Conditions of Use

All maps, data, graphs, and narrative material available on this web site are subject to the following conditions.

Images. All color and isohyet rainfall map images presented here are available for reproduction and distribution. The map source must be included in any reproduction.

Gridded Map and Tabular Data. All gridded and tabular data and all other data presented here are available for reproduction and distribution for non-commercial use. The data source must be prominently stated whenever presenting these data in any form or any product derived in whole or part from these data.

Crediting the Source. Any reproduction or use of the images, maps, graphs, data, other information, or any product derived in whole or part from these data must credit the source in the following manner:

Giambelluca, T.W., Q. Chen, A.G. Frazier, J.P. Price, Y.-L. Chen, P.-S. Chu, J.K. Eischeid, and D.M. Delparte, 2013: Online Rainfall Atlas of Hawai‘i. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc. 94, 313-316, doi: 10.1175/BAMS-D-11-00228.1.

Sponsors of the 2011 Rainfall Atlas of Hawaiʻi. The 2011 Rainfall Atlas of Hawai‘i was developed under an agreement between the State of Hawaiʻi Commission on Water Resource Management and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Honolulu District under Section 22 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1974.

No Warranty. We have made every effort to make all images, maps, graphs, data, and other information provided on this web site accurate and error-free. However, we do not guarantee the accuracy of any images, maps, graphs, data, or other information. All content is provided without warranty of any kind.

Tutorial

Please download the tutorial in PDF format.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I cite material from this website?

Please cite any products used from this website (including screen shots, copied data, saved graphs, downloaded products, and text) as follows:

Giambelluca, T.W., Q. Chen, A.G. Frazier, J.P. Price, Y.-L. Chen, P.-S. Chu, J.K. Eischeid, and D.M. Delparte, 2013: Online Rainfall Atlas of Hawai‘i. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc. 94, 313-316, doi: 10.1175/BAMS-D-11-00228.1.

Complete information can be found in the Conditions of Use.

How were these maps made?

Please see the Methods tab for complete details on how these maps were created.

Why is the map value at a station different from the station value?

In producing the mean monthly and annual rainfall maps, we relied heavily on the raingage data as the primary source of information. However, we also used other sources, including radar rainfall estimates, MM5 model rainfall estimates, and the PRISM rainfall map. We also interpolated the raingage data in a way that prevented sharp discontinuities. As a result, the mapped value can, and usually does, differ from the station value. This reflects the best estimate of the mean for the location incorporating all available evidence. Please see Methods page for complete details.

Why didn’t we use all of the raingage stations?

We started the analysis by assembling all the rainfall data we could find for Hawai‘i. We attempted to fill gaps for as many stations as possible. We tested the estimates used to fill the gaps, and also tested the data for homogeneity. During the mapping process for a given month, some station means were found to be unreasonable in comparison with the means of nearby stations. As a result of these procedures, many stations were rejected because of their short or spotty records, our inability to gap fill them satisfactorily, or because of evidence of poor or inconsistent data quality. Please see Methods page for complete details.

What do we mean by Uncertainty?

The station and map means of monthly and annual rainfall represent our best estimates of the 30-year base period 1978-2007. However, for many reasons it is not possible to determine the exact value of mean rainfall for any location, even at the stations. The uncertainty value that we provide can be interpreted as a plus-or-minus range around the estimated mean, in the same units as the mean. For example, if a station has an estimated mean annual rainfall of 3317 mm (130.6 inches) and an uncertainty of 128 mm (5.0 inches), that means the true mean annual rainfall is likely between 3189 and 3445 mm (125.6 and 135.6 inches). Please refer to our Methods page for complete details.

What do I do if I think I found an error with the map?

We have made every effort to make all images, maps, graphs, data, and other information provided on this web site accurate and error-free. However, we do not guarantee the accuracy of any images, maps, graphs, data, or other information. All content is provided without warranty of any kind.

If you think you have found an error, please check the metadata and methods to see if there is an explanation. If you have evidence of an error and can provide us with the source for your information to help us make an adjustment, please email us at rainfall@hawaii.edu. We will do our best to research your concerns.

What can I do if some functions of the interactive map are not working?

If interactive map functionality is reduced, try reloading the page. If that doesn’t work, try emptying the cache (your browser help page can tell you how to do this), then reload the page again. If problems persist, please let us know by sending an email to rainfall@hawaii.edu. Please describe the problem and what you tried to do to remedy it. Please note that the interactive map does not currently work well from mobile devices (smart phones, iPads, etc.). Mobile device functionality may be added at a later date.

How can I remove the top and bottom banners to make more room for the interactive map?

Click on the "Maximize" icon in the lower right corner of the map.

Maximize Screen

The top banner with the page links is missing, how do I get back to the rest of the site?

Click the minimize button in the bottom right corner of your screen; this will return your top and bottom banners so that you may click on any of the other pages on the Rainfall Atlas website. Once you leave the interactive map page, it will not save the extent of your map, the layers you have turned on, or the point that you had clicked on when you come back – it will refresh the page.

Minimize Button on the Map

How do I copy the table of rainfall values to an Excel spreadsheet?

If you would like to save the data table from the left side of your map to a spreadsheet program (like Microsoft Excel), follow these steps: highlight the table of values on the website, right click and choose “Copy”, open Excel and find “Paste Special” on the Home tab (or right click and choose “Paste Special”), and paste as “Text” or “Unicode Text”. This should fit the fixed width table into rows and columns in excel.

Why doesn't the scale of the maps remain the same for each month?

Using a common scale for all monthly maps would provide convenient comparability between different months, however, we decided to use varaible scales for the following reasons:  Using individual scales to display each month better shows the details of the spatial patterns.  A common scale for all months would result in the maps for low rainfall months appearing almost completely red, implying minimal spatial variation.  Also, the labels displayed in the legend show the statewide minimum and maximum rainfall values for each month.  The user still has the option of using the isohyet layers to compare patterns from month-to-month, and clicking on any given point will provide a graph of mean monthly values at that location.  If you would like more control over the display of the rainfall data, please visit the Downloads page to acquire the GIS grid files to choose a display that fits your needs.