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Rainfall and Flooding Classroom Guide: Discovery Level

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GLOBE – International Science and Education programme sponsored by NASA (US):

30 years old in 2025
Network of students, teachers & researchers
Earth-based monitoring/Citizen-science
3 Main goals:

Increase environmental awareness
Promote science literacy
Learn more about Earth and Earth systems

Supports teachers (Training, Resources, Technology)

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GLOBE NASA Protocols

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GLOBE Ireland

Started in 2017
We now have a network of over 1,000 teachers across Ireland
Run 5 campaigns every year

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Campaign Overview

Measure rainfall daily from 13^th Jan – 7^th Feb
Measure pH of rainfall
Compare your results with schools across Ireland and Eurasia
Join our Expert Webinar on 21^st Jan to listen to rainfall and climate professionals!

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What is the Atmosphere?

Extremely thin sheet of air extending ~ 300 miles from Earth’s surface to edge of space.
The water in the atmosphere influences the weather on Earth.
The composition of the atmosphere has changed over time
Precipitation and temperature in any given region vary over time.

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What is precipitation?

Rainfall is a form of precipitation – the other types are hailstones, sleet and snow.
Precipitation is any liquid or frozen water that forms in the atmosphere and falls to Earth.
It is one of the three main steps of the global water cycle.

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The Water Cycle

Earth has been recycling water for over 4 billion years – the world’s water moves between lakes, rivers, oceans, the atmosphere and the land in an ongoing cycle

Water can take the form of a liquid, a gas, or a solid

Through this process, energy and chemicals are transported from place to place shaping our climate, giving us storms, and putting salt in our oceans and seas.

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Did you know

that when you drink a glass of water, you are drinking the same water that wooly mammoths, Egyptian pharaohs and the first humans drank?

Earth has been recycling water for over 4 billion years through the water cycle.

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Why is it important to record rainfall?

Water is essential to life on Earth.

Precipitation varies greatly from place to place.

Measuring and mapping precipitation helps us understand weather, climate and ecological systems.

Earth based measurements of precipitation assist the NASA Global Precipitation Measurement program by providing local data.

The Global Precipitation Measurement program aids in understanding water-borne diseases, weather forecasting, and freshwater availability.

Precipitation affects our daily lives.

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Your measurements can help NASA scientists predict:

The seasonal variation in precipitation

Wet or dry years for our location

The pH of rainfall and how it varies

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Collecting Precipitation Data

What do you need?

Where to install your rain gauge?

Rain gauge and screws (will be posted to you in GLOBE Rainfall and Flooding Equipment Pack)
Screwdriver/ drill OR cable ties (provided) OR duct tape (to attach rain gauge)

Ideally in open areas, far from obstacles
In developed areas, put it as far from obstacles as they are high
Do not put the gauge near houses, fences, sprinkling systems, steep slopes, animal habitats or underneath any structure
Put the gauge equidistant between trees

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Installing your rain gauge

Use a drill/ screwdriver to screw your rain gauge to a fence/ post approximately 1 metre tall

OR

Use cable ties or duct tape to attach your rain gauge to a post/ fence

**Make sure that your rain gauge is level – you could use a carpenter’s level across the top to check**

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Installing your rain gauge with duct tape and cable ties

Note about this year’s rain gauges:

We have opted for a higher quality of rain gauge this year but that also means they are slightly different to install. If you screw them in, as per the above picture, it is relatively straightforward.

However, the screws also keep the rain gauge holder together as well as attaching it to the fence, as the holder comes in three different pieces. This means that if you do not have access to a drill/ screwdriver or if you do not have an appropriate fence to attach it to, you will need to put the holder together with duct tape before attaching it to your chosen location using cable ties.

This is a slightly messy job and means that it is slightly more difficult to life the rain gauge in and out of the holder. However, it is doable although it doesn’t look the neatest! Take a look at our examples above and whatever way you choose to secure your rain gauge (you may need to get creative) please ensure that it is still in an appropriate location and that it is level!

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How to read your rain gauge

Read your rain gauge at a similar time each day, preferably within one hour of solar noon (11am-1pm)
Read water level using the bottom meniscus
Record the rainfall amount to the nearest 0.1 of a millimetre
If there is less than 0.5mm, record T for trace
If you spill any water before measuring, report M for missing
If there is no water in the gauge, record 0.0mm (these recordings are just as important!!)

