The relation of raindrop size to intensity of rainfall in different types of tropical rain using a simple raindrop recorder

Abstract

The paper give3 the results of studies of raindrop size characteristics in three other different types of tropical rain to what Sivaramakrishnan had earlier studied {1961), using the simple raindrop recorder. The study of raindropsize characteristics refers to analysis of raindrop samples taken at Poona in (1) typical shower types of rain without thunder (cumuliform clouds), (2) continuous type of rain with occasional thunder (cumuliform and stratiform clouds mixed) and (3) non freezing rain during typical monsoon from stratiform clouds. Regression equations connecting the intensity of rainfall with the various rainfall parameters such as median drop size Dn, liquid water content W, radar reflectivity Z have been developed and compared with findings of other investigators all over the world. Best's formula is found to represent the size distribution of raindrops in the tropics also but with suitable changes in the constants. It is also shown in agreement with results obtained earlier by Sivaramakrishnan (1961),Blanchard (1953), Best (1951), Atlas and Chmela (1957) and Spilhaus (1948) that the median drop diameter is the most suitable parameter for describing the average size of the drop size distribution in preference to other average size parameters such as mean diameter Dm, mode diameter Dd , mean volume diameter Dv and predominant diameter Dp.