HR: 17:00h
AN: H44A-05    [Abstracts]
TI: Measuring Very Low Precipitation Events Using a Vibrating Wire All-Weather Precipitation Gauge
AU: * Duchon, C E
EM: cduchon@ou.edu
AF: School of Meteorology, 1310 Sarkeys Energy Center University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019 United States
AB: Standard U.S. tipping-bucket precipitation gauges measure event amounts that equal or exceed 0.01 inch (0.254 mm). However, very low precipitation events, defined to be accumulations less than 0.01 inch (0.254 mm), are as much a part of the climate record of precipitation as are event totals that exceed this amount. They indicate the presence of clouds and thus impact the surface energy budget. An increase or decrease in their frequency of occurrence over long periods of time may reflect a changing climate of precipitation. While traditional tipping-bucket gauges cannot record very low precipitation events, the application of vibrating wire technology to the measurement of precipitation can. Very low precipitation events comprising one-minute accumulations will be described as measured by a Geonor T-200B vibrating wire gauge, the primary gauge used in the U.S. Climate Reference Network. Comparisons will be made with a co-located 2-dimensional video disdrometer and a nearby tipping-bucket gauge. Sources of differences among these three independent measurement systems also will be discussed. Faithful numerical weather prediction and climate models need to account for very low precipitation events.
DE: 1833 Hydroclimatology
DE: 3354 Precipitation (1854)
SC: Hydrology [H]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005