Comparing Rain-Gauge Data with Radar-Derived Precipitation Estimates
This material is replicated on a number of sites
as part of the
SERC Pedagogic Service Project
Initial Publication Date: March 25, 2004
Summary
Student teams collect rain-gauge data and compared it with radar-derived (NEXRAD) precipitation estimates. They use GIS to look for discrepancies between the two datasets and explain them by looking for sources of error in the method. The project culminates in a presentation by the students. The project has since expanded to include units dealing with local hydrology.
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Learning Goals
Knowledge
- Need to ground-truth remote observations
- Challenges of obtaining accurate field data
- Local variation in precipitation (esp. in mountainous terrain)
Skills
- quantitative skills
- using GIS
- field observations
Context for Use
This is a semester-long project, based on multiple observations.
Teaching Materials
A detailed lesson plan for Comparisons of NEXRAD radar and precipitation gauge values (more info) is provided by the authors.
This project cost the authors $500 to cover:
- Rain gauges and posts to mount them on
- NEXRAD data, which (in the U.S.) can be ordered through
- Weather Tap (more info)
- Radar Resources (more info) from the National Climate Data Center
- Field data travel expenses
Teaching Notes and Tips
This activity will require a great deal of training for the students, and will require a lot of time and attention on the instructor's part, so may not be suitable for a large class, especially if there are no teaching assistants available.
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Assessment
This project was first run with only four students, so they could be closely supervised by the graduate student on whose project they were working. A presentation similar to those given at professional conferences was deemed appropriate.
References and Resources
This project was designed as part of the Burd Run Interdisciplinary Watershed Research Laboratory (more info)
This exercise is described in Woltemade, C.J. and Stanitsky-Martin, D. 2002. A student-centered field project comparing NEXRAD and rain gauge precipitation values in mountainous terrain. Journal of Geoscience Education 50(3): 296-302.
