NASA Micro Rain Radar Data for HyMeX Campaign

GPM Ground Validation NASA Micro Rain Radar (MRR) HyMeX data contains vertically pointing Doppler radar measurements from the HYdrological cycle in Mediterranean EXperiment (HyMeX). The dataset captures vertical velocity, drop size distribution, rainfall rate, and other atmospheric variables during Special Observation Period 1 from September 5 to November 6, 2012. It was collected by NASA to support the study of extreme weather events and the hydrological cycle in the Mediterranean region.

Use Cases

• Validating satellite precipitation estimates from missions like GPM using ground-based radar reflectivity and rainfall rate measurements.
• Analyzing the vertical structure of precipitation events, including droplet size distribution and vertical velocity profiles.
• Studying the microphysics of heavy precipitation and flash-flooding events in the Mediterranean region.
• Investigating the relationship between liquid water content, attenuation, and rainfall intensity for model improvement.

Strengths

• Provides vertically resolved measurements of key precipitation variables like drop size distribution and vertical velocity.
• Data is temporally focused on a dedicated Special Observation Period (SOP1) for heavy precipitation from September to November 2012.
• Dataset is hosted on multiple authoritative platforms (Data.gov and NASA Earthdata), indicating its importance for validation.

Limitations

• Specific row counts, file sizes, and a complete column list are not provided on any platform.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates exist between sources (2012 on NASA Earthdata vs. 2026 on Data.gov).
• License is ambiguously listed as 'other-license-specified' without clear terms.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Measurements obtained by a vertically pointing Doppler radar (Micro Rain Radar) during the HyMeX field campaign.

Time Range

2012-09-05 to 2012-11-06 (HyMeX SOP1)

Freshness

2026-03-13 02:21:52.218676

Geography

Mediterranean region (specific locations not detailed in provided metadata)