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Timing and duration of high rainfall rates in the southwestern United States
Author(s) -
Osborn Herbert B.
Publication year - 1983
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/wr019i004p01036
Subject(s) - thunderstorm , duration (music) , environmental science , magnitude (astronomy) , climatology , meteorology , physical geography , geography , geology , art , physics , literature , astronomy
High‐intensity rains of short duration and limited areal extent are important in the southwestern United States to engineers, hydrologists, meteorologists, and others concerned with the frequency, magnitude, duration, and distribution of thunderstorm rainfall. In this paper, data from two dense raingage networks, one in southeastern Arizona and the other in eastern New Mexico, were used to establish expected occurrences of high rainfall rates (50 mm/h and greater) and diurnal and seasonal variability in such occurrences. Expected occurrences and durations above various thresholds were determined for both point and area for each location.