GPM Ground Validation: Parsivel Disdrometer Network in Lausanne

From November 2008 to September 2010, a network of 16 Parsivel disdrometers was deployed on the EPFL campus in Lausanne, Switzerland, to measure precipitation. The dataset provides raw and filtered volumetric drop size distribution data, designed to cover a typical operational radar pixel area of about 1 square kilometer. It also includes a list of precipitation events that occurred during the study period.

Use Cases

• Validating radar and satellite precipitation estimates based on high-resolution ground-truth drop size distributions.
• Analyzing microphysical properties of rain and snow events from the list of provided precipitation events.
• Studying the spatial variability of precipitation within a 1 km² area using data from the 16-station network.

Strengths

• Provides high-resolution ground validation data from a dense network of 16 instruments.
• Covers an extended time range of approximately 22 months from November 2008 to September 2010.
• Includes both raw observations and processed, filtered drop size distribution data.

Limitations

• Column names and exact data structure are not specified in the available metadata.
• Conflicting license information: one source lists 'other-license-specified' while others list 'None'.
• The dataset's last update date is inconsistent, ranging from 2010 to a future date in 2026.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Collected via a network of 16 Parsivel disdrometers deployed on the EPFL campus.

Time Range

November 2008 to September 2010

Freshness

2026-04-10 19:47:40.286342

Geography

Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) campus, Lausanne, Switzerland