Problem Set 2a Precipitation

1. The shape of the drainage basin can be approximated by a polygon, whose vertices are located at the following coordinates: (5,
5), (-5, 5), (-5,-5), (0.-10), and (5,-5). The rainfall amounts of a storm were recorded by a number of rain gages situated within
and nearby the basin as follows:

All coordinates are expressed in kilometers. Determine the average rainfall on the basin by (a) arithmetic-mean method,
(b) the Thiessen method, and (c) the isohyetal method. Hints: For the Thiessen method, begin by drawing the polygon around
gage 9, then draw the polygons around gages 2,3,5,and 7; for the isohyetal method, draw isohyets with the maximum rainfall on
a ridge running southwest to northeast through (-3,3).

Solution:

a.) Arithmetic Mean Method

Σ(𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑑 𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑓𝑎𝑙𝑙)
𝑃=
𝑛
63 + 59 + 41 + 39 + 105 + 98 + 60 + 41 + 81
𝑃=
9
587
𝑃=
9

𝑃 = 65.22𝑚𝑚

b.) Thiessen Method

𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑜𝑓 𝐵𝑎𝑠𝑖𝑛 = 107.5

𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑜𝑓 𝐼𝑛𝑓𝑙𝑢𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑠 = 16,23,13,16,0,35,14,12,4
𝑃
(63 ∗ 16) + (59 ∗ 23) + (41 ∗ 13) + (39 ∗ 16) + (105 ∗ 0) + (98 ∗ 35) + (60 ∗ 14) + (41 ∗ 12) + (81 ∗ 4)
=
107.5

𝑃 = 80.08𝑚𝑚

c.) Isohyetal Method

16(63 + 59) 23(59 + 41) 13(41 + 39) 16(39 + 105) 35(105 + 98) 14(98 + 60) 12(60 + 41) 4(41 + 81)
( )+( )+( )+( )+( )+( )+( )+( )
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
𝑃=
16 + 23 + 13 + 16 + 35 + 14 + 12 + 4

9306.5
𝑃=
133
𝑃 = 69.97𝑚𝑚
 Area of Basin
6

2
X-Axis

0
-6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6
-2

-4

-6

-8

-10

-12
Y-Axis

Coordinates within and near the Basin

6

2
X-Axis

0
-12 -10 -8 -6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6 8
-2

-4

-6

-8

-10

-12
Y-Axis

(𝑋𝐴 𝑌𝐵 −𝑌𝐴 𝑋𝐵 )+(𝑋𝐵 𝑌𝐶 −𝑌𝐵 𝑋𝐶 )+(𝑋𝐶 𝑌𝐷 −𝑌𝐶 𝑋𝐷 )⋯⋯⋯⋯(𝑋𝑁 𝑌𝑁 −𝑌𝑁 𝑋𝑁 )

Area of basin= 2

⌊(25−−25)+(25−−25)+(50−−5)+(−5−−15)+(25−−25)⌋
Area of basin= = 107.5 𝑘𝑚2
2

Area of influences are= 16,23,13,16,0,35,14,12,4