GPM DPR Ka Precipitation Profile: Single-Frequency Radar Estimates

Version 07 is the current version of this NASA precipitation dataset, superseding all older versions. The algorithm provides precipitation estimates from the Ka-band radar on the GPM satellite's Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar, operating independently of the Ku-band radar. It contains two swaths of data: matched scans aligned with Ku-band fields and high-sensitivity scans for detecting lighter precipitation.

Use Cases

• Validate dual-frequency precipitation retrieval algorithms based on the independent Ka-band data.
• Study light precipitation events based on the high-sensitivity scan data mentioned in the description.
• Analyze precipitation profile structure based on slant-path radar range bin retrievals.
• Assess radar performance and operational redundancy based on the single-frequency, Ku-independent retrieval method.

Strengths

• Data is from the current Version 07, superseding older versions.
• Provides independent Ka-band precipitation estimates, unaffected by Ku-band radar operational issues.
• Includes high-sensitivity scans designed to detect lighter precipitation than Ku-only data.

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.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Satellite-based radar measurements from the GPM core spacecraft's Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar.

Time Range

Temporal coverage is not specified in the provided input.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 02:27:37.570952; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Spatial coverage is not specified in the provided input.