HYDROLOGY

Section

Second Term, Final Year

B.E. Civil Engineering
by
Dr.Kanya Lal Khatri
Topics

Illustration of various types of rain-

gauges.

Advantaged and disadvantages of

various types of gauges.
 Types of Rain-Gauges
Following are the main types of rain-gauges used for
measurement of rainfall.

Non-automatic / Non-recording Rain-gauge

Symon’s Rain-gauge
Automatic / Recording Rain-gauge
Weighing Bucket Rain-gauge
Tipping Bucket Rain-gauge
Float type Rain-gauge
Non-automatic (Non-recording) Rain-gauge

 These are called non-recording rain gauges because they do

not record the rain but only collect the rain.

 The collected rain is then measured by means of graduated

cylinders so as to directly represent the rainfall volume in cm of
water depth, i.e.
Volume of water collected in cm 3
Depth of rain water in cm =
Area of aperatureof the guage in cm 2

Note: The amount of precipitation/rainfall is expressed as the

depth in cm or inches.
Symon’s Rain-gauge
Most common type of non-automatic rain-gauge.

Consists of cylindrical vessel 127 mm (5”) dia with a

base enlarged to 210 mm (8”) dia.

The top section is a funnel provided with circular

brass rim exactly 127 mm (5”) internal dia.

The funnel shank is inserted in the neck of receiving

bottle which is 75 to 100 mm (3 to 4”) dia.

Capacity of bottle is 75 to 100 mm of rainfall.

 The rain-gauge is placed in concrete block

60cm×60cm×60cm (2’×2’×2’).

The rim should be 305 mm (12”) above the ground

surface.

Water contained in the bottle is measured by suitably

graduated measuring glass, with an accuracy up to
0.1 mm.

During a heavy rainfall, the rain should be measured

3 or 4 times in a day.
Automatic (Recording) Rain-gauge
 Gauges which can give permanent and automatic
rainfall record without any bottle reading.

 Man has not to go to the gauge to measure the

amount of rain fallen.

 There is mechanical arrangement by which the total

amount of rain fallen, since the record was started,
gets recorded automatically.

 The gauge thus produces a record of cumulative rain

vs. time in the form of graph known as Mass Curve
of rain fallen.
Measurement of rainfall by an
Automatic (Recording) Rain-gauge
In general, automatic rain-gauge consists of
rotating drum with a graph paper fixed around it.

There is pen in contact with graph paper, which

moves up with the collected rain, and thus
recording cumulative rain, with the passage of time.

These are of three types

1. Weighing Bucket Rain-gauge
2. Tipping Bucket Rain-gauge
3. Float Type Rain-gauge
 1.Weighing Bucket Rain-gauge
 Consists of a receiver
bucket supported by a
spring or lever balance
or any other weighing
mechanism.

 The movement of
bucket due to its
increasing weight is
transmitted to a pen
which traces the
record on a clock
driven chart.
 2.Tipping Bucket Rain-gauge
Consists of 30 cm dia sharp edge
receiver.

At the end of receiver funnel is

provided.

Under the funnel a pair of buckets are

pivoted (the central point which
balances) in such away that when one
bucket receives 0.25 mm (0.01”) of
rainfall it tips (to fall or turn over),
discharging its contents into reservoir
bringing other bucket under funnel.

Tipping of bucket completes an electric

circuit causing the movement of pen
to mark on clock driven revolving drum
which carries a record sheet.
 3.Float Type Rain-gauge
 Working is similar to weighing gauge
bucket.

 Funnel receives the rain water which

is collected in rectangular container.

 Float is provided at the bottom of

container.

 Float is raised as the water level

rises in the container.

 Movement of float is being recorded

by a pen moving on recording drum
actuated by clock work.

 When the water level in the

container rises so that float touches
the top, the siphon comes into
operation, and release the water;
thus all the water in the box is
drained out.
Advantages of Recording Gauge over the
Non-recording Gauge.
 In recording gauge rainfall is recorded automatically
& therefore, there is no necessity of any attendant.

 Recording rain-gauge gives the intensity of rainfall @

any time while the non-recording gauge gives the
total rainfall in any particular interval of time.

 As no attendant is required such rain-gauge can be

installed in far–off places also.

 Possibility of human error is obviated.

Disadvantages of Recording Gauge over
the Non-recording Gauge.

 It is costly in comparison with non-

recording gauge.

 Fault may be developed in electrical or

mechanical mechanism or recording the
rainfall.