Extended Abstract (380K)P4.9
Observations of 1-minute rain rates using a vibrating-wire weighing-bucket rain gauge
Claude E. Duchon, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK
Both precipitation amount and rate of precipitation are climatological variables useful for assessing climate change. One of the goals of the U. S. Climate Reference Network (USCRN) is to monitor precipitation across the U.S. from 250 stations. The goal of this paper is to show that the Geonor vibrating-wire weighing-bucket gauge, the primary precipitation gauge employed by the USCRN, can be used to accurately estimate 1-minute liquid or frozen precipitation over a wide range of precipitation rates. Rain rates calculated from a Geonor 3-wire gauge placed in a pit such that its orifice is at ground-level, thereby minimizing undercatch due to wind, will be compared to rain rates measured by a collocated 2-dimensional video disdrometer (2dvd). The 2dvd is a state-of-the-art instrument capable of measuring both the rate of rainfall and distribution of drop-sizes. Comparisons of time series of 1-minute rain rates from the two independent sources show that they are often remarkably similar. It is recommended that the USCRN consider recording and transmitting 1-minute precipitation rates to take full advantage of the capabilities of its primary precipitation gauge. The data can be used to produce a nationwide climatology of precipitation rates.
Poster Session 4, Data Reliability, Quality Asssessment and Usability
Wednesday, 14 January 2004, 2:30 PM-4:00 PM, Hall AB
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