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5 - Analysis of high-resolution rainfall data

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 May 2010

K. P. Georgakakos
Affiliation:
Hydrologic Research Center, San Diego, California, and Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California, USA
M. B. Sharifi
Affiliation:
Department of Civil Engineering, Mashhad University, Mashhad, Iran
P. L. Sturdevant
Affiliation:
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
Zbigniew W. Kundzewicz
Affiliation:
World Meteorological Organization, Geneva
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Summary

ABSTRACT Point-rainfall data recorded by a fast-responding optical raingauge were analyzed. The methods used range from statistical analysis to the fractal and chaotic dynamics approaches. The study showed the evidence of scaling and chaotic dynamics. It is believed that the insight into the dynamics of rainfall data with very fine increment, gained in the course of the exercise, could be useful in advancing our capability to reliably estimate probable maximum rainfall for design purposes.

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

The realization that it is possible to have a temporal natural process that has a random appearance but which is generated by a deterministic set of ordinary differential equations, triggered by Lorenz (1963) in his now well known example of the dynamics of a convecting fluid, has initiated a wealth of attempts to re-investigate natural phenomena thought to be inherently random. Rainfall rate is one such natural variable and a few investigations of its nature and dynamics have already appeared in the literature that provide some evidence for the existence of a deterministic generating mechanism in the rainfall process at small spatial scales (Rodriguez-Iturbe et al, 1989, and Sharifi et al, 1990). The mathematical methods for the investigation of this ‘new’ dynamics (called chaotic dynamics) require samples with very fine temporal resolution, that goes beyond the resolution available with conventional in situ raingauges. The work presented herein reports results obtained using very-fine increment convective-rainfall data recorded by a specially-calibrated optical raingauge in Iowa City, Iowa, USA, during the summer of 1989.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 1995

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  • Analysis of high-resolution rainfall data
    • By K. P. Georgakakos, Hydrologic Research Center, San Diego, California, and Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California, USA, M. B. Sharifi, Department of Civil Engineering, Mashhad University, Mashhad, Iran, P. L. Sturdevant, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
  • Edited by Zbigniew W. Kundzewicz, World Meteorological Organization, Geneva
  • Book: New Uncertainty Concepts in Hydrology and Water Resources
  • Online publication: 07 May 2010
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511564482.012
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  • Analysis of high-resolution rainfall data
    • By K. P. Georgakakos, Hydrologic Research Center, San Diego, California, and Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California, USA, M. B. Sharifi, Department of Civil Engineering, Mashhad University, Mashhad, Iran, P. L. Sturdevant, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
  • Edited by Zbigniew W. Kundzewicz, World Meteorological Organization, Geneva
  • Book: New Uncertainty Concepts in Hydrology and Water Resources
  • Online publication: 07 May 2010
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511564482.012
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Analysis of high-resolution rainfall data
    • By K. P. Georgakakos, Hydrologic Research Center, San Diego, California, and Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California, USA, M. B. Sharifi, Department of Civil Engineering, Mashhad University, Mashhad, Iran, P. L. Sturdevant, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
  • Edited by Zbigniew W. Kundzewicz, World Meteorological Organization, Geneva
  • Book: New Uncertainty Concepts in Hydrology and Water Resources
  • Online publication: 07 May 2010
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511564482.012
Available formats
×