NOAA-21 ATMS Climate-Reference Precipitation Profiles

Version 07 climate-reference precipitation data from the NOAA-21 satellite's Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS). The dataset is processed by the GPROF algorithm using ECMWF-Interim reanalysis for homogeneous ancillary data over the climate time series. It is produced by the GPM mission and archived at the GES DISC.

Use Cases

• Analyzing precipitation vertical structure and hydrometeor profiles from retrieved rain rate and cloud data.
• Studying brightness temperature (Tb) observations and their relationship to simulated Tb in the a-priori database.
• Comparing climate-reference precipitation retrievals using ECMWF-Interim data with standard products using GANAL analysis.
• Assessing retrieval uncertainty metrics provided for mean rain rate and hydrometeor profiles.

Strengths

• Provides climate-referenced data using homogeneous ECMWF-Interim ancillary data for consistency over time.
• Uses a Bayesian algorithm with a consistent a-priori database of rain profiles for parametric retrievals across the sensor constellation.
• Delivers vertical structure of cloud and precipitation hydrometeors alongside surface rain rate.

Limitations

• Ancillary data from ECMWF-Interim has a 2-3 month lag behind regular production, limiting near-real-time use.
• Specific row count, spatial resolution beyond '17 km', and temporal coverage duration are not provided.

Provenance

Source

GPM mission, processed by the GPROF algorithm and archived at NASA GES DISC.

Collection Method

Satellite-based retrievals from the NOAA-21 ATMS sensor using a Bayesian algorithm with an a-priori database.

Time Range

Temporal coverage is not explicitly stated in the input.

Freshness

Version 07 is the current version; update frequency is not specified.

Geography

Global coverage from the satellite's orbit, with a 17 km spatial resolution.