GPM OLYMPEX: Radar Imagery for Precipitation Validation

Environment and Climate Change Canada's weather radar network captured radar reflectivity and precipitation rate images during the Olympic Mountain Experiment. These GIF images document mid-latitude frontal systems from November 19 to December 31, 2015. The dataset supports validation of satellite-based precipitation measurements from the Global Precipitation Measurement mission.

Use Cases

• Validating satellite-derived precipitation estimates based on ground-based radar imagery.
• Studying the evolution of rain and snow in frontal systems moving from ocean to mountains.
• Improving weather forecasting models with calibrated radar reflectivity data.
• Supporting climate data records by assessing remotely sensed precipitation accuracy.

Strengths

• Data originates from a defined scientific field campaign (OLYMPEX) with a clear validation purpose.
• Covers a specific, documented time range of over a month (Nov 19 - Dec 31, 2015).
• Available on multiple government platforms (Data.gov, NASA Earthdata), indicating established provenance.

Limitations

• Critical metadata is missing or conflicting: row/size counts are unknown, and last_updated dates conflict between 2015 and 2026.
• The data format (GIF images) may limit quantitative analysis compared to raw numerical radar data.
• Documentation and license details are sparse or inconsistently reported across sources.

Provenance

Source

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) weather radar network, processed by NASA for the GPM Ground Validation campaign.

Collection Method

Collected by ground-based weather radar during the OLYMPEX field experiment.

Time Range

November 19, 2015 through December 31, 2015.

Freshness

2026-04-10 19:43:10.727009 (Data.gov), but this conflicts with a 2015 date from NASA Earthdata.

Geography

Olympic Mountain region (Pacific Ocean, coast, and mountains), as studied by the OLYMPEX campaign.