Rainfall in the Andean Paramo: New Insights from High-Resolution Monitoring in Southern Ecuador Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • Abstract In mountainous regions, rainfall plays a key role in water supply for millions of people. However, rainfall data for these sites are limited and generally of low quality, making it difficult to evaluate the nature, amount, and timing of rainfall. This is particularly true for the pramo, a high-elevation grassland in the northern Andes that is a primary source of water for large populations in Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela. In this study, high-resolution laser disdrometer data and standard tipping-bucket rain gauge data were used to improve knowledge of rainfall in the pramo. For 36 months, rainfall was monitored in a high-elevation (3780 m MSL) headwater catchment in southern Ecuador. Average annual rainfall during this period was 1345 mm. Results indicate that (i) when input from very lowintensity events (drizzle) is taken into account, rainfall is 15% higher than previously thought; (ii) rainfall occurs throughout the year (only approximately 12% of the days are dry); (iii) rainfall occurs primarily as drizzle (80% of rainfall duration), which accounts for 29% of total rainfall amount; and (iv) the timing and average intensity of rainfall varies throughout the year (shorter afternoon events are common from October to May, whereas longer night eventswith lower intensitiesare more frequent from June to September). Although some of these numbers may vary regionally, the results contribute to a better understanding of rainfall in the wet Andean pramo.

published proceedings

  • JOURNAL OF HYDROMETEOROLOGY

altmetric score

  • 1

author list (cited authors)

  • Padron, R. S., Wilcox, B. P., Crespo, P., & Celleri, R.

citation count

  • 75

complete list of authors

  • Padron, Ryan S||Wilcox, Bradford P||Crespo, Patricio||Celleri, Rolando

publication date

  • June 2015