Rainfall Amount, Intensity, Duration, and Frequency Relationships in the Mae Chaem Watershed in Southeast Asia

Abstract

A dense tipping-bucket rain gauge network was established in the Mae Chaem watershed in the mountains of northwestern Thailand as part of the Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment (GEWEX) Asian Monsoon Experiment-Tropics (GAME-T). Investigations of rainfall amounts, intensities, durations, and frequencies in the rainy season revealed strong orographic rainfall enhancement in the region. The larger amount of high-altitude rainfall was attributed to duration and frequency rather than intensity. Despite large rainfall variations, similar patterns were found in the two study years, 1998 and 1999.