Time-Resolution of Rainfall Data and Its Role in the Hydrological Analyses

Dear Colleagues,

Rainfall data recorded by gauges provide key forcing in most hydrological studies. Depending on sensor type and recording systems, such data are characterized by different time-resolutions, t_a.

For the rain gauge networks installed in the 19th century or during the first decades of the 20th century, recordings started in manual mode with coarse time-resolution. Mechanical recordings on paper rolls, with t_a typically in the range 30 minutes-1 hour, began in the first half of the 20th century. Digital data logger registrations began during the last decades of 20th century, providing the possibility of any temporal aggregation, also equal to 1 minute. Most of older rain gauge networks have changed the registration methods during their lifetimes; in some cases they have been changed more than one time, from manual to mechanical and finally to digital.

It has been demonstrated that the use of annual maximum rainfall depth (H_d) series, for given durations, d, obtained from rainfall data characterized by coarse t_a may produce significant errors in determining rainfall-depth-duration-frequency curves as well as in the most common methods to evaluate trend signals in intense rainfall. However, by using specific mathematical relationships between average underestimation error and the ratio t_a/d, each H_d value may be corrected, obtaining H_d series which can then be reassessed for every analysis type.

All these issues should be considered in many geographical areas in the world.

Prof. Dr. Renato Morbidelli
Prof. Dr. Carla Saltalippi
Dr. Alessia Flammini
Guest Editors

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