Module 2 Flashcards
What field methods are used for meteorological measurements
precipitation gauges, barometers, anemometers, and thermistors
Why is information about the weather important?
- protect human health
- support agriculture
- manage resources and water supplies
What type of non-recording rain gauge is used in this lab
Wedge gauge
What type of recording rain gauges are used in this lab?
Weighing gauge, tipping bucket gauge
How do tipping bucket rain gauges work?
Captured rain from the top opening funnels down and fills one of two buckets. When the bucket is full, it will tip and pour the water into the other bucket
A data‐logger records each time the bucket tips
What are the limitations of using a tipping bucket?
- Cannot measure frozen precipitation unless especially outfitted with a heater
- Partially filled buckets at the end of a rainfall event are not recorded because they do not tip
- High intensity rainfall events may overwhelm the tipping buckets and spill over
How do weighing rain gauges work?
-measure rain, snow, sleet and hail. Precipitation entering the top opening of the gauge is captured and
stored in a container that sits on a scale.
A datalogger measures the weight periodically
What are the limitations of a weighing rain gauge
- Containers need to be periodically emptied
- Need to take steps to avoid evaporation from the container
- Measurement resolution limitations may reduce accuracy.
What is the difference between evaporation, transpiration, and evapotranspiration
Evaporation - liquid (or a solid) turns into a gas.
Transpiration - water taken up through plants and trees
Evapotranspiration - the combination (sum) of evaporation and
transpiration processes
What methods are used to estimate evaporation?
Water‐Balance methods
2. Mass‐Transfer methods
3. Energy‐Balance method
4. Penman‐ or Combination methods
How do evaporation pans work?
Evaporation pan methods involve filling specific sized shallow containers (e.g., pans) with water and monitoring the
change in water levels in them as a result of evaporation (while also measuring and correcting for any precipitation
What is the proper way to make a hook gauge measurement?
Is a hook gauge reading an elevation or a depth?
Elevation
Should the maximum minimum thermometer be above or underwater when resetting it?
Underwater
What are the maximum minimum readings used for?
They are used to estimate average daily temperature
