GPM GPROF: Satellite Radiometer Precipitation Profiles from NOAA-21 ATMS

GPM_2AGPROFNOAA21ATMS is a Version 07 dataset from NASA's GES DISC, providing Level 2A precipitation and atmospheric profiles. The data is generated by the GPROF Bayesian algorithm using brightness temperature observations from the ATMS sensor on the NOAA-21 satellite, among other partner sensors, to achieve broad 3-hour global coverage. It includes near-realtime, standard, and climate products differing by latency and ancillary data sources like GANAL and ECMWF reanalysis.

Use Cases

• Retrieving mean rain rate and vertical cloud structure based on Bayesian algorithm outputs.
• Analyzing global precipitation sampling and coverage based on the multi-sensor constellation approach.
• Comparing near-realtime, standard, and climate precipitation products based on differing ancillary data latency.
• Studying atmospheric water vapor and hydrometeor profiles based on retrieved precipitation science fields.

Strengths

• Provides a large sampling of global precipitation, contributing to the 3-hour coverage achieved by the GPM constellation.
• Uses a consistent, parametric Bayesian algorithm across multiple satellite sensors for retrieval uniformity.
• Offers three product types (near-realtime, standard, climate) tailored for different latency and consistency needs.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and dataset size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for large-scale projects.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) via GES DISC.

Collection Method

Satellite observations processed by the GPROF (2AGPROF) Bayesian retrieval algorithm.

Time Range

Temporal coverage is not explicitly stated in the provided input.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 02:08:21.590792; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Likely provides global spatial coverage based on satellite constellation description.