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Problem Set No. 2

Point Rainfall Analysis

Watershed (also called drainage basin, or river basin) is the land area where rainfall runs
off into streams, rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. It is a land feature that can be identified by tracing a
line along the highest elevations between two areas on a map called ridge. From the ridge, the
direction of runoff flow when rain falls is opposite, that is, one is going outwards and the other is
inwards as indicated by the arrows in Figure 1. Hence, a watershed is also called catchment
area. With all other factors equal, the size of the river in the watershed is indicative of the
watershed area, that is, the larger the watershed, the wider or bigger the river is. In a watershed,
point rainfall analysis (PRA) is used to determine the mean amount of rainfall, and the spatial or
areal distribution of rainfall.

Source: Kanwar (2017)

Figure 1. Direction of runoff flow in a watershed

A single point rainfall measurement is often not representative of the amount of rainfall
falling over a very large catchment area. A network of rain gauges as shown in Figure 2 can
provide a better representation of the true amount over a given large area. The data gathered
in these various points are analyzed and converted to spatial or areal estimates using any of the
following PRA techniques, such as: (a) arithmetic mean; (b) isohyetal analysis; and (c) Thiessen
polygon (NOAA, n.d). This exercise deals with the step-by-step procedure in conducting these
PRA techniques.
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Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (n.d)

Figure 2. A hypothetical 5,000-ha watershed with 5 rain gage stations

After accomplishing the required activity, you should be able to:

a. Perform point rainfall analysis (PRA) using different techniques such as arithmetic
mean, isohyetal analysis and Thiessen polygon; and

b. Define and contrast the three PRA techniques.

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Qty Unit Description/Specification

1 pc Ball pen
1 pc Scientific calculator
1 pair Scissors
2 pcs Graphing paper

A. Arithmetic Mean Method

This technique calculates areal rainfall using the arithmetic mean of all the points or areal
measurements considered in the analysis, thus:

(Eq. 1)

_
where: R Mean rainfall
Σ Summation sign which means add all individual observations
Ri Rainfall observation at point i
n Total number of rain gage observations

To illustrate the calculation of mean rainfall using arithmetic mean method, let us consider the
gaged watershed in Figure 2. The step-by-step procedure is, as follows:

Step A.1 Compute for the mean rainfall of the watershed in Figure 2 using Equation 1, thus:

_
R = (RA + RB + RC + RD + RE)/n
= (0.55” + 0.87” + 2.33” + 5.40” + 1.89”)/5
= 2.21 inches x 25.4 mm/inch
= 56.1 mm
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Step A.2 Interpret result.

In our example, the interpretation would be “Therefore, the mean rainfall in the gaged 5,000 ha
watershed in Figure 2 using arithmetic mean method is 56.1 mm.”

B. Isohyetal Analysis Method

This is a graphical technique which involves drawing estimated lines of equal rainfall over an
area based on point measurements. The magnitude and extent of the resultant rainfall areas of
coverage are then considered versus the area in question in order to estimate the areal
precipitation value.

To illustrate the calculation of mean rainfall using isohyetal analysis method, let us consider again
the gaged watershed in Figure 2 above. The step-by-step procedure is, as follows:

Step B.1 Trace on a graphing paper the map of the watershed as in Figure 3 below.

Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (n.d)

Figure 3. Isohyetal lines of gaged watershed in Figure 2

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Step B.2 Draw lines of equal rainfall.

The line of equal rainfall is called isohyet or isohyetal line, which is equivalent to a contour line for
equal slope. In Figure 3 above, the isohyetal lines are colored red with corresponding rainfall
magnitudes of 0.5 inch, 1 inch, 2 inches, 3 inches, 4 inches, and 5 inches. Note the distance of
these isohyetal lines relative to the observed rainfall magnitudes of two adjacent stations. Note
also that with these isohyetal lines the whole watershed is consequently sub-divided into several
sub-areas.

Step B.3 For each sub-area, count the number of grid squares bounded by the isohyetal
lines. For our example, the results are shown in Table 1 below.

Table 1. Estimated number of grid squares per sub-area bounded by two adjacent isohyetal
lines in Figure 3
Estimated No. of Grid Squares
Sub-area (Ax) Boundary
Per Sub-area (nx)
A1 Above isohyetal line (IL)0.50 7.0
A2 Between IL0.50 and IL1.00 22.0
A3 Between IL1.00 and IL2.00 11.1
A4 Between IL2.00and IL3.00 34.3
A5 Between IL3.00 and IL4.00 10.5
A6 Between IL4.00 and IL5.00 7.0
A7 Right of IL5.00 1.5
A8 Below IL2.00 6.6
Total (Nx) 100.0

Step B.4 Determine the supposed area per grid square of the graphing paper by dividing
the known true area of the watershed by the total number of grid squares
determined in Step 3, thus:

Ax = AT/Nx (Eq. 2)

where: Ax Supposed area per grid square of the graphing paper

AT Known true total area of the watershed
Nx Total number of grid squares bounded by the watershed
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In our example:

AT = 5,000 ha
Nx = 100.0 grid squares

Substituting values in Equation 2:

Ax = 5,000 ha/100.0 grid squares

= 50 ha/grid square of the graphing paper

Therefore, every grid square on the graphing paper is equivalent to 50.0 ha in actual area of the
watershed. With this information, we can now solve for the actual area of the sub-areas A1 to A8.

