The significance of the systematic error in rainfall measurement for assessing wet deposition

Rodda, John C.; Smith, Stephen W.

doi:10.1016/0004-6981(86)90293-3

Cited by 49 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…The differences were about 3%, with no statistically significant difference between the four canopy gauges, but there was a probable real difference versus the two ground level gauges which has almost a 9% greater catch. This is similar to the difference in catch of a ground level gauge and standard gauge (Rodda and Smith, 1986). As an additional check on the variability of rain catches a standard height gauge was installed by the upslope ground level gauge in September 2002.…”

Section: (C) Comparison Of Canopy and Ground Level Gaugessupporting

confidence: 59%

“…For the Wye, and the unforested headwater portion of the Severn, ground-level (pit) gauges were installed, with aerodynamic anti-splash grids (BSI, 1996). Such gauges are less prone to systematic errors particularly in upland areas exposed to high winds (Rodda and Smith, 1986). This approach was not appropriate for the Severn catchment, which is largely covered by the even-aged conifer plantations of the Hafren forest and mainly comprises Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis).…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Office, 1982Office, , 2001WMO, 1994), or subtending an angle of greater than 30 o above the horizontal from the gauge rim. Differences in catch between UK standard gauges (rim height 30.5cm) and ground level gauges are typically 5% in lowland areas rising to as much as 15% in windy upland locations (Rodda and Smith, 1986;Price, 1999). The problems of measuring solid precipitation such as snow or hail are even greater and are not dealt with in this paper .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

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Measuring rainfall to a forest canopy: an assessment of the performance of canopy level raingauges

Robinson

Grant

Hudson

2004

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

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Accurate rainfall measurements are crucial for water resource and environmental assessments but can be difficult to achieve in extensive areas of forest. This paper reviews the different techniques for measuring rainfall to a forest area and presents the results of a 5-year experiment comparing the catches of gauges installed above a forest canopy with those of ground level gauges outside the forest. It examines the consistency of the catches between the canopy gauges, the sensitivity of the catch to the height of the gauge rim above the forest canopy, and compares the canopy gauge catches to the true rainfall in ground level gauges just outside the forest. The study shows that suitably designed and maintained canopy gauges can provide consistent measures of rainfall to a forest surface that are sufficiently accurate for most purposes and offer a preferable alternative to measurements in small clearings.

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Section: (C) Comparison Of Canopy and Ground Level Gaugessupporting

confidence: 59%

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

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Measuring rainfall to a forest canopy: an assessment of the performance of canopy level raingauges

Robinson

Grant

Hudson

2004

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

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“…Rainfall was monitored by two ARG100 tipping bucket raingauges (rim 0.4 m above ground surface) in the moorland (430 m elevation) and forested (in a clearing at 330 m elevation) parts of the catchment, ensuring that the gauges were located the minimum distance of two times the height from the nearest tallest object (Met Office, 1997). Although aboveground raingauges are expected to systematically underestimate actual rainfall to the ground surface due to the effect of wind drift, rainfall data were not corrected since the loss of catch has been shown to vary seasonally, from storm to storm and also between sites (Rodda & Smith, 1986). Furthermore, the underestimate of rainfall catch by the ARG100 raingauges is expected to be less than documented in other studies due to the aerodynamic design of the gauges which minimizes drag by presenting a reduced side area to the wind compared to standard cylindrical aboveground raingauges.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore all water fluxes in the Ballochbeatties catchment have been accounted for satisfactorily, almost entirely from the field measurements, validating the assumption that changes in soil water and Table 4. c Estimated loss of catch for a standard aboveground raingauge compared to a ground level raingauge in this part of the UK (Rodda & Smith, 1986). d Mean % difference between logger and manual measurements of river discharge.…”

Section: Catchment Water Balancementioning

confidence: 99%

New data for water losses from mature Sitka spruce plantations in temperate upland catchments / Nouvelles données pour les pertes d’eau de plantations adultes de sapins de Sitka en bassins versants tempérés d’altitude

Heal

Stidson

Dickey

et al. 2004

Hydrological Sciences Journal

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Accurate estimates of water losses from mature Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) plantations in the UK uplands are required to assess the sustainability of water supply in the event of land-use change. Many investigations have demonstrated that afforestation increases water losses from temperate upland catchments, to up to 40% of annual site rainfall. In a 0.86 km 2 upland water supply catchment in southwest Scotland, interception loss in a Sitka spruce-dominated 37-year old plantation, was 52% of annual precipitation (2912 mm), considerably higher than reported in previous studies of similar catchments. From direct measurements of rainfall, cloudwater, discharge and soil evaporation, the catchment water balance was 96-117% complete, within the limits of measurement error. The most probable explanation for the higher forest interception loss reported here is the inclusion of cloudwater measurements.Key words catchment water balance; cloudwater; conifer forest; evapotranspiration; interception; stemflow; throughfall; UK; upland catchment; water loss Nouvelles données pour les pertes d'eau de plantations adultes de sapins de Sitka en bassins versants tempérés d'altitudeRésumé Des estimations précises de l'eau perdue par des plantations adultes de sapins de Sitka (Picea sitchensis), dans les zones d'altitude du Royaume Uni, sont nécessaires pour évaluer la durabilité de l'alimentation en eau en cas de changement d'occupation du sol. De nombreuses recherches ont démontré que le reboisement augmente les pertes d'eau subies par des bassins versants d'altitude tempérés, pouvant atteindre 40% des précipitations annuelles. Dans un bassin versant du sud-ouest de l'Ecosse, de 0.86 km 2 , situé en altitude et dédié à l'approvisionnement en eau, la perte par interception au niveau d'une plantation dominée par des sapins de Sitka âgés de 37 ans, a atteint 52% de la précipitation annuelle (2912 mm), ce qui est considérablement plus important que ce qui est montré dans les études précédentes menées sur des bassins similaires. Des mesures directes de la pluie, de l'eau des nuages, du débit et de l'évaporation au sol, ont permis de boucler le bilan du bassin versant avec une précision de 96-117%, ce qui correspond aux erreurs de mesure. L'explication la plus probable de cette perte par interception forestière plus importante est la prise en compte des mesures de l'eau des nuages.Mot clefs bilan hydrologique de bassin versant; eau de nuage; forêt de conifères; évapotranspiration; interception; ruissellement le long des troncs; pluie au sol; Royaume-Uni; bassin versant d'altitude; perte d'eau

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Precipitation Measurement: Gauge Deployment

Robinson

2005

Encyclopedia of Hydrological Sciences

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The deployment of a network of rain gauges involves two stages: first, the broad distribution of gauges across a region or catchment and, second, the specific location of each gauge. The spatial distribution of gauges across a region will be determined by a combination of: (a) physical characteristics of the region, including the topography and the natural variability of precipitation, and (b) institutional factors, such as the purpose of the network (setting the accuracy and level of detail of data required as well as the resources available). The specific location of gauges will be determined by purely local factors, which would affect the accuracy of the measurements. These are primarily concerned with site exposure and wind effects that could lead to errors in catch and make the data unrepresentative of a larger area.

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The significance of the systematic error in rainfall measurement for assessing wet deposition

Cited by 49 publications

References 10 publications

Measuring rainfall to a forest canopy: an assessment of the performance of canopy level raingauges

Measuring rainfall to a forest canopy: an assessment of the performance of canopy level raingauges

New data for water losses from mature Sitka spruce plantations in temperate upland catchments / Nouvelles données pour les pertes d’eau de plantations adultes de sapins de Sitka en bassins versants tempérés d’altitude

Precipitation Measurement: Gauge Deployment

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