Search Results (12)

This data descriptor presents a unique high-resolution rainfall dataset derived from 14 pluviograph stations across central Chile’s Mediterranean region, covering variable periods starting from between 1969 and 1992, up to 2009. The dataset provides continuous precipitation records at a 5 min temporal resolution, obtained through the digitization and processing of pluviograph strip charts using specialized software. This high temporal resolution is unprecedented for the region and enables detailed analysis of rainfall intensity, duration, and frequency patterns critical for hydrological research, climate studies, and water resource management in general. Each station’s data was subjected to quality control procedures, including manual validation and correction of digitization errors to ensure data integrity. The dataset reveals the significant temporal variability of rainfall in central Chile, capturing both short-duration high-intensity events and longer precipitation patterns. By making this dataset publicly available, we provide researchers with a valuable resource for studying rainfall behavior in a Mediterranean climate zone subject to significant climate variability and change. The dataset supports various applications, including the development of intensity–duration–frequency curves, analysis of rainfall erosivity, calibration of hydrological models, and investigation of precipitation trends in the context of climate change. Full article

The research focuses on probabilistic modeling of maximum rainfall in Zielona Góra, Poland, to improve urban drainage system design. The study utilizes archived pluviographic data from 1951 to 2020, collected at the IMWM-NRI meteorological station. These data include 10 min rainfall records and aggregated hourly and daily totals. The study employs various statistical distributions, including Fréchet, gamma, generalized exponential (GED), Gumbel, log-normal, and Weibull, to model rainfall intensity–duration–frequency (IDF) relationships. After testing the goodness of fit using the Anderson–Darling test, Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC), and relative residual mean square Error (rRMSE), the GED distribution was found to best describe rainfall patterns. A key outcome is the development of a new rainfall model based on the GED distribution, allowing for the estimation of precipitation amounts for different durations and exceedance probabilities. However, the study highlights limitations, such as the need for more accurate local models and a standardized rainfall atlas for Poland. Full article

This is a database containing rainfall intensity–duration–frequency equations (IDF equations) for 6550 pluviographic and pluviometric stations in Brazil. The database was compiled from 370 different publications and contains the following information: station identification, geographic position, size and period of the rainfall series used, parameters of the IDF equations, and literature references. The database is available on Mendeley Data (DOI: 10.17632/378bdcmnc8.1) in the form of spreadsheets and vector files. Since the launch of the Pluvio 2.1 software in 2006, which included 549 IDF equations obtained in the country, this is the largest and most accessible database of IDF equations in Brazil. The data provided may be useful, among other purposes, for designing hydraulic structures, controlling water erosion, planning land use, and water resource planning and management. Full article

Rainfall erosivity (RE) represents the potential of rainfall to cause soil erosion, and understanding its impact is essential for the adoption of soil and water conservation practices. Although several studies have estimated RE for Brazil, currently, no single reliable and easily accessible database exists for the country. To fill this gap, this work aimed to review the research and generate a rainfall erosivity database for Brazil. Data were gathered from studies that determined rainfall erosivity from observed rainfall records and synthetic rainfall series. Monthly and annual rainfall erosivity values were organized on a spreadsheet and in the shapefile format. In total, 54 studies from 1990 to 2023 were analyzed, resulting in the compilation of 5516 erosivity values for Brazil, of which 6.3% were pluviographic, and 93.7% were synthetic. The regions with the highest availability of information were the Northeast (35.6%), Southeast (30.1%), South (19.9%), Central-West (7.7%), and North (6.7%). The database, which can be accessed on the Mendeley Data platform, can aid professionals and researchers in adopting public policies and carrying out studies aimed at environmental conservation and management basin development. Full article

Temporal variability of rainfall is extreme in the rangelands of northern Australia and occurs at annual, decadal, and even longer timescales. To maintain long-term productivity of the rangelands of northern Australia under highly variable rainfall conditions, suitable land management practices are assessed using rangeland biophysical models, e.g., GRASP (GRASs Production). The daily maxima of the 15 min rainfall intensity (I15) are used to predict runoff and moisture retention in the model. The performance of rangeland biophysical models heavily relies on the I15 estimates. As the number of pluviograph stations is very limited in northern Australian rangelands, an empirical I15 model (Fraser) was developed using readily available daily climate variables, i.e., daily rainfall total, daily diurnal temperature range, and daily minimum temperature. The aim of this study is to estimate I15 from daily rainfall totals using a well-established disaggregation scheme coupled with the Bartlett–Lewis rectangular pulse (BLRP) model. In the absence of pluviograph data, the BLRP models (RBL-E and RBL-G) were calibrated with the precipitation statistics estimated using the Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM (global precipitation measurement) (IMERG; 30 min, 0.1° resolution) precipitation product. The Fraser, RBL-E, and RBL-G models were assessed using 1 min pluviograph data at a single test site in Darwin. The results indicated that all three models tended to underestimate the observed I15, while a serious underestimation was observed for RBL-E and RBL-G. The underestimation by the Fraser, RBL-E, and RBL-G models consisted of 23%, 38%, and 50% on average, respectively. Furthermore, the Fraser model represented 29% of the variation in observed I15, whereas RBL-E and RBL-G represented only 7% and 11% of the variation, respectively. A comparison of RBL-E and RBL-G suggested that the difference in the spatial scales of IMERG and pluviograph data needs to be addressed to improve the performance of RBL-E and RBL-G. Overall, the findings of this study demonstrate that the BLRP model calibrated with IMERG statistics has the potential for estimating I15 for the GRASP biophysical model once the scale difference between IMERG and point rainfall data is addressed. Full article

