NOAA-20 Satellite Radiometer Precipitation Profiles Version 07

GPM's 2AGPROF algorithm retrieves precipitation profiles from passive microwave sensors on the NOAA-20 satellite and other partner satellites. The dataset provides consistent precipitation, cloud hydrometeor structure, and related fields using a Bayesian retrieval method against a simulated brightness temperature database. Version 07 is the current data version produced by the GES DISC organization.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the vertical structure of cloud and precipitation hydrometeors retrieved from ATMS brightness temperatures.
• Validating precipitation models using the mean rain rate and uncertainty fields for satellite overpasses.
• Studying sensor consistency by comparing retrieved precipitation profiles from NOAA-20 ATMS with other constellation sensors like GMI and SSMIS.
• Assessing precipitation uncertainty estimates provided as part of the Bayesian retrieval solution.

Strengths

• Provides consistent retrievals across multiple satellite sensors (GMI, SSMI, SSMIS, AMSR2, TMI, MHS, ATMS) for a constellation approach.
• Algorithm uses a parametric Bayesian method with a common a-priori database of rain profiles for uniformity.

Limitations

• Specific row count, geographic coverage, and temporal range for the NOAA-20 subset are not provided in the description.
• Ancillary data sources (GANAL forecast, GANAL analysis, ECMWF reanalysis) differ between NRT, standard, and climate products, affecting cross-product consistency.

Provenance

Source

GES_DISC (Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center).

Collection Method

Retrievals from the NOAA-20 ATMS passive microwave sensor using the GPROF (2AGPROF) Bayesian algorithm.

Time Range

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Freshness

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Geography

Global coverage from satellite overpasses.