ADEQUACY OF RAINGAUGE STATIONS

The optimal number of stations that should exist to have an assigned percentage of error
in the estimation of mean rainfall is obtained by:
 ADEQUACY OF RAINGAUGE STATIONS
Sample Problem: A catchment has six raingauge stations. In a year, the annual rainfall
recorded by the gauges are as follows:

Station A B C D E F
Rainfall (cm) 82.6 102.9 180.3 110.3 98.8 136.7

For a 10% error in the estimation of the mean rainfall, calculate the optimum number of
stations in the catchment.
ADEQUACY OF RAINGAUGE STATIONS
 ADEQUACY OF RAINGAUGE STATIONS
Continuation of solution:
 MASS CURVE OF RAINFALL

The mass curve is a plot of the accumulated precipitation against time, plotted in chronological order.
✓ Records of float type and weighing bucket type gauges are of this form.
✓ They are very useful in extracting the information on the duration and magnitude of a storm.
 RECORD CONSISTENCY

Inconsistency arises when conditions relevant to the recording of a raingauge

station undergo significant change during the period of record.

Some of the common causes:

▪ Shifting of a raingauge station to a new location
▪ The neighborhood of the station undergoing a marked change
▪ Change in the ecosystem due to calamities
▪ Occurrence of observational error from a certain date
 RECORD CONSISTENCY

Checking of inconsistency of a record is done through double-mass curve

technique (also known as double mass analysis).

Principle:
When each recorded data comes from the same parent population, they are
consistent.
DOUBLE MASS ANALYSIS
 DOUBLE MASS ANALYSIS
Formula:
𝑴𝒄
𝑷𝒄𝒙 = 𝑷𝒙
𝑴𝒂

𝑷𝒄𝒙 = corrected precipitation at any time period t1 at Station X

𝑷𝒙 = original recorded precipitation at time period t1 at Station
𝑴𝒄 = corrected slope of the double-mass curve
𝑴𝒂 = original slope of the double-mass curve
 DOUBLE MASS ANALYSIS
Sample Problem
Given the following data, test the consistency of the annual rainfall data of Station D and correct
the record if there is any discrepancy. Also, calculate the mean annual precipitation at Station D
(considering the adjustment if deemed necessary).

Year Sta. A Sta. B Sta. C Sta. D Year Sta. A Sta. B Sta. C Sta. D
2015 22 26 23 28 2019 19 22 23 24
2016 21 26 25 33 2020 24 25 26 28
2017 27 31 28 38 2021 17 19 20 22
2018 25 29 29 31 2022 21 22 23 26
 DOUBLE MASS ANALYSIS
Solution:

Refer to Excel File.

 RETURN PERIOD
Return Period is the average length of time between precipitation events that
have the same duration and volume or amount.
 RETURN PERIOD
Sample Problem: The record of annual rainfall at Station A covering a period of 22 years is
given below. (a) Estimate the annual rainfall with return period of 10 years. (b) What would
be the probability of an annual rainfall of magnitude equal to 100cm occurring at Station A?
 RETURN PERIOD

Solution: