RAINFALL DOUBLE

MASS CURVE
 Syllabus - Unit 1
• Introduction to engineering hydrology and its applications,
Hydrologic cycle, types and forms of precipitation, rainfall
measurement, types of rain gauges, computation of average
rainfall over a basin, processing of rainfall data - Adjustment
of record -Rainfall Double Mass Curve. Runoff- Factors
affecting Runoff – Runoff over a Catchment- Empirical and
Rational Formulae.
• Abstraction from rainfall-evaporation, factors affecting
evaporation, measurement of evaporation-
Evapotranspiration- Penman and Blaney & Criddle Methods -
Infiltration, factors affecting infiltration, measurement of
infiltration, infiltration indices..
Test for consistency of record:
If the conditions relevant to the recording of a
raingauge station have undergone a significant
change during the period of record,
inconsistency would arise in the rainfall data
of that station.
 Test for consistency of record…
Some of the common causes for inconsistency
of record are:
I. Shifting of raingauge station to a new station.
II. The neighborhood of the station undergoing a
marked change
III. Change in ecosystem due to calamities, such as
forest fires, land slides etc.
IV. Occurrence of observational error from a certain
data.
Test for consistency of record…
• The checking for inconsistency of a record is
done by double mass curve technique.

• This technique is based on the principle that

when each recorded data comes from the
same parent population, they are consistent.

• A group of 5 to 10 base stations in the

neighborhood of the problem station X is
selected.
 Test for consistency of record…
• The data of the annual rainfall (or monthly
mean) of station X and also average rainfall for
the group of base stations covering a long
period is arranged in the reverse chronological
order (i.e., the latest record as the first entry
and the oldest record as the last entry in the
list)
 Test for consistency of record:
• The accumulated precipitation of the station X
(i.e., ∑Px) and the accumulated values of the
average of the group of base stations i.e., ∑Pav
are calculated starting from the latest record.

• Values of ∑Px are plotted against ∑Pav for

various consecutive time periods.
 Test for consistency of record….
A decided break in the slope of the resulting plot
indicates a change in precipitation regime of station
X. The precipitation values at station X beyond the
period of change of regime point in the fig is
corrected by using the relation
 Test for consistency of record…

Where Pcx = corrected precipitation at any time period t1 at

station X.
Px = Original recorded precipitation at time
period t1 at station X.
Mc = corrected slope of the double mass curve.
Ma = Original slope of the mass curve.

In this way the older records are brought up to the new

regime of the station.
 Test for consistency of record….
• It is apparent that the more homogeneous the
base station records are, the more accurate will
be the corrected values at station X.

• A change in slope is generally taken as significant

only where it persists for more than 5years.

• The double mass curve is also helpful in checking

arithmetical errors in transferring the rainfall data
from one record to another.
 Presentation of Rainfall Data
A few commonly used methods of presentation of
rainfall data which have been found to be useful in
interpretation and analysis of such data are given
below
 Presentation of Rainfall Data
• The mass curve of rainfall is a plot of the
accumulated precipitation against time, plotted in
chronological order.

• Mass curve of rainfall at a station is shown.

• Mass curves of rainfalls are very useful in

extracting the information on the duration and
magnitude of a storm.

• Also intensities at various time intervals in a

storm can be obtained by the slope of the curve.
 Hyetograph
• A hyetograph is a plot of intensity of rainfall
against the time interval. The hyetograph is
derived from the mass curve and is usually
represented as a bar chart.
Problem ( Double Mass curve)
The annual rainfall at station and the annual
rainfall at 18 surroundings stations are given
below. Check the consistency of the record at
station X and determine the year in which a
change in regimes has occurred. State how
you are going to adjust the records for change
in regime. Determine the average annual
rainfall for the period 1958-1970 for the
changed regime.
Problem ( Double Mass curve)…..
Year Annual Rainfall in cm Annual Rainfall at 18
stations average
1952 30.5 22.8
53 38.9 35.0
54 43.7 30.2
1955 32.2 27.4
56 27.4 25.2
57 32.0 28.2
58 49.3 36.1
59 28.4 18.4
1960 24.6 25.1
61 21.8 23.6
Problem ( Double Mass curve)…..
Year Annual Rainfall in cm Annual Rainfall at 18
stations average
62 28.2 33.3
63 17.3 23.4
64 22.3 36.0
1965 28.4 31.2
66 24.1 23.1
67 26.9 23.4
68 20.6 23.1
69 29.5 33.2
1970 28.4 26.4
 Problem ( Double Mass curve)….
Year Annual Rainfall cm Cum. av rainfall at X Annual Rainfall Cum. av
at 18 rainfall 18 –
Station av
1970 28.4 28.4 26.4 26.4
69 29.5 57.9 33.2 59.6
68 20.6 78.5 23.1 82.7
67 26.9 105.4 23.4 106.1
66 24.1 129.5 23.1 129.2
1965 28.4 157.9 31.2 160.4
64 22.3 180.0 36.0 196.4
63 17.3 197.5 23.4 219.8
62 28.2 225.7 33.4 253.1
61 21.8 242.5 33.3 276.7
1960 24.6 272.1 23.6 301.8
Year Annual Rainfall cm Cum. av rainfall at X Annual Rainfall Cum. av
at 18 rainfall 18 –
Station av
1959 28.4 300.5 18.4 320.2
58 49.3 349.8 36.1 356.3
57 32.0 381.8 28.2 384.5
56 27.4 409.2 25.2 409.5
1955 32.2 441.4 27.4 437.1
54 43.7 485.1 30.2 467.3
53 38.9 524.0 35.0 502.3
52 30.5 554.5 22.8 525.1

• Correction Ratio = Mc/Ma = c/a

Pcx = Px . Mc/Ma
Where Pcx = corrected precipitation at any time
period ti at station X
Problem ( Double Mass curve)…..
 Problem ( Double Mass curve)….
Px = original recorded precipitation at time period ti at station X.
Mc = corrected slope.
Ma = original slope of the mass curve.
Correction ratio = c/a = (516.25 – 350)/554.5 – 350) = 0.81295

Cumulative rainfall 1958-70 = 349.8 from the table corresponding to the year
1958

Cumulative rainfall (1952-1957 ) = diff of (554.5-349.8) X 0.8125

= 204.7 x 0.81295 = 166.4

Cumulative rainfall 1952-1970 ( 19 years)

( for the current environment) = sum of both = 166.4 + 349.8 = 516

AAR adjusted for the current regime = 516/19 = 27.16 cm