Intensity, duration and frequency (IDF) curves are necessary tools for the design and construction of hydraulic projects. However, the pluviographic records needed to determine the IDF curves do not exist or are scarce. This research presents the regionalization of the IDF curves for the department of Boyacá, Colombia, which is made up of 16 municipalities including the provincial capital, Tunja. For the regionalization, the adjustment parameters (u and α) of the IDF curve stations in the study area were used. In the case of regionalization by the parameters found for the construction of the IDF curves, estimation methods with ordinary moments means and maximum likelihood were used. The regionalization and interpolation of the data were performed with Arcgis software. The resulting isoline maps were made in the case of regionalization intensities, and each map is associated with a different return period and duration to construct the IDF curves in the studied area. In the case of the regionalization maps, the parameters associated with each individual parameter were performed last. The results show that the use of IDF curve data is more accurate and reduces errors in the design. With the methods proposed in this study, IDF curves can be constructed for any site of interest that does not have rainfall stations. Full article

This paper aims to present simple regressive equations to estimate the parameters of the three-parameter depth–duration–frequency (DDF) curve (3p-DDF), which accurately expresses, for a preassigned return period, the relationship between the rainfall depth and the rainfall duration over large duration ranges, from below 1 h (i.e., tens of minutes) to above 1 h (up to 24 h). These equations are developed to relate their parameters to those of the two-parameter DDF curve (2p-DDF), which can be estimated more easily being based on more readily available data related to rainfall durations above 1 h. In the applications, the regressive equations are first calibrated using recent pluviographic data in northern Italy, Germany, and Sweden. Two validation steps are then carried out to test the equations in terms of estimated rainfall depths using the same data as those used in the calibration step and data of stations from other geographic areas, i.e., Sicily in southern Italy, and from the past century, respectively. The results obtained prove this methodology capable of providing reliable estimation of short-duration rainfalls with various return periods in the absence of measurements with fine temporal resolution. Full article

Intensity–Duration–Frequency (IDF) curves describe the relationship between rainfall intensity, rainfall duration, and return period. They are commonly used in the design, planning and operation of hydrologic, hydraulic, and water resource systems. Considering the intense rainfall presence with flooding occurrences, limited data used to develop IDF curves, and importance to improve the IDF design for the Ensenada City in Baja California, this research study aims to investigate the use and combinations of pluviograph and daily records, to assess rain behavior around the city, and select a suitable method that provides the best results of IDF relationship, consequently updating the IDF relationship for the city for return periods of 10, 25, 50, and 100 years. The IDF relationship is determined through frequency analysis of rainfall observations. Also, annual maximum rainfall intensity for several duration and return periods has been analyzed according to the statistical distribution of Gumbel Extreme Value (GEV). Thus, Chen’s method was evaluated based on the depth-duration ratio (R) from the zone, and the development of the IDF relationship for the rain gauges stations was focused on estimating the most suitable (R) ratio; chosen from testing several methods and analyzing the rain in the region from California and Baja California. The determined values of the rain for one hour and return period of 2 years $(P_1^2)$ obtained were compared to the values of some cities in California and Baja California, with a range between 10 and 16.61 mm, and the values of the (R) ratio are in a range between 0.35 and 0.44; this range is close to the (R) ratio of 0.44 for one station in Tijuana, a city 100 km far from Ensenada. The values found here correspond to the rainfall characteristics of the zone; therefore, the method used in this study can be replicated to other semi-arid zones with the same rain characteristics. Finally, it is suggested that these results of the IDF relationship should be incorporated on the Norm of the State of Baja California as the recurrence update requires it upon recommendation. This study is the starting point to other studies that imply the calculation of a peak flow and evaluation of hydraulic structures as an input to help improve flood resilience in the city of Ensenada. Full article

One of the most important natural processes responsible for soil loss is rainfall-induced erosion. The calculation of rainfall erosivity, as defined in the Universal Soil Loss Equation, requires the availability of rainfall data, either continuous breakpoint, or pluviograph, with sampling intervals on the order of minutes. Due to the limited temporal coverage and spatial scarcity of such data, worldwide, alternative equations have been developed that utilize coarser rainfall records, in an effort to estimate erosivity equivalently to that calculated using pluviograph data. This paper presents the application of generalized additive models (GAMs) to estimate erosivity utilizing daily rainfall records. As a case study, pluviograph data with a time step of 30 min from the Water District of Thrace in Greece were used. By applying GAMs, it became possible to model the nonlinear relation between daily rainfall, seasonal periodicity, and rainfall erosivity more effectively, in terms of accuracy, than the application of two well-known nonlinear empirical equations, both on a daily and an annual basis. Full article

