Micro Rain Radar Dataset for Midlatitude Convective Cloud Experiment

Oklahoma provides the location for this dataset of vertically pointing Doppler radar measurements from the Midlatitude Continental Convective Clouds Experiment (MC3E) in Spring 2011. The NASA GPM Ground Validation team collected data on vertical velocity, drop size distribution, rainfall rate, and other atmospheric variables using a second-generation METEK Micro Rain Radar operating at 24.24GHz. This dataset supports validation of satellite precipitation observations.

Use Cases

• Validating satellite-derived precipitation estimates by comparing ground-based radar reflectivity and rainfall rate measurements.
• Analyzing the microphysical structure of convective clouds through vertical profiles of drop size distribution and liquid water content.
• Studying vertical air motion and hydrometeor fall speeds within storm systems using Doppler velocity data.
• Investigating the attenuation of radar signals in rainfall for instrument calibration and retrieval algorithm development.

Strengths

• Data originates from a focused field campaign (MC3E) designed for detailed process studies.
• Provides vertically resolved profiles of multiple atmospheric variables from a specialized instrument.
• Supports a major NASA satellite mission (GPM) for ground validation purposes.

Limitations

• Exact row count, dataset size, and complete column list are not provided by any source.
• Conflicting last updated dates exist between platforms (2011-06-06 and 2026-03-13).
• License is ambiguously listed as 'other-license-specified' or 'None', requiring further investigation.

Provenance

Source

NASA GHRC DAAC / GPM Ground Validation team

Collection Method

Collected by a vertically pointing, frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) Doppler radar (Micro Rain Radar MRR-2).

Time Range

Spring 2011

Freshness

2026-03 13 02:22:14.944889

Geography

Oklahoma, USA