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To note:

Check the rain gauge daily even if it did not rain (in case debris gets caught in the gauge)
Solid precipitation (such as snow) must be thawed before taking a reading
Do not forget to empty the rain gauge after every reading!!
Take note of the number of days rain has accumulated in the gauge – e.g. on Monday it would be 3 days (Sat, Sun, Mon)

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How to install and read your rain gauge

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What if the measuring tube overflows?

Measuring tube

Overflow tube

Once recorded, pour the water from the measuring tube out
Pour water from the overflow tube into the measuring tube and record amount
If there is still more water in the overflow tube, repeat these steps until the overflow tube is empty and calculate the total amount of rainfall by adding the measurements.

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How much is a lot of rain?

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Collecting pH Data

What do you need?

pH strips
Sampling jar (or any clean jar)

How to take a pH measurement:

Pour the rainwater from your gauge into a sampling jar and cover it while you bring it inside
Once inside, dip a pH strip into your water sample and hold for two seconds
Take your test strip out of the water and compare with the colour chart
The chart will correlate colours with pH levels – record the pH of the colour that best matches your strip. This is your pH!

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When to collect pH data

We will provide 8 pH strips in the equipment pack

Record the pH of your rainwater sample twice a week

However, you will need at least 30ml of rain to take a pH sample – so some weeks, when there is little or no rainfall, you will not have to submit any pH data!

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Submitting your data to GLOBE

You have the option to record your data in two ways:

The GLOBE Observer App

The GLOBE website

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Recording Data on the GLOBE website

Follow this link to the GLOBE website or go to www.globe.gov
Sign in, then select GLOBE data from the headings
Select Data Entry – New Desktop Forms
Select Create/Edit my sites, and then select add sites – you will only need to do this the first time you enter your rainfall data
Fill out the name, latitude, longitude and altitude of your designated rain gauge site and then select Save Site

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Select New Observation(s). Then click Atmosphere, select Precipitation and click Continue.
Select your newly created site
Record the date and time of your observation, and then enter your recorded rainfall levels
NOTE: “Days accumulated” refers to how many days since you last checked and emptied the rain gauge (On Monday, if you haven’t checked since Friday it would be 3 – Sat, Sun, Mon)
Then select Send Observations and you are a citizen scientist! Repeat daily for the duration of the monitoring period.

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Recording data on the GLOBE Observer App

Sign in to the App with your GLOBE account information. Select Data Entry
Follow the steps outlined in the previous section

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Highest rainfall totals ever recorded in Ireland

Highest hourly total: 52.2mm at Clonroche, Co. Wexford on 27th June 1986
Highest daily measurement for January: 115.3 mm�Kerry (Lauragh GS), 27th 1954
Highest monthly measurement for January: 711.2 mm Kerry (Ballagh-beame Gap)1990
Lowest monthly measurement for January 7.5 mm Dublin (Lusk) 1950�

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January 30 Year Monthly Rainfall Per Location Average (1991-2020): Are your results higher or lower?

Location	Mean monthly rainfall (mm)	Mean daily total (mm)
Dublin airport monitor Co.Dublin	61.8	27.1
Cork airport Co. Cork	131.3	39.3
Belmullet Co. Mayo	136.9	44.3
Casement Co. Kerry	65	30
Kilkenny Co. Kilkenny	78.3	25.2
Malin Head Co. Donegal	118.9	28.4
Mullingar Co. Westmeath	91.7	30.3
Shannon Airport Co. Clare	103.8	38.2
Valentina, Island off coast of Kerry	187	41.6

Click here to read more: 30 Year Averages - Met Éireann - The Irish Meteorological Service

Met Éireann Climatologist and Project Lead, Mary Curley, said:

“The publication of Ireland’s most recent climate averages allows us to assess how Ireland’s current climate compares to the previous 30-year period. We know that the atmosphere is warming and what we’re seeing at the local and national scale fits the international picture.

Importantly, the data provides information about typical climate conditions for a particular location and is a crucial benchmark for weather and climate conditions. This serves as an important resource for Government and relevant stakeholders to enable informed decision making to benefit society.”

She added: “While these averages give us an up-to-date baseline to compare our current and future weather to, it’s important to remember that weather patterns can vary significantly from year to year.”

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Why is it important to record and understand rainfall levels?

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THANK YOU!

Presenter name

Your Role

GLOBE Ireland

Your phone number

Your email address

globe@eeu.antaisce.org