Distribution of Radioactive Rainout in Convective Rainfall

Abstract

An investigation was made of the distribution characteristics of radioactive rainout in convective rain-storms through use of data from 29 storms collected on a network of automatic rainwater samplers in central Illinois during spring and summer 1963. Storm profiles of the concentration of radioactive rainout were correlated with rainfall factors and types of synoptic weather. It was found that the storm profiles of rainout could be grouped into four major and three minor types in which the major types accounted for 90 per cent of the cases and the most frequent type occurred 45 per cent of the time. Tentative explanations of the atmospheric conditions under which the major types prevail are presented.