IPHEx Campaign 3-Hourly Satellite Precipitation Maps for North Carolina

NASA's TRMM Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA) 3B42RT product subset for the Integrated Precipitation and Hydrology Experiment (IPHEx). This dataset provides 3-hourly, 0.25-degree gridded precipitation maps over North Carolina, derived from a fusion of microwave, infrared, gauge, and radar data. It was created to study warm-season orographic precipitation in complex terrain from May 1 to June 15, 2014.

Use Cases

• Validating satellite-based precipitation estimates against ground observations from the IPHEx field campaign.
• Analyzing the spatial and temporal patterns of warm-season precipitation in the complex terrain of the Southern Appalachians.
• Studying the relationship between orographic precipitation regimes and streamflow or flood generation.
• Assessing the performance of the TMPA 3B42RT near-real-time algorithm for a specific intensive observation period.
• Providing a fused precipitation product for hydrological model initialization or forcing during the IPHEx timeframe.

Strengths

• Data integrates multiple measurement sources: microwave, infrared, surface gauges, and TRMM Precipitation Radar.
• Provides high temporal resolution (3-hourly) precipitation estimates for a 1.5-month intensive field campaign.
• Features a fine spatial resolution of 0.25 degrees for detailed regional analysis.
• Dataset is hosted by NASA and appears on multiple authoritative platforms, indicating recognized importance.

Limitations

• Conflicting metadata: 'last updated' dates differ significantly between Data.gov (2026) and NASA Earthdata (2014).
• Specific row counts, file sizes, and detailed column names are not provided by any source.
• Temporal coverage is limited to a specific 45-day campaign in spring/summer 2014.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Gridded precipitation product derived from a multi-satellite fusion algorithm (TMPA 3B42RT) incorporating microwave, infrared, gauge, and radar data.

Time Range

May 1, 2014 to June 15, II2014

Freshness

2026-03-13 02:19:29.430433

Geography

North Carolina, USA, with a focus on regions of complex terrain (Southern Appalachians).