Version 2 of the Rainfall Intensity software is now available! It corrects many of the "bugs" reported in the previous version.

Rainfall Intensity Home
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USER'S MANUAL

REQUIRED DATABASES

Create a "rainfall" database

Create a "rainfall_stats" database

Set each database as a System DSN to allow connection to the RAIN software

RAINSTART

Open the RAIN software

Log On to RAIN software programs

RAINDIGITIZER

Getting Started - Things to Do Before You Begin Digitizing

Log On

Link to your "rainfall" database

Digitize a strip chart and save as an x,y ascii file on your hard drive

QC the digitized strip charts

Load digitized ascii file(s) to your "rainfall" database

Convert digitized ascii file(s) to meaningful rainfall data (time-depth series) and store in your "rainfall" database

RAINPLOT

Select a dataset (select data to analyze)

Quality control the selected data (view raw rainfall data)

Analyze the selected data using predictive statistical curve fits (includes IDF analysis)

Create a report (automated reports showing various results)

Show monthly and seasonal summaries

Display data on map using RAINMAP

Edit hydrologic default settings (customize program settings such as "months that comprise a water year" and others)

RAINSHARE

Log On

Edit, add, or delete data in your "rainfall" database

Export or import your "rainfall" database

Instructions for RAINPLOT

Below are step-by-step instructions for using the RAINPLOT program. The instructions are divided into the following sections:

Select a Dataset

Quality Control the Selected Dataset

Analyze the Selected Dataset

Create a Report

Show Monthly and Seasonal Rainfall Summaries

Display Data on Map Using RAINMAP

Edit Hydrologic Default Settings (Customize the Program Settings)

PART 1

The

1. First confirm that you have a database called Rainfall_Stats on your hard drive. Details about the database are provided in the section titled 'Rainfall_Stats Database'. This database is provided on the loader CD and on this website, and must exist on your hard drive in order to use RAINPLOT. The purpose of this database is to hold statistical summaries of queried rainfall intensities for analyses and reports generated in RAINPLOT.

2. Next set this database as a System DSN as described in the section titled 'Set Your Database as a System DSN'.

You are now ready to retrieve a set of rainfall-intensity data (time-depths) from the Chart table of your Raindigitizer database. This dataset will be used to generate statistical analyses and automated reports and plots as described below.

3. Double click the 'Rain Start' icon on your desktop. The following start up screen will appear.

5. Click on the RainPlot button. The main menu for the RAINPLOT program will appear as shown below. The main menu of RAINPLOT contains five buttons that activate the major features of the program: Select a Dataset, Quality Control a Dataset, Analyze a Dataset, Create Reports, and View Map (not yet activated).

In addition, the main menu contains five additional buttons across the bottom of the screen. These allow you to define default settings in RAINPLOT ('Edit Hydrologic Default Settings'), link to the EXACT Rainfall Intensity Website, link to the UCF website, link to on-line Help, and exit from RAINPLOT.

6. First you must retrieve a dataset. Click 'Select a Dataset'. The following pop-up window will appear. You will select a dataset using a series of screen prompts. First, you must connect to a Rainfall_Stats database of your choice. This database will temporarily hold statistical summaries of your retrieved dataset, and is rewritten each time you select a new dataset. Typically, this database will remain the default Rainfall_Stats database, and you will not need to redefine it each time you enter this screen.

Next, select the source of the rainfall intensity data by connecting to a Rainfall Intensity database of your choice. Use the pull down menu to make your choice. Note: Only databases that have been set as a System DSN will appear in the list.

Next, select the Core Party, Agency, and Gage Station from which data will be retrieved. Next, select the type of data that will be retrieved (chart recorder, manual gage, data logger), and indicate whether to retrieve 'All data' from the station or to retrieve only data for a selected instrument at that station. If 'Use All Instruments at Station' is selected, a popup window as shown below will appear that provides the list of instruments from which data will be retrieved.

Click OK. As shown below, this will display the range of data that are ready to be retrieved.

You may select a particular 'Start Date' and 'End Date' if you wish to retrieve only a subset of these data. Otherwise, click 'Retrieve Dataset'.

After a few moments, a message box will appear with the following statement: "Data has been retrieved and loaded into a temporary database called Rainfall_Stats. The data is now ready to be analyzed - click OK to continue." The data that have been retrieved will be used to perform analyses and create reports in RAINPLOT. Click OK to return to the main RAINPLOT menu.

7. Next, you may Quality Control the dataset by clicking 'Quality Control Data'. The following screen will appear.

The 'View Quality Control Report' button is not yet activated. Click 'View Raw Data as Storm Events' to display a large spreadsheet that contains the raw rainfall data separated as individual storms. These data will appear in the following format:

instrument / start date & time / end date & time / depth (mm) / intensity (mm/hr) / duration (min) / cummulative depth / cummulattive duration

Note: Data with potential quality control issues are highlighted in red.

