So what the heck is this on the Cloudcap Road?

[Guy]

I have driven past this countless times on the Cloudcap Road & wondered what it was but last Sunday since I was walking past it I took a photo. Looks like some kind of flaming torch contraption. Anyone know what it is & why it's there?

[payslee]

I don't know its function, but there's one at the Greenpoint snotel site too.

-payslee

[R11]

Is there a snotel site there? Looks like a "precip can":



http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrc ... 2p2_046152

Oops, I see Payslee beat me to it while I was looking for a pic...


ron

[RobFromRedland]

I believe (but not positive) that that contraption is some old fangled thing to measure rainfall. I believe the snotels have a newer method of measuring rainfall now. When I went up and visited the Peavine Ridge snotel a couple of years ago, it appeared as though that "tower" (whatever it is called) was not used anymore.

Would be interested in a much more scientific explanation of what they are. They seem to be at all the snotels.

[forester]

Looks like something Doc Brown would use.

http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrc ... 2p2_046152

[raven]

From forester's reference, it looks like the metal feathers are designed to minimize the venturi effect of a breeze blowing across the top of a precipitation collector. (I've been wondering about those feathers for years.)

[RobFromRedland]

Wow - If I had bothered to click the link that Ron had posted and actually READ it, I would have seen the answer. That is an interesting page, and answers a lot of questions that I had after visiting one of these sites.

When we visited Peavine Ridge, it appeared as though the pressure transducer that was present was broken, and had been broken for a while. We all assumed that they were using more "modern" technology to measure the precipitation now. Maybe not!

Thank you!

[Guy]

Thanks everyone, if the one on the cloudcap road is no longer used I wonder if I could put a bid in for it. Would make a great piece of "Garden Art"