Identification

Title

Variability of rainfall rate and raindrop size distributions in heavy rain

Abstract

A stochastic model of rainfall rate is used to examine the temporal variability of rainfall during heavy convective rain periods. The model represents the microstructure of rainfall rate at time scales that are important for land surface processes associated with infiltration and runoff production. The representation of rainfall rate is based on a marked point process model of raindrop size distributions, which yields a gamma raindrop spectrum with parameters that are time-varying stochastic processes. Raindrop size distribution observations from a Joss-Waldvogel disdrometer in Princeton, New Jersey, during the period May-October 2006 are used along with the stochastic model to examine rainfall rate variability. Analyses focus on a sample of 60-min time periods in which heavy convective rainfall occurred. Central elements of the analyses entail examination of the relationships between rainfall rate and the time-varying model parameters that characterize the raindrop size distribution. We also examine the dependence structure among these processes. "Scaling law" formulations of raindrop size distributions are used to examine variability of raindrop size distributions. Analyses of the Princeton heavy rainfall periods also point to seasonal and diurnal heterogeneities as important elements of the distribution of extreme rainfall rates. Convective intensity, as reflected in cloud-to-ground lightning observations, plays an important role in the distribution of extreme rainfall rates and the evolution of raindrop size distributions associated with heavy rainfall.

Resource type

document

Resource locator

Unique resource identifier

code

https://n2t.org/ark:/85065/d76q1zjc

codeSpace

Dataset language

eng

Spatial reference system

code identifying the spatial reference system

Classification of spatial data and services

Topic category

geoscientificInformation

Keywords

Keyword set

keyword value

Text

originating controlled vocabulary

title

Resource Type

reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2016-01-01T00:00:00Z

Geographic location

West bounding longitude

East bounding longitude

North bounding latitude

South bounding latitude

Temporal reference

Temporal extent

Begin position

End position

Dataset reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2009-04-29T00:00:00Z

Frequency of update

Quality and validity

Lineage

Conformity

Data format

name of format

version of format

Constraints related to access and use

Constraint set

Use constraints

Limitations on public access

None

Responsible organisations

Responsible party

contact position

OpenSky Support

organisation name

UCAR/NCAR - Library

full postal address

PO Box 3000

Boulder

80307-3000

email address

opensky@ucar.edu

web address

http://opensky.ucar.edu/

name: homepage

responsible party role

pointOfContact

Metadata on metadata

Metadata point of contact