GPM Ground Validation Dual-Frequency Doppler Radar Observations

Radar data includes reflectivity, differential reflectivity, copolar correlation coefficient, differential propagation phase, radial velocity, and spectrum width measurements. The dataset was collected by the NASA GPM Project-funded Dual-frequency Dual-polarized Doppler Radar (D3R) during a ground validation field campaign at the University of Connecticut. Observations are available from January 1, 2023, through April 10, 2023.

Use Cases

• Validate satellite-based precipitation estimates from the GPM mission using ground-based reflectivity and differential reflectivity measurements.
• Analyze winter precipitation particle types and sizes using dual-polarization parameters like copolar correlation coefficient and differential propagation phase.
• Study storm dynamics and wind fields by analyzing radial velocity and spectrum width data from the Doppler radar.
• Compare precipitation observations between Ku-band (13.91 GHz) and Ka-band (35.56 GHz) frequencies to understand frequency-dependent scattering effects.

Strengths

• Provides six core radar variables: reflectivity, differential reflectivity, copolar correlation coefficient, differential propagation phase, radial velocity, and spectrum width.
• Data covers a fixed range from 450 meters to 39.75 kilometers, offering detailed vertical profiles.
• Collected during a dedicated field campaign designed for unprecedented wintry precipitation observation.

Limitations

• Temporal coverage is limited to approximately 100 days from January to April 2023.
• Geographic coverage is restricted to the single radar site at the University of Connecticut.
• Data is specific to winter precipitation, limiting generalizability to other seasons.

Provenance

Source

NASA GPM Project, collected by the GHRC DAAC.

Collection Method

Collected by the ground-based Dual-frequency Dual-polarized Doppler Radar (D3R) instrument.

Time Range

January 1, 2023 to April 10, 2023.

Freshness

Data collection ended on April -10, 2023.

Geography

University of Connecticut, USA.