Step B.5 Determine the actual area of each sub-areas A1 to A8 using Equation 3, thus:

Ai = (Ax)(nx) (Eq. 3)

where: Ai Actual area of sub-area i

Ax Supposed area per grid square of the graphing paper
nx Number of grid squares bounded by the isohyetal lines

With reference to data in Table 1 above and using Equation 3:

A1 = 50 ha (7.0) = 350 ha
A2 = 50 ha (22.0) = 1,100 ha
A3 = 50 ha (11.1) = 555 ha
A4 = 50 ha (34.3) = 1,715 ha
A5 = 50 ha (10.5) = 525 ha
A6 = 50 ha (7.0) = 350 ha
A7 = 50 ha (1.5) = 75 ha
A8 = 50 ha (6.6) = 330 ha
Total Area (AT) = 5,000 ha (Note this is equal to the area of the watershed in Figure 2.)

With reference to Figure 3, the above results are presented in Table 2 overleaf.
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Table 2. Estimated actual area of sub-areas in Figure 3 and corresponding mean rainfall
Actual Area of Mean Rainfall in Sub-
Sub-area (Ax) Boundary Sub-areas in Figure 3 areas (Ri, in)
(Ai, ha)
A1 Above isohyetal line (IL)0.50 350 0.50
A2 Between IL0.50 and IL1.00 1,100 0.75
A3 Between IL1.00 and IL2.00 555 1.50
A4 Between IL2.00and IL3.00 1,715 2.50
A5 Between IL3.00 and IL4.00 525 3.50
A6 Between IL4.00 and IL5.00 350 4.50
A7 Right of IL5.00 75 5.00
A8 Below IL2.00 330 2.00
Total (AT) 5,000

Step B.6 Estimate the mean rainfall in the watershed using Equation 4, thus:

(Eq. 4)
_
where: R Mean rainfall in the watershed
Ri Mean rainfall in sub-area i
Ai Actual area of sub-area i
AT Total area of the watershed

Using Equation 4:

_ [(R1)(A1) + (R2)(A2) + (R3)(A3) + (R4)(A4) + (R5)(A5) + (R6)(A6) + (R7)(A7) + (R8)(A8)]

R = --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AT

Substituting values from Table 2:

[(0.50”)(350 ha) + (0.75”)(1,100 ha) + (1.50”)(555 ha) + (2.50”)(1,715 ha)

_ + (3.50”)(525 ha) + (4.50”)(350 ha) + (5.00”)(75 ha) + (2.00”)(330 ha)]
R = ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5,000 ha

= 10,567.5 ha-inch/5,000 ha
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_
R = 2.11 inches x 25.4 mm/inch
= 53.6 mm

Step B.7 Interpret results.

In our example, the interpretation would be “Therefore, the mean rainfall in the gaged 5,000 ha
watershed in Figure 2 using the isohyetal analysis method is 53.6 mm.”

C. Thiessen Polygon Method

The Thiessen polygon method is another graphical technique which calculates station weights
based on the relative areas of each measurement station in the Thiessen polygon network. The
individual weights are multiplied by the station observation and the values are summed to
obtain the areal average precipitation.

To illustrate the calculation of mean rainfall using Thiessen polygon method, let us consider also
the gaged watershed in Figure 2 above. The step-by-step procedure is, as follows:

Step C.1 Construct polygons by drawing a line connecting all two adjacent rain gage
stations.

These connecting lines are shown as dotted red line in Figure 4 overleaf.
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Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (n.d)

Figure 4. Two adjacent rain gage stations connected by dotted red line

Step C.2 Bisect the sides of the polygon.

These bisecting lines are colored blue in Figure 5 overleaf.

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Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (n.d)

Figure 5. Dotted red lines bisected by blue lines to form polygons covered by each station

Step C.3 Trace Figure 5 on a graphing paper.

The result is shown in Figure 6 overleaf.

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Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (n.d)

Figure 6. Polygons formed by the connecting dotted red lines and the bisecting blue lines

Step C.4 With reference to the results in Step 3 (Figure 6), count the number of grid squares
covered by each polygon.

The results are given in Table 3 overleaf.

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Table 3. Estimated number of grid squares per polygon in Figure 6

Polygon (Px) Estimated No. of Grid Squares (nx)
PA 17.6
PB 22.8
PC 24.2
PD 17.0
PE 18.4
Total (Nx) 100.0
Note that the above total number of grid squares (Nx) is the same as that of our previous
example in isohyetal analysis because we also used the same watershed.

