A rain gauge is a simple meteorological instrument used to measure the amount of precipitation, chiefly rainfall, that falls at a given location over a given period of time, typically by collecting the water in a graduated, calibrated container of known collecting area and reading or recording the resulting depth of accumulated water. Devices for measuring rainfall have ancient origins, with early recorded rain-measuring instruments used in ancient India and later in Korea, where the official Cheugugi rain gauge was introduced in 1441 under King Sejong to standardize agricultural and administrative rainfall records across the kingdom, among the earliest standardized rain gauge networks known. Modern rain gauges range from simple manual collection cylinders to automated tipping-bucket and weighing designs that record rainfall continuously, and the instrument remains a foundational tool of meteorology, hydrology, agriculture and water resource management, providing the ground-truth precipitation data against which weather forecasts, climate records and radar-based rainfall estimates are calibrated.
Facts
Invented YearRainfall measurement is recorded as far back as 400-500 BCE in India and Greece; the Song Chinese mathematician Qin Jiushao is credited with a specific standardized instrument, the Tianchi basin gauge, in 1247. Measuresthe depth of liquid precipitation collected over a set period in a predefined area 1 Operating PrincipleA funnel of known collecting area channels falling rain into a graduated container or tipping-bucket mechanism, so the volume collected converts directly to a depth of rainfall over that area. 1 Resolutionolder gauges were read in points, where one point equals 0.254 mm (0.01 inch) 1 Classification
Instrument ClassMeasurement or Metrology Instrument 1 Connections
Used In
Climatology, Disciplines The rain gauge measures accumulated precipitation and is the basic instrument behind long-run precipitation records used in climatology.
Sources
1. Rain Gauge (Wikipedia)
WikipediaWikipedia, Rain gauge article, History section, describing Qin Jiushao
In 1247, the Song Chinese mathematician and inventor Qin Jiushao invented Tianchi basin rain and snow gauges to reference rain, and snowfall measurements, as well as other forms of meteorological data.
Wikipedia, Rain gauge article, lead section, second sentence
It is used to determine the depth of precipitation (usually in mm) that occurs over a unit area and measure rainfall amount.
Wikipedia, Rain gauge article, lead section, first sentence
A rain gauge (also known as udometer, ombrometer, pluviometer and hyetometer) is an instrument used by meteorologists and hydrologists to gather and measure the amount of liquid precipitation in a predefined area, over a set period of time.
Wikipedia, Rain gauge article, describing point units, National coverage section
Previously rain was recorded as inches or points, where one point is equal to 0.254 mm or 0.01 of an inch.
Lede, instrument class
A rain gauge is a simple meteorological instrument used to measure the amount of precipitation, chiefly rainfall, that falls at a given location over a given period of time, typically by collecting the water in a graduated, calibrated container of known collecting area and reading or recording the resulting depth of accumulated water.
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