Water in the atmosphere — precipitation, humidity, cloud properties, water vapour. This is the hydrological view of atmospheric moisture, complementing the meteorological view in Weather.
Scope
- Precipitation: Rainfall totals, snowfall amounts, mixed precipitation, gauge and radar data
- Humidity: Relative and absolute humidity, dew point
- Cloud properties: Cloud cover, liquid water content, cloud type
- Water vapour: Column-integrated water vapour, vertical profiles
- Evapotranspiration: Actual and potential ET as the return flux
Why This Exists Alongside Atmosphere Weather
Precipitation is simultaneously an atmospheric phenomenon and a hydrological input. The measurement of rainfall is Weather. The hydrological significance — how much water reaches the ground and enters the water cycle — lives here. Many precipitation datasets serve both purposes, so this twig enables discovery from the water cycle perspective.
Classical Theme Mappings
| Standard | Theme | Link |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 19115 | Climatology/Meteorology/Atmosphere | Atmosphere |