Rain gauge analyses

Schwarb M (2000) The alpine precipitation climate. Evaluation of a high-resolution analysis scheme using comprehensive rain-gauge data. Dissertation, Eidgenossisch Technische Hochschule (ETH), Zurich... 

Only events greater than 0.51 mm (0.02 inch) rain gauge depth were included in this study to ensure that sufficient sample was available for analysis. Thus if a week had only small daily events, no corresponding daily and derived weekly data were available however, events greater than 0.51 mm allowed partial analysis and were included. 

Wet deposition was collected on an event basis in polyethylene buckets in Aerochem Metric collectors set to open only during precipitation periods. The precipitation time was determined from a Belfort recording rain-gauge. The precipitation depth (as water equivalent) was determined as the volume of precipitation in the bucket divided by the area of the bucket opening (638 cm2). The precipitation was filtered through 0.4 Aim pore Nuclepore filters to remove particles and was then refrigerated until time for analysis. The ions, N03- and S04--, were analyzed by ion chromatography. 

Environmental monitoring systems are seldom fully automated. Some of the sensors used for environment parameter measurements are not electric and thus require visual reading, necessary for example in the case of non-electric rain or staff water gauges, or results of chemical analysis of water quality. 

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