Premium
Comparison Between Rain Gage and Lysimeter Measurements
Author(s) -
Morgan D. L.,
Lourence F. J.
Publication year - 1969
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1029/wr005i003p00724
Subject(s) - lysimeter , storm , environmental science , precipitation , meteorology , rain gauge , atmospheric sciences , hydrology (agriculture) , geology , geography , soil water , soil science , geotechnical engineering
Rain gage data were compared with ground level precipitation as determined with a highly sensitive weighing lysimeter 20 feet in diameter. Rain gages of various types were tested in the Central Valley of California during twenty‐four storms in the 1966–1968 rainfall seasons. Rainfall totals for each storm as measured by the lysimeter and by several rain gages in its vicinity were compared by regression analysis. Wind effects on a standing gage seemed unimportant, since agreement was close between a standard 8‐inch rain gage mounted in the normal standing position and a USSR 3000‐square‐centimeter rain gage mounted at ground level. Storm totals from these two gages spaced about ten feet apart averaged 4% higher than catches measured 450 feet away by the lysimeter and a Fischer and Porter digitizing rain gage spaced about 10 feet apart. Fischer and Porter gage storm catch values varied generally about the mean value of the lysimeter data. The coinciding means of all of the data from these two instruments suggest that wind effects compensate over the period of storms studied.