GCPEx Snow Microphysics Case Study with Radar and Particle Data

GPM Ground Validation GCPEX Snow Microphysics Case Study characterizes the 3-D microphysical evolution and distribution of snow during a specific event on February 24, 2012. The dataset was collected during the GPM Cold-season Precipitation Experiment in Ontario, Canada, to address shortcomings in satellite snowfall retrieval algorithms. It includes data from multiple instruments such as the Airborne Second Generation Precipitation Radar (APR-2), Dual-frequency Dual-polarized Doppler Radar (D3R), a radiometer, and NCAR Cloud Microphysics Particle Probes.

Use Cases

• Validating and improving GPM satellite snowfall retrieval algorithms using coordinated ground-based and airborne radar observations.
• Analyzing relationships between thermodynamic environment variables (air temperature, dew point, humidity) and snow microphysical properties.
• Studying the 3-D spatial distribution and evolution of snow particle size distribution and density from cloud microphysics probes.
• Investigating radar reflectivity and Doppler velocity signatures associated with specific snow types and rates.
• Comparing multi-sensor observations (APR-2, D3R, radiometer) for a coordinated case study of a winter precipitation event.

Strengths

• Dataset provides a detailed, multi-instrument case study focused on a single event (February 24, 2012), enabling in-depth process analysis.
• Includes a wide range of measured variables covering atmospheric thermodynamics, winds, precipitation, cloud microphysics, and radar spectral engineering.
• Data collection was part of a targeted field campaign (GCPEx) designed to address specific algorithm shortcomings for a major satellite mission (GPM).

Limitations

• Conflicting metadata exists: the 'last updated' date differs significantly between platforms (2012-02-25 on NASA Earthdata vs. 2026-03-13 on Data.gov).
• Key quantitative details like row count, file size, and specific column names are not provided across all sources.
• The license is ambiguously listed as 'other-license-specified' without explicit terms.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Collected via airborne and ground-based instruments including APR-2 radar, D3R radar, Dual Polarization Radiometer, and NCAR Cloud Microphysics Particle Probes during the GCPEx field campaign.

Time Range

2012-02-24

Freshness

2026-03-13 02:24:39.096838

Geography

Ontario, Canada