Apparent geographic and atmospheric influences on raindrop sizes and rainfall kinetic energy. McIsaac, G. Journal of Soil & Water Conservation, 1990.
Apparent geographic and atmospheric influences on raindrop sizes and rainfall kinetic energy. [pdf]Paper  abstract   bibtex   
Rainfall kinetic energy was calculated from average drop size distributions measured at Coweeta and five other locations. Median raindrop diameters in North Carolina, New Jersey, and the Marshall Islands tended to be less than those observed in Panama, Indonesia, Washington, D.C., and Zimbabwe. Calculated rainfall kinetic energies for New Jersey, the Marshall Islands, and North Carolina ranged from 5% to 28% less than that predicted by the universal soil loss equation rainfall energy term. Increasing the rainfall energy estimate by 7% for each 1,000 m (3,280 feet) of elevation above sea level is suggested to account for increased raindrop velocity under reduced atmospheric pressure. Additional research is recommended for geographic effects on raindrop sizes and raindrop detachment of soil.

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