To develop intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) curves, it is necessary to calculate annual maximum rainfall intensities for different durations. Traditionally, these intensities have been calculated from the analysis of traces recorded by rain gauges on pluviograph strip charts (PSCs). For many years, these charts have been recorded and analyzed by the personnel who operate and maintain the pluviograph gauges, thus the reliability of the observational analysis depends exclusively on the professional experience of the person performing the analysis. Traditionally, the analyzed PSCs are physically stored in data repository centers. After storing rainfall data on aging paper for many years, the risk of losing rainfall records is very high. Therefore, the conversion of PSC records to digital format is crucial to preserve and improve the historical instrumental data base of these records. We conducted the first “Data Rescue Initiative” (DRI) for central Chile using a pluviograph strip charts reader (PSCR), a tool that uses a scanner-type device combined with digital image processing techniques to estimate maximum rainfall intensities for different durations for each paper band (>80,000 paper bands). On the paper bands, common irregularities associated with excess ink, annotations, or blemishes can affect the scanning process; this system was designed with a semi-automatic module that allows users to edit the detected trace to improve the recognition of the data from each PSC. The PSCR’s semi-automatic characteristics were designed to read many PSCs in a short period of time. The tool also allows for the calculation of rainfall intensities in durations ranging between 15 min to 1 h. This capability improves the value of the data for water infrastructure design, since intense storms of shorter duration often have greater impacts than longer but less intense storms. In this study, the validation of the PSCR against records obtained from observational analysis showed no significant differences between maximum rainfall intensities for durations of 1 h, 6 h, and 24 h. Full article

This paper presents certain characteristics of trends in rainfall erosivity density (ED), that have not been so far investigated in depth in the current literature. Raw pluviograph data were acquired from the Greek National Bank of Hydrological and Meteorological Information for 108 stations. Precipitation time series values were cleared from noise and errors, and the ratio of missing values was computed. Erosive rainfalls were identified, their return period was determined using intensity–duration–frequency (IDF) curves and erosivity values were computed. A Monte Carlo method was utilized to assess the impact of missing values ratio to the computation of annual erosivity (R) and ED values. It was found that the R values are underestimated in a linear way, while ED is more robust against the presence of missing precipitation values. Indicatively, the R values are underestimated by 49%, when only 50% of the erosive rainfall events are used, while at the same time the estimation error of ED is 20%. Using predefined quality criteria for coverage and time length, a subset of stations was selected. Their annual ED values, as well as the samples' autocorrelation and partial autocorrelation functions were computed, in order to investigate the presence of stochastic trends. Subsequently, Kendall's Tau was used in order to yield a measure of the monotonic relationship between annual ED values and time. Finally, the hypothesis that ED values are affected by elevation was tested. In conclusion: (a) It is suggested to compute ED for the assessment of erosivity in Greece instead of the direct computation of R; (b) stationarity of ED was found for the majority of the selected stations, in contrast to reported precipitation trends for the same time period; and (c) the hypothesis that ED values are not correlated to elevation could not be rejected. Full article

The lack of reliable continuous rainfall records can exacerbate the negative impact of extreme storm events. The inability to describe the continuous characteristics of rainfall from storm events increases the likelihood that the design of hydraulic structures will be inadequate. To mitigate extreme storm impacts and improve water governance at the catchment scale, it is vital to improve the availability of data and the array of tools used to model and forecast hydrological processes. In this paper, we describe and discuss the implementation of a web-based system for the estimation of intensity–duration–frequency (IDF) curves (WEBSE_IDF) in Chile. The web platform was constructed using records from 47 pluviographic gauges available in central Chile (30–40° S), with at least 15 years of reliable records. IDF curves can be generated for durations ranging from 15 min to 24 h. In addition, the extrapolation of rainfall intensity from pluviograph to pluviometric gauges (i.e., 24-h rainfall accumulation) can be carried out using the storm index (S_I) method. IDF curves can also be generated for any spatial location within central Chile using the ordinary Kriging method. These procedures allow the generation of numerical and graphical displays of IDF curves, for any selected spatial location, and for any combination of probability distribution function (PDF), parameter estimation method, and type of IDF model. One of the major advantages of WEBSE_IDF is the flexibility of its database, which can be easily modified and saved to generate IDF curves under user-defined scenarios, that is, changing climate conditions. The implementation and validation of WEBSE_IDF serves as a decision support system, providing an important tool for improving the ability of the Chilean government to mitigate the impact of extreme hydrologic events in central Chile. The system is freely available for students, researchers, and other relevant professionals, to improve technical decisions of public and private institutions. Full article