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Monte Carlo simulation of small air-mass showers

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Abstract

The present model permits simulation of any geographic region and the symmetrical or random positioning of any number of rain gauges. The operator has the option of entering precipitation parameters: rain cell diameter, duration, rain swath length, vector angle, and precipitation amount for any number of discrete showers. In a series of computations the model generates (1) a random ‘first echo’ location and resulting rain swath, which is superimposed on a specific grid of rain gauges; (2) the number of rain gauge receiving a hit; and (3) the number of undetected rain events within an area.

By use of a portion of the Iowa climatological rain gauge network and parameters derived from radar and rain gauge observations the model shows that only 7% of single cell showers are detected by the existing sampling grid.

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Journal Paper No. J-10378 of the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station, Ames, IA 50011. Project 2449.

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Vaughan, H.C., White, G.R. & Carr, P.H. Monte Carlo simulation of small air-mass showers. PAGEOPH 120, 261–272 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00877036

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00877036

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