The storm number and segment appear in the far left column in grey; for example, 1:5 represents the first storm in the dataset and the fifth interval (intensity change) within the storm.

Data in this spreadsheet may be viewed and arranged in a number of ways.

'Go to Storm': Use the drop down list to view a specific storm date. The spreadsheet will automatically move to the selected storm date.

'Show Storm Plots': Click the 'Show Storm Plots' button to display a depth (as volume) vs duration graph and its corresponding data, including the maximum intensity values for various durations and the storm erosivity. An example of this display is shown below.

'Plot Date Range': A subset of data may be plotted by highlighting a number of rows in the spreadsheet and then clicking 'Plot Date Range'. Depth (as volume) vs time is shown on the graph.

'Sort on Current Column': The spreadsheet may be sorted on a particular column by clicking on the column and then clicking 'Sort on Current Column'.

'Show 24 Hr Volumes': Daily rainfall values, as computed from the digitized strip charts, may be viewed by clicking the 'Show 24 Hr Volumes' button. These values may then be compared to daily values measured manually with totalizing containers.

Click 'Done' to return to exit the Daily Summary window, then click 'Return to Main Menu' to return to the main RAINPLOT menu.

Once the data have been quality controlled, you are ready to perform statistical analyses on the dataset.

7. Click 'Analyze Dataset' on the main menu to begin. As shown below, this will display the maximum intensities for given durations for the dataset. For complete instructions on analyzing a dataset refer to the section titled 'Statistical Analysis of a Dataset'.

You may define the durations by clicking the 'Select Durations' button in the bottom left corner of the window.

Clicking 'Select Durations' will display the following window. You may add additional durations for viewing and analysis ('Add New Durations') or you may delete the durations that currently exist ('Delete Durations'). To edit an existing duration simply make the change in the spreadsheet and click 'Save Durations'.

Note that a user-defined "Cutoff" value is associated with each duration. As discussed below, this value is used if 'Partial Series Using Cutoffs' is selected in the main 'Analyze Data' window for retrieving data maxima. It is the rainfall intensity value below which data will be discarded from analysis for the given duration.

You may sort and retrieve data maxima by one of three methods, depending on your analysis or research objectives:

Annual Series: The highest intensity that occurs during the water year for the given duration. Only one value per water year is used. Annual Series is used as the default.

Partial Series Using Cutoffs: All data that meet the user-defined cutoff criteria are used. For example, all intensities (multiple occurences are possible within a single year and within a single storm, and all are used) that exceed a given intensity threshold for a given duration are used.

Partial Series Using Number of Points: The highest intensities are used, regardless of which water year in which they occur. The number of intensities that are used is defined by the user.

The retrieved datasets may be viewed using the standard duration view ('Duration View') or a database view ('Database View'). Also, the spreadsheet may be sorted on a particular column by clicking on the column and then clicking 'Sort on Column'.

Once the maximum intensities have been retrieved and populated into the spreadsheet, they may be fitted to theoretical probability distributions. Two type of analyses are possible:

Analyze Intensities for a Single Duration ('Analyze Column'): Click on a column that corresponds to a duration of interest and then click 'Analyze Column'. As shown below, the maximum intensities for that duration are displayed in a pop up spreadsheet and graphed according to the user-defined plotting position and user-defined statistical distribution.

A number of statistical distribution types are available.

A number of plotting positions are available.

Various distribution types and plotting positions may be tested in order to arrive at a "best fit", and various curve-fit statistics are provided in the lower left corner of the screen.

Analyze Intensities for All Displayed Durations ('Analyze All'): Click on 'Analyze All'. The predicted maximum intensities for each duration and return period are displayed in the window. The displayed values are predicted on the basis of the user-defined statistical distribution type and the user-defined curve fit.

A number of statistical distribution types are available.

A number of plotting positions are available.

Click 'Display Plot' to show a graph of the data.

Click 'Display Report' to view a report from your web browser. This report may be printed and includes both the plot and a summary spreadsheet.

Click 'Display IDF Curve' to view a report-quality intensity-duration-frequency curve for the dataset. Note: The exact duration and intensity values may be determined for any point on the curve(s) by moving the mouse pointer over the point; the corresponding values will be displayed in the top area of the window.

8. To create automated HTML reports in RAINPLOT click 'Create Report' from the main RAINPLOT menu. The following window will appear. Click on an individual report button to activate that report. For complete instructions on creating reports refer to the section titled 'Create Report'