Thiessen Method Example

Q. In the following figure a hypothetical basin and precipittaion depths measured by gages in this basin are given.
Calculate the areal average precipitation using Average Method and Thiessen Method.

Average Method

∑ 𝑃 𝑃𝐴 + 𝑃𝐵 + 𝑃𝐶 + 𝑃𝐷 20 + 8 + 14 + 12
𝑃𝑎𝑣𝑒 = = = = 14 𝑚𝑚
𝑁𝑝 4 4

Thiessen Method
First connect all of the measurement points, crosses in the figure are measurement points and they have been
connected with dashed lines. Second, perpendicularly bisect each of the “connecting” lines and extend the
bisecting lines until the either intersect the watershed boundary or another bisecting line.

∑ 𝑃𝐴 𝑃𝐴 𝐴𝐴 + 𝑃𝐵 𝐴𝐵 + 𝑃𝐶 𝐴𝐶 + 𝑃𝐷 𝐴𝐷 + 𝑃𝐸 𝐴𝐸 + 𝑃𝐹 𝐴𝐹
𝑃𝑎𝑣𝑒 = =
∑𝐴 𝐴𝐴 + 𝐴𝐵 + 𝐴𝐶 + 𝐴𝐷 + 𝐴𝐸 + 𝐴𝐹

(20𝑚𝑚)(0,5𝑘𝑚)(0,15𝑘𝑚) + (8𝑚𝑚)(0,5𝑘𝑚)(0,2𝑘𝑚) + (14𝑚𝑚)(0,7𝑘𝑚)(0,15𝑘𝑚)

𝑃𝑎𝑣𝑒 = +⋯
(0,5𝑘𝑚)(0,15𝑘𝑚) + (0,5𝑘𝑚)(0,2𝑘𝑚) + (0,7𝑘𝑚)(0,15𝑘𝑚)

(12𝑚𝑚)(0,7𝑘𝑚)(0,2𝑘𝑚) + (16𝑚𝑚)(0,5𝑘𝑚)(0,05𝑘𝑚) + (10𝑚𝑚)(0,7𝑘𝑚)(0,05𝑘𝑚)

… = 12,91 𝑚𝑚
(0,7𝑘𝑚)(0,2𝑘𝑚) + (0,5𝑘𝑚)(0,05𝑘𝑚) + (0,7𝑘𝑚)(0,05𝑘𝑚)