GPM ATMS Climate-Referenced Precipitation Profiles from Suomi-NPP Satellite

Version 07 climate-referenced precipitation profiles use ECMWF-Interim reanalysis for homogeneous ancillary data, ensuring consistency over the climate time series. The Goddard Profiling (GPROF) algorithm retrieves precipitation and related fields from the ATMS sensor on the Suomi-NPP satellite using a Bayesian method with an a-priori database of rain profiles. This dataset is produced by NASA's Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission and was last updated in March 2026.

Use Cases

• Climate trend analysis based on the homogeneous, climate-referenced ancillary data.
• Precipitation profile retrieval and uncertainty estimation based on the Bayesian algorithm methodology.
• Cross-sensor calibration and constellation data synthesis based on the use of a common a-priori database.
• Atmospheric hydrometeor vertical structure analysis based on the retrieved cloud and precipitation profiles.

Strengths

• Uses a consistent, climate-referenced ancillary data source (ECMWF-Interim reanalysis) for homogeneous long-term records.
• Employs a parametric Bayesian algorithm suitable for a multi-sensor satellite constellation approach.
• Provides a mean rain rate, vertical hydrometeor structure, and associated uncertainty estimates.

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission.

Collection Method

Retrieved from the ATMS passive microwave sensor on the Suomi-NPP satellite using the GPROF algorithm.

Time Range

Likely spans the operational period of the Suomi-NPP satellite with ATMS data.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03 13 02:28:22.495195; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Global coverage, as suggested by satellite-based remote sensing.