Exploring complexity in the structure of rainfall Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • The enormous complexity embedded in the rainfall structure is studied through the analysis of data sets of different characteristics. It is shown that despite the highly fluctuating character of precipitation, there exists an organizing structure hidden in the irregular patterns. The presence of self-similarity in the time senses of storm is discussed, as well as the fractal dimension which characterizes the irregularity of the process. Rainfall data from a highly sensitive raingauge provides some evidence regarding the existence of deterministic chaos in the fine structure of storm rainfall. The dynamics appears to be characterized by a strange attractor with a correlation dimension of less than 4. 1991.

published proceedings

  • Advances in Water Resources

author list (cited authors)

  • Rodrguez-Iturbe, I.

citation count

  • 12

complete list of authors

  • Rodríguez-Iturbe, Ignacio

publication date

  • August 1991