Yap Rainfall Measurements

July 13, 2001

Tagail

Provided by: University of Oklahoma/SPaRCE
Summary authors & editors: Jim Foster

In the photo above, students from the Tagailap School in the Yap Islands, an island group in the Pacific Ocean east of the Philippines and southwest of Guam, are shown making rainfall measurements. The Schools of the Pacific Rainfall Climate Experiment (SPaRCE) is a cooperative field project involving local meteorological services, elementary, middle school, high school, college, and trade school students from various Pacific islands. With its headquarters at the University of Oklahoma, there are now more than 160 schools from approximately 22 different countries enrolled. Most of the SPaRCE sites are on small islands and atolls, which have very little funding for computers or special projects. Initially, participants are sent two direct-read, plastic rain gauges along with an instructional video tape and manual for placing, reading, and maintaining the rain gauges.

An important goal of the SPaRCE Program is to increase the number of rain gauges, as well as other meteorological instrumentation, across the Pacific and incorporate collected observations into a comprehensive Pacific database to be used for climate research purposes. SPaRCE also provides environmental education and enhancement of Pacific island science programs.

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