GPM Climate-Reference Precipitation Profiles from Suomi NPP ATMS

Precipitation profiles and related atmospheric fields retrieved from the ATMS sensor aboard the Suomi NPP satellite using a Bayesian algorithm. The dataset is a climate-reference product using ECMWF-Interim reanalysis for homogeneous ancillary data over the climate time series. It is produced by the GPROF algorithm and hosted by NASA's GES DISC.

Use Cases

• Analyze mean rain rate and its uncertainty for climate trend studies.
• Study the vertical structure of cloud and precipitation hydrometeors from retrieved profiles.
• Compare precipitation retrievals across different sensors in the GPM constellation using consistent Bayesian methodology.
• Investigate surface and atmospheric conditions derived from ECMWF-Interim reanalysis ancillary data.

Strengths

• Climate-Reference product designed for homogeneous data records over long time series.
• Provides bulk 3-hour global precipitation coverage as part of the GPM constellation.
• Uses a consistent, parametric Bayesian algorithm across multiple satellite sensors.

Limitations

• Ancillary data from ECMWF-Interim has a 2-3 month lag behind regular production.
• Specific row count, spatial resolution, and temporal range are not provided in the description.
• Earlier mission data may be archived separately, requiring joins for complete historical analysis.

Provenance

Source

NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC).

Collection Method

Retrieval via the GPROF Bayesian algorithm using an a-priori database of rain profiles and observed brightness temperatures from the ATMS sensor.

Time Range

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Freshness

Version 07 is the current version; older versions are superseded and unavailable.

Geography

Global coverage from the Suomi NPP satellite orbit.