PIP ICE POP: Precipitation Particle Measurements for Satellite Validation

Precipitation Imaging Package data from the ICE-POP field campaign provides detailed particle-level measurements to validate satellite estimates of winter precipitation. The dataset includes particle size distributions, fall velocities, and precipitation rates from June 2017 through December 2018 in South Korea's complex terrain. It combines tabular data files with supporting video imagery, supporting research into severe winter weather forecasting.

Use Cases

• Validating satellite-based precipitation estimates based on ground-measured particle size distributions.
• Studying the microphysics of orographic winter storms based on fall velocity and precipitation density data.
• Improving short-term forecasting models for severe winter weather in regions of complex terrain.
• Analyzing temporal trends in precipitation particle characteristics from the 18-month time series.

Strengths

• Data collection spans a significant 18-month period from June 2017 to December 2018.
• Supports a major international scientific campaign (ICE-POP) with clear objectives for studying winter weather.
• Contains multimodal data, including quantitative measurements and supporting video imagery for context.

Limitations

• Column names and a precise row count are not provided in any source, limiting understanding of the data structure.
• License information is inconsistently reported as 'other-license-specified' or null, requiring further investigation.
• The last update date conflicts between sources, with one showing 2026 (likely an error) and another 2018.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Measurements and video images collected by the Precipitation Imaging Package (PIP) instrument during the ICE-POP field campaign.

Time Range

June 18, 2017 to December 30, 2018

Freshness

Last updated dates conflict: one source reports 2026-04-10 (likely erroneous), another reports 2018-12-30.

Geography

South Korea, specifically the Pyeongchang region during the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.