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Rainfall Equation:
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The rainfall calculation formula converts total precipitation volume into depth over a specific area. This standardized measurement allows comparison of rainfall across different locations regardless of catchment area size.
The calculator uses the rainfall equation:
Where:
Explanation: The equation divides the total volume of water by the area it covers to determine the equivalent depth if the water were evenly distributed.
Details: Accurate rainfall measurement is essential for weather monitoring, flood prediction, agricultural planning, and water resource management. Converting volume to depth standardizes measurements across different catchment areas.
Tips: Enter total precipitation in cubic meters (m³) and area in square meters (m²). Both values must be positive numbers. The result will be in meters (m) of rainfall depth.
Q1: Why measure rainfall as depth instead of volume?
A: Depth measurements allow direct comparison between locations regardless of catchment area size, making it the standard meteorological measurement.
Q2: How can I convert the result to millimeters?
A: Multiply the result in meters by 1000 to get millimeters (mm), the more common unit for rainfall measurement.
Q3: What's a typical rainfall measurement period?
A: Rainfall is typically measured over 24-hour periods, but can be measured over any time interval depending on needs.
Q4: How accurate are rainfall measurements?
A: Accuracy depends on measurement method (rain gauge type, placement) and spatial distribution of rainfall, which can be highly variable.
Q5: What are heavy rainfall values?
A: Definitions vary, but generally >50mm in 24 hours is considered heavy, >100mm very heavy, and >200mm extreme rainfall.