Rain measurement: Difference between revisions

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Rain measurement (view source)

Revision as of 06:20, 17 June 2013

85 bytes removed ,  17 June 2013
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→‎Tipping Bucket Rain Gauge: changing description of rainfall rate for consistency
m (→‎Optical Rain Gauge: add details of RG11)
m (→‎Tipping Bucket Rain Gauge: changing description of rainfall rate for consistency)
 
==Tipping Bucket Rain Gauge ==
The tipping bucket gauge consists of a funnel that collects and channels the precipitation. The precipitation falls onto one of two small buckets or levers which are balanced in same manner as a balance scale. When the bucket fills sufficiently to "tip" the balance an electrical signal is sent to the recorder.
Modern tipping rain gauges consist of a plastic collector balanced over a pivot. When it tips, it actuates a switch (such as a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reed_switch reed switch]) which is then electronically recorded or transmitted to a remote collection station.
 
Tipping gauges can also incorporate weighing gauges. In these gauges, a strain gauge is fixed to the collection bucket so that the exact rainfall can be read at any moment. Each time the collector tips, the strain gauge (weight sensor) is re-zeroed to null out any drift.▼
The tipping bucket rain gauge is not as accurate as the standard rain gauge because the rainfall may stop before the lever has tipped. When the next period of rain begins it may take no more than one or two drops to tip the lever. Tipping buckets also tend to underestimate the amount of rainfall, particularly in snowfall and heavy rainfall events. Tipping buckets can be subject to vibration if not surely mounted causing the balance to tip resulting in a over estimation of the rain measurement.▼
 
▲TheIn tippingthe more common design, when the bucket fills sufficiently to "tip" the balance an electrical signal is sent to the recorder. Modern tipping rain gaugegauges consist of a plastic collector balanced over a pivot. When it tips, it actuates a switch (such as a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reed_switch reed switch]) which is then electronically recorded or transmitted to a remote collection station. Counting tips is not as accurate as the standard rain gauge because the rainfall may stop before the lever has tipped. When the next period of rain begins it may take no more than one or two drops to tip the lever. Tipping buckets also tend to underestimate the amount of rainfall, not collecting all of it, particularly in snowfall and heavy rainfall events. Tipping buckets can be subject to vibration if not surelysecurely mounted causing the balance to tip resulting in a over estimation of thefalse rain measurement.
The advantage of the tipping bucket rain gauge is that the rain rate (light, medium or heavy) may be easily obtained. Rainfall rate is decided by the total amount of rain that has fallen in a set period (usually 1 hour) and by counting the number of 'clicks' in a 10 minute period the observer can decide the character of the rain.▼
 
▲The advantage of the tipping bucket rain gauge is that the rain rate (light, medium or heavy) may be easily obtained. Rainfall rate is decided by the total amount of rain that has fallen in a set period (usually 1 hour) and by counting the number of 'clicks' in a 10short minutefixed period and lets the observer can decide the character of the rain.
▲Tipping gauges can also incorporate weighing gauges. In these gauges, a strain gauge is fixed to the collection bucket so that the exact rainfall can be read at any moment. Each time the collector tips, the strain gauge (weight sensor) is re-zeroed to null out any drift.
 
==Weighing Precipitation Gauge ==
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