GPM IFloodS NEXRAD Composite Rain Rate Estimates

GPM Ground Validation Iowa Flood Center NEXRAD Composite IFloodS dataset provides rain rate estimates derived from the NEXRAD radar network. Data were collected during the Iowa Flood Studies field campaign from April 19 to June 30, 2013, in Iowa and surrounding areas to support Global Precipitation Measurement ground validation. The dataset is managed by the GHRC DAAC and is available in netCDF-4 and ASCII formats with associated GIF browse imagery.

Use Cases

• Validating satellite-derived precipitation products from the GPM mission using ground-based radar rain rate estimates.
• Analyzing spatial and temporal patterns of rainfall during the 2013 Iowa flood event.
• Studying radar reflectivity characteristics for improved quantitative precipitation estimation algorithms.
• Supporting hydrological modeling and flood forecasting research in the Midwestern United States.

Strengths

• Data sourced from the operational NEXRAD network of 160 S-Band radars, providing a standardized measurement platform.
• Temporally focused on a specific, intensive field campaign (IFloodS) from April 19 to June 30, 2013.
• Available in both scientific data formats (netCDF-4, ASCII) and visual browse imagery (GIF).

Limitations

• Specific column names, row counts, and dataset size are not provided by any source.
• Sources conflict on the last updated date, listing both 2013-06 30 and 2026-03-13.

Provenance

Source

GHRC DAAC (Global Hydrology Resource Center Distributed Active Archive Center)

Collection Method

Rain rate estimates derived from NEXt Generation Weather RADar (NEXRAD) system radars operational during the IFloodS campaign.

Time Range

April 19, 2013 through June 30, 2013

Freshness

2026-03-13 02:04:30.442038

Geography

Iowa and surrounding areas in the United States