Disdrometer

A Distrometer (English Disdrometer ) is an invented by the Swiss Jürg Joss and Albert Waldvogel electronic device for measuring the rainfall and type in a specific place.

In contrast to analog systems, which consist essentially of a set up outdoors measuring cup, in which rainwater and melting to water snow collected, does a Distrometer as an automatic rain gauge ( ombrometer ), who not only about using the type of precipitation and the amount of which gives information. Furthermore measure Distrometer the precipitate continuously in time.

Principle of operation

The disdrometer consists externally of a 30 cm high metal cylinder whose upper deck surface is made of a measuring membrane to which falls to be measured precipitation. Each impinging raindrops transferred to this membrane a certain pulse which is substantially on its mass, and thus of its volume dependent. This pulse is converted to an electrical signal.

The disdrometer is therefore one of the down -falling onto the membrane surface raindrops and documented at the same time their size. The drops are classified in terms of their volume in so-called Distrometerklassen. From the information how many drops are fallen down which class, it's easy to rainfall calculated; is further documented to it negotiated what type of precipitation ( drizzle, rain, showers, thunderstorms, etc.) itself.

More modern Distrometer use as a measuring principle a laser beam which is interrupted by low- falling rain; each interrupt is counted and recorded.

As measurement results provide Distrometer usually graphs plotting the number of the respective raindrops on the x-axis Distrometerklassen and on the y-axis. Typically measured curves arise in the form of the gamma distribution.