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Analysis of rainfall in Pinheiro, Maranhão, Brazil: comparison between official data and measurements with a conventional rain gauge
Organization(s):UFMA - UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO MARANHÃO
Country:Brazil
Student(s):Anderson Diego da Silva Araújo, Sérgio Serra Silva, Emanuele Silva Costa, Mateus Gama Ribeiro, Efraim Ribeiro Correia, Laura Helenna Castro Ribeiro, Bruna Pereira Maia Silva, Henrique de Jesus Santos Feitosa
Grade Level:Undergraduate
GLOBE Member(s):Adilson Matheus Borges Machado, Yllana Marinho
Contributors:Ana Maria Bender Seidenfuss das Neves, Aslei Andrade da Silva, Aline Bessa Veloso, Joel Artur Rodrigues Dias, Yllana Ferreira Marinho, Denise Rodrigues Santiago, Hilton Costa Louzeiro, Adilson Matheus Borges Machado
Report Type(s):Virtual Science Symposium Report
Protocols:Precipitation
Presentation Poster:
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Language(s):English
Date Submitted:2026-01-30
Rainfall is a climatic variable that plays a key role in understanding hydrological and environmental processes at the global scale. The analysis of historical precipitation time series is essential for identifying climate patterns, assessing the occurrence of extreme events, and supporting territorial planning and water resources management. The use of consistent observational and in situ data is indispensable for understanding climate dynamics and for validating predictive models. However, in Brazil, the low density of official meteorological stations limits the adequate representation of spatial and temporal precipitation variability. Therefore, this study analyzed precipitation variability in the municipality of Pinheiro, Maranhão, by comparing data obtained from a conventional rain gauge with records from automatic stations. Data were collected using an Incoterm 150 mm rain gauge installed at the Federal University of Maranhão, Pinheiro Campus. These data were compared with records from automatic stations operated by the National Water and Basic Sanitation Agency (ANA) to generate precipitation time series for the period from January to August 2025, following the protocols of the GLOBE Program. The results showed high daily precipitation variability, with an approximate mean of 9.1 mm day⁻¹, characterized by dry days interspersed with high-intensity rainfall events. The results also indicated greater agreement between the conventional rain gauge and the automatic stations.