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Spatial Averaging of Rainfall Data

Spatial averaging methods are used to calculate average rainfall over an area from point rainfall measurements. These include the arithmetic average, Thiessen polygon, and isohyetal methods. The Thiessen polygon method divides an area into polygons around each rain gauge, with the average rainfall calculated based on the gauge readings and their respective polygon areas. The isohyetal method involves mapping lines of equal rainfall and calculating volume between the lines.

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393 views14 pages

Spatial Averaging of Rainfall Data

Spatial averaging methods are used to calculate average rainfall over an area from point rainfall measurements. These include the arithmetic average, Thiessen polygon, and isohyetal methods. The Thiessen polygon method divides an area into polygons around each rain gauge, with the average rainfall calculated based on the gauge readings and their respective polygon areas. The isohyetal method involves mapping lines of equal rainfall and calculating volume between the lines.

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justin
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SPATIAL AVERAGING

OF RAINFALL DATA
Why do we need to measure rainfall?

• Agriculture – what to plant in certain areas, where and when to plant,


when to harvest

• Horticulture/Viticulture – how and when to irrigate

• Engineers – to design structures for runoff control i.e. storm water


drains, bridges etc.

• Scientists – hydrological modelling of catchments


Spatial Averaging of Precipitation Data

➢ Precipitation observations from gauges are point measurements. In


the hydrological analysis and design, we frequently require mean
areal precipitation over an area.
Spatial Averaging of Precipitation Data:

Arithmetic Average

Normal Ratio Method

Distance Power Method

Thiessen polygon Method

Isohyetal Method
Arithmetic Average

(Sum of the precipitation depths at all stations in the basin)/(no, of stations)

σ 𝑃𝑖
𝑃𝑎𝑣𝑒 =
𝑛
where

𝑃𝑎𝑣𝑒 : the areal mean precipitation,


𝑃𝑖 : rainfall observed at the 𝑖𝑡ℎ station inside the basin,
n : the number of inside stations
Arithmetic Average

Example: Using Arithmetic Average Method, find average


rainfall over a catchment. The rain gage data is: 12.6, 18.8, 14.8,
10.4 and 16.2 mm.

Solution:

𝑃1+𝑃2 +𝑃3 +𝑃4 + …..+𝑃𝑛 σ𝑛


𝑖=1 𝑃𝑖
𝑃𝑎𝑣𝑒 = =
𝑛 𝑛

12.6 + 18.8 + 14.8 + 10.4 + 16.2


𝑃𝑎𝑣𝑒 = = 14.56 mm
5
Thiessen Polygon Method

𝑃1𝐴1 +𝑃2𝐴2 +𝑃3𝐴3 +𝑃4𝐴4 + …..+𝑃𝑛𝐴𝑛 𝑛


σ𝑖=1 𝑃𝑖 𝐴𝑖
𝑃𝑎𝑣𝑒 = =
𝐴1+𝐴2+𝐴3 +𝐴4 + …..+𝐴𝑛 σ𝑛𝑖=1 𝐴𝑖

where

𝑃𝑎𝑣𝑒 : the areal mean precipitation,


𝑃𝑖 : rainfall observed at the 𝑖𝑡ℎ station inside the basin,
𝐴𝑖 ∶ In region portion of the area of the polygon surrounding the 𝑖𝑡ℎ station
n : the number of inside stations
Thiessen Polygon Method
Procedure: 1. Join the adjacent rain-
gauge stations.
2. Construct the perpendicular
bisector of each of these lines.

3. The polygon formed by


the perpendicular bisector
around a station enclose
an area.

4. Find the area of each of


these polygons.

5. Compute the average


precipitation using the given
formula.
Thiessen Polygon Method
Example: Using the Thiessen Polygon Method, find the average rainfall over a
catchment.
Rain Gauge Station: A B C D E
Polygon Area(km2): 40 45 38 30 43
Precipitation (mm): 30.8 33.4 34.6 32.6 24.6
Rain Gauge Station Polygon Area, A Precipitation, P (A)(P)
(km2) (mm)
A 40 30.8 1232
B 45 33.4 1503
C 38 34.6 1314.8
D 30 32.6 978
E 43 24.6 1057.8
SUM 193 6085.6

𝑃1𝐴1+𝑃2𝐴2 +𝑃3𝐴3 +𝑃4𝐴4 + …..+𝑃𝑛𝐴𝑛 σ𝑛𝑖=1 𝑃𝑖 𝐴𝑖


𝑃𝑎𝑣𝑒 = = 𝑛
𝐴1+𝐴2 +𝐴3 +𝐴4+ …..+𝐴𝑛 σ𝑖=1 𝐴𝑖
Thiessen Polygon Method

σ𝑛𝑖=1 𝑃𝑖 𝐴𝑖 6085.6
𝑃𝑎𝑣𝑒 = 𝑛 = = 31.53 mm
σ𝑖=1 𝐴𝑖 193
Isohyetal Method
𝑛
𝑃𝑖 𝐴𝑖
𝑃𝑎𝑣𝑒 =෍
𝐴
𝑖=1

where

𝑃𝑎𝑣𝑒 : the areal mean precipitation,


𝑃𝑖 : rainfall observed at the 𝑖𝑡ℎ station inside the basin,
𝐴𝑖 ∶ In region portion of the area of the polygon surrounding the 𝑖𝑡ℎ station
n : the number of inside stations
Isohyetal Method
1. From the rainfall values
recorded at various rain gauge
stations, prepare the isohyetal
map.
2. Measure the areas enclosed
between successive isohyets
with the help of planimeter.

3. Multiply each of these areas


by the average rainfall between
the isohyets.

4. Compute the average


rainfall applying the given
formula.
Isohyetal Method

Isohyets Isohyets Area


(cm) (km2)
Station-12.0 30
12.0-10.0 140
10.0-8.0 80
8.0-6.0 180
6.0-4.0 20
Isohyetal Method
Isohyets Area Average Volume
(mm) (km2), Isohyets (mm), (105cu.m.)
A P (P)(A)
Station-120 30 120 36
120-100 140 110 154
100-80 80 90 72
80-60 180 70 126
60-40 20 50 10
SUM 450 398

𝑛
𝑃𝑖 𝐴𝑖 398𝑥105 𝑚3
𝑃𝑎𝑣𝑒 =෍ = 3 2
= 88.44 𝑚𝑚
𝐴 450𝑥10 𝑚
𝑖=1

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