Questions:
Q:In [insert name here]'s city, there was 4.32 centimeters of rainfall. In [insert name here]'s city there was 5.99 centimeters of rainfall. How many more centimeters of rain were there is in [insert name here]'s city than in [insert name here]'s city?
What you say:
"HEEEH! EASIE PEASIE! *You do some subtraction* DONEE! MUM/TEACHER! I'M DONE!"
What your Mum/Teacher says:
"Good girl/boy!"
Your thoughts:
"Errrr... Whats rainfall in centimeters?"
My reply (I READ YOUR THOUGHTS!! XD):
(WARNING: VERY EXCITING! DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME! XD)
Rain gauges are thought to be the most ancient weather instruments, and there believed to be used in India more than 2000 years ago! A rain gauge is just a cylinder that catches rain. If an inch collects in the cylinder, it means an inch of rain has fallen. It's that simple! Most of the standard rain gauges have a wide funnel on the top leading into a beaker like tube that has measurements. Rainfall as low as .01 inches can be measured with this instrument!
In the more modern era, a common rain gauge is called the tipping bucket type. A bucket doesn't really tip—a pair of small receiving funnels alternate in the collection of the rain. When one fills up with water, it tips and spills out, and the other comes into place to do the collecting. These little funnels tip each time rainfall amounts to .01 inches. The tip triggers a signal that is transmitted and recorded.
So, what about snowfall? The gauges are heated, and when the snow falls into these heated gauges, it turns to water. Of course, snow is just frozen water.
Of course, these rain gauges have a problem when the temperature drops below freezing, so the standard versions are heated for the occasion.
This is what a rain gauge looks like:
The snow depth is deretmined the old-fashioned way-by measuring it.
The depth of snow is determined by taking an average of three of more spots, and sticking a ruler into the snow, and the depth is recorded. Because of blowing, the determination of three of more representive spots is not always easy. You may think there is a better way, but there really isn't.
What you reply:
"Wow! I never thought of that! I was always confused at this rainfall measuring thing!"
Me:
"It was easy, but I just learnt it now!"
Thank you for reading!