Step C.5 Determine the supposed area per grid square of the graphing paper (Ax) using
Equation 2, thus:

Ax = 5,000 ha/100.0 grid squares

= 50 ha/grid square

Therefore, every grid square of the graphing paper is equivalent to 50.0 ha in actual area of the
watershed. With this information, we can now solve for the actual area of the polygons in
Figure 6.

Step C.6 Determine the actual area of each polygon PA to PE using Equation 5, thus:

Px = (Ax)(nx) (Eq. 5)

where: Px Actual area of polygon x

Ax Supposed area per grid square of the graphing paper
nx Number of grid squares of the polygon x

With reference to data in Table 3 above and using Equation 5:

PA = 50 ha (17.6) = 880 ha
PB = 50 ha (22.8) = 1,140 ha
PC = 50 ha (24.2) = 1,210 ha
PD = 50 ha (17.0) = 850 ha
PE = 50 ha (18.4) = 920 ha
Total Area (AT) = 5,000 ha (Note this is equal to the area of the watershed in Figure 2.)
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With reference to Figure 6, the above results are presented in Table 4 below.

Table 4. Estimated actual area of polygons in Figure 6 and corresponding mean rainfall
Polygon Px) Actual Area (Ax) Mean Rainfall in Polygon (RX)
PA 880 0.55
PB 1,140 0.87
PC 1,210 2.33
PD 850 5.40
PE 920 1.89
Total(AT) 5,000

Step C.7 Estimate the mean rainfall in the watershed using Equation 6, thus:

(Eq. 6)

Substituting values from Table 4:

_ [(0.55”)(880 ha) + (0.87”)(1,140 ha) + (2.33”)(1,210 ha) + (5.40”)(850 ha) + (1.89”)(920 ha)]
R = ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5,000 ha

= 10,623.9 ha-inch/5,000 ha
_
R = 2.12 inches x 25.4 mm/inch
= 53.8 mm

Therefore, the mean rainfall in the watershed in Figure 5 is 53.8 mm.

Step C.8 Interpret result.

In our example, the interpretation would be “Therefore, the mean rainfall in the gaged 5,000 ha
watershed in Figure 2 using the Thiessen polygon method 53.8 mm.”
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In summary, the mean amount of rainfall in the 5,000 ha watershed shown in Figure 2 are,
as follows:
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a. Arithmetic Method: R = 56.1 mm

_
b. Isohyetal Analysis Method: R = 53.6 mm

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c. Thiessen Polygon Method: R = 53.8 mm

Comparatively, the arithmetic mean method is very simple but it overestimates the mean
amount of 56.1 mm rainfall. Conversely, the isohyetal and Thiessen methods yield a more
realistic mean estimates of 53.6 mm and 53.8 mm rainfall, respectively. In a gaged watershed
especially when the area is very large, either the isohyetal analysis method, or the Thiessen
polygon method is used. In relatively small watersheds, the arithmetic mean method is preferred
because it is simple and easy to perform.
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Due Date: ASAP but not later than ____________________________________.

Penalty for Late Submission: 5 points deduction per day of delay

1. Consider the 6-point gaged watershed in Figure 7 overleaf. Assume rainfall data (in mm) for
each point and label them accordingly. Solve for mean rainfall using (1) arithmetic mean (10
pts); (2) isohyetal analysis (35 pts); and (3) Thiessen polygon (35 pts).

2. Define and contrast the three point rainfall analysis methods. Write your answer below.
(20 pts)
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Enter assumed values for each gage-point (star) in the figure below and label these points
accordingly.

Figure 7. 10,000 ha gaged watershed

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For the isohyetal analysis method, cut out the watershed provided in the later part of this
exercise and trace it on the graphing paper below. Supply all necessary data similar to Figure 3
on page 4 hereof. Show solutions at the back of the previous page and on this page.
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Cut this out for isohyetal analysis method.

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For Thiessen polygon method, again cut out the watershed provided in the next page and trace
it on the graphing paper below. On this resultant figure, perform Steps C.1 to C.3. Show solutions
at the back of the previous page, on this page and on succeeding pages, if necessary.
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Cut this out for Thiessen polygon method.

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(Draw conclusions as to the things you have learned and experienced out of this exercise.)
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Clipart Library. (n.d). Agricultural and biosystems engineering [Logo]. Retrieved from
http://clipa.cash/agricultural-biosystems-engineering-logo.html

Kanwar, P.S. (2017). Development of cropping system for watershed areas. Raipur, India: Indira
Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya. Retrieved from
https://www.slideshare.net/paramjeetsinghkanwar/development-of-cropping-system-
for-watershed-areas

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (n.d). Point precipitation

measurement, areal precipitation estimates and relationships to hydrologic modelling.
Retrieved from www.noaa.gov/