Non-recording gauges don’t record the rain but only collect the rain. Once the
rain is collected, then it is measured by using a graduated cylinder. The volume of
rain measured in the measuring cylinder directly represents the rainfall volume in cm
of water depth i.e. the volume of water collected in cm/3 divided by the area of the
aperture (hole i.e. opening that admits light) of the gauge in cm2 is equal to the depth
of rainfall in cm. This type of rain gauge cannot provide information regarding when
exactly the rain commenced, the rain ended, what is the intensity of rainfall, and how
much intensity of rainfall varies within the duration of the storm. In Symon’s rain
gauge there are concrete block sizes for the foundation are 600 mm x 600 mm x 600
mm and other dimensions are in mm as shown in the figure above.

 Recording Rain Gauge: Tipping or tilting bucket-type rain gauges

The tipping or tilting bucket-type rain gauge design principle is very simple. A
container is taken and divided into two vertical compartments and is balanced in an
unstable equilibrium about a horizontal axis in its normal position. This type of
recording rain gauge does not produce the mass curve of rainfall. It consists of a 30
cm diameter sharp-edge receiver provided with a funnel. A pair of buckets are pivoted
on the funnel in such a way that when one bucket receives 0.2 mm of precipitation it
tips, discharging its contents into a tank and bringing the other bucket under the
funnel. The teaching of the work completes an electric circuit coming to the
movement of a pen to mark on a clock-driven revolving drum that carries a record
sheet.
3) Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the methods used in determining
mean rainfall of a watershed.
Using the arithmetic mean of all the point or areal measurements used to calculate
the areal precipitation. In simpler terms, when determing rainfall using a arithmetic
mean is the easiest and simpliest way. The Thiessen Polygon is another method that
determines station weights based on the relative area of each measurement station in
the Thiessen polygon. In using a isohyetal method, it involves drawing of estimated
equal lines of rainfall over an area based on point measurements. However, in terms
of precision and accuracry, the isohyetal method is more accurate than the Thiessen
polygon method and the arithmetic mean. Such methods is more accurate because it
includes the effects of local feature and even the distribution of rainfall between
intervals in every station which means more data, more accurate. But the method
itself is a bit complex because new isohyets must be made for each rainfall event. In
the Thiessen polygon, the precipitation depth changed abruptly at the boundary of the
polygons, and for the Arithmetic mean, it is sensitive to extreme values and is only
applicable on two variables.
 References

Cement Concrete (2021). Rain Gauge: Uses, Types, diagram, rainfall measurement,
Data Adjustment & site Selection./ Retrieved from:
https://cementconcrete.org/water-resources/hydrology/rain-gauge/2637/

Guzzetti, F., et al., (2022). Rainfall: Modeling, Measurement and Application./

Retrieved from:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128225448000123

Shahrokhnia, M.H., and Ahmadi, S.H., (2019). Remotely Sensed Spatial and
Temporal Variations of Vegetation Indices Subjected to Rainfall Amount and
Distribution Properties./ Retrieved from:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/rainfall