Visit HydroGeek for the more such post: https://hydrogeek.substack.com/p/seven-examples-of-crowdsourcedhome?sd=pf Data is the most important parameter of success in hydrological research. But measuring or collecting hydrologic data is complex due to its inaccessibility and financial requirements. For example, real-time stream level detection can help in the early warning of floods which can prevent/avoid “during” or post-flood disasters. Real-time dataloggers for stream-level detection are available but they are expensive. That is why low-cost alternatives like stream gauges are used. However, the installation of such gauges in every location of a watershed is not possible as many places within a watershed are completely inaccessible. Again, the data collected by stream gauges are not real-time and not readily available to the researchers. One must pay or take permission from the regulating authorities to collect such data. Such requirements delay the project completion time and attract extra expenditures. Therefore, many ungauged or even gauged catchments remain unmonitored or sparsely monitored which in turn makes the flood or storm prediction models erroneous as most of them are data-driven. That is why in recent years researchers are utilizing the data generated by the citizen scientist or crowdsourcing platforms which are easy to access and inexpensive. Sometimes technologies that are developed for some other objectives are also being used for monitoring hydrologic parameters due to their low cost and easy accessibility. This article tries to highlight seven such examples where low-cost, but easily accessible devices or crowdsourced data are utilized to monitor hydrologic parameters.

1. Seven examples of
crowdsourced/home-
made technologies
generating useful
hydrologic
information
Dr.Mrinmoy Majumder
https://hydrogeek.substack.com/

2. Introduction
• Data is the most important parameter of
success in hydrological research
• But measuring or collecting hydrologic data is
complex due to its inaccessibility and financial
requirements.
• For example, real time stream level detection
can help in the early warning of flood which
can prevent/avoid “during” or post flood
disasters.
• Real time dataloggers for stream level
detection are available but they are expensive.
That is why, low-cost alternatives like stream
gauges are used.

3. Introduction :
Contd.
• However, the installation of such gauges in
every location of a watershed is not possible
as many places within a watershed are
completely inaccessible.
• Again, the data collected by stream gauges
are not real time and not readily available to
the researchers. One must pay or take
permission from the regulating authorities to
collect such data. Such requirements delay
the project completion time and attracts
extra expenditures.
• Therefore, many ungauged or even gauged
catchments remains unmonitored or sparsely
monitored which in turn makes the flood or
storm prediction models erroneous as most
of them are data driven.

4. Introduction :
Contd.
• That is why in recent years researchers are
utilizing the data generated by the citizen
scientist or crowdsourcing platforms which
are easy to access and inexpensive.
• Sometimes technologies that are developed
for some other objective is also being used
for monitoring hydrologic parameters due to
its low cost and easy accessibility.
• This article tries to highlights seven such
examples where low cost, but easily
accessible devices or crowdsourced data are
utilized to monitor hydrologic parameters.

5. Sensors of
windshield wipers
used as mobile rain
gauges
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/
26848347_Areal_rainfall_estimation_using
_moving_cars_as_rain_gauges_-
_A_modelling_study
Do you know ?
90% or more number of
disasters in the World are
caused by extreme rainfall

6. Parking Aid Sensors
used to measure snow
depth
https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/61733886.pdf
Do you know ?
Snowstorms can quickly cause disruption to
inhabited areas if the ground temperature is
cold enough for the snow to settle

7. Temperature Guns that are used to
measure the temperature of a
shipment were used for measuring
the surface air temperature of the
alpine valley
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/
252130495_Distributed_landsurface_skin_t
emperature_sensing_in_Swiss_Alps
Do you know ?
You can use infrared thermometers on
humans as these devices are completely
safe for adults as well as kids.

8. Soda bottles as rain
gauges for
ungauged
catchments
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.338
9/feart.2019.00046/full
Do you know ?
The first true citizen science project was launched by
ornithologist Wells Cooke who reached out to birding
enthusiasts for collecting information about bird
migration.

9. Sizes of Raindrops were determined by a
homemade disdrometer, made of flour on a
plate.
https://kids.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fry
m.2018.00038

10. An app for measuring stream level
without any physical installation of
stream gauge but by using the citizen
science concept of data collection
https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2019.00070

11. Volunteered Geographic
Information(VGI)(User/Volunteer
generated images of flood inundation)
compared by using some technologies
of Automatic Flood Detection
https://link.springer.com/chapter/
10.1007/978-3-319-68195-5_15

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