GPM_2AGPROFNOAA15AMSUB: Climate-based Satellite Precipitation Profiles

Climate-referenced precipitation profiles derived from the AMSU-B radiometer on the NOAA-15 satellite using a Bayesian retrieval algorithm. The dataset is produced by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center as part of the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission, with the last metadata update recorded on 2026-03 13. It uses ECMWF-Interim reanalysis for homogeneous ancillary data to support consistent long-term climate records.

Use Cases

• Analyzing long-term precipitation trends based on climate-referenced microwave radiometer retrievals.
• Validating climate and weather models using consistent, sensor-specific Bayesian algorithm outputs.
• Studying the vertical structure of cloud and precipitation hydrometeors based on retrieved profile data.
• Assessing precipitation uncertainty estimates provided by the GPROF retrieval method.

Strengths

• Designed for climate time series homogeneity using ECMWF-Interim reanalysis as ancillary data.
• Utilizes a Bayesian retrieval method that is parametric and consistent across the GPM constellation of sensors.
• Provides retrieved mean rain rate, vertical hydrometeor structure, and associated uncertainty.

Limitations

• Row count and data volume are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for large-scale projects.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Ancillary data for the climate product has a 2-3 month lag behind regular production.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Goddard Space Flight Center

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing data processed by the Goddard Profiling (GPROF) algorithm.

Time Range

Time series intended for climate analysis; specific range not provided.

Freshness

Last metadata update: 2026-03-13 02:29:29.167292

Geography

Global coverage from the NOAA-15 satellite's orbit.