Raindrop Size Distribution Data from the MC3E Field Campaign

Raindrop size and precipitation drop size distribution data collected during the Midlatitude Continