Quantifying the time‐specific kinetic energy of simulated rainfall using a dynamic rain gauge system

• Main Authors: Kenneth M. Wacha, Chi‐hua Huang, Peter L. O'Brien, Athanasios N. Papanicolaou, Jerry L. Hatfield
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2021-01-01
• Series: Agricultural & Environmental Letters
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1002/ael2.20042

Abstract Raindrop impact derives from the kinetic energy of falling raindrops. Determining the kinetic energy of rainfall requires the size distribution and terminal velocity of raindrops, which necessitates complex instrumentation. To avoid this, empirical relations have been developed that relate rainfall intensity and the rate of kinetic energy, i.e., time‐specific kinetic energy (KEtime). In this study, a dynamic rain gauge system (DRGS) was used to quantify the KEtime generated by a rainfall simulator without need of measuring raindrop size distributions or impact velocities. In a series of 10 rainfall tests, the KEtime and rainfall intensity were 860.9 (±88.6) J m2 h−1 and 72.1 (±1.9) mm h−1, respectively. Estimated KEtime was found to agree well with the power‐law relation presented by Petrů and Kalibová for high‐intensity simulated rainfall, which are the conditions when higher deviations occur. The DRGS may be a useful tool in quantifying the KEtime of rainfall simulators in hopes to better understand raindrop impact mechanisms.