Understanding complexity in the structure of rainfall

Balaji Rajagopalan
David G. Tarboton, Utah State University

Abstract

This paper aims at understanding the structure of high resolution storm rainfall rates. Scale invariance property has been observed from the distribution function. Departures from simple scaling (i.e., multiscaling) have been noted, suggesting a cascade phenomenon. Close agreement of theoretical and estimated singularity spectra indicates the plausibility of modeling rainfall process by random cascades. Connections between multiscaling and the singularity spectrum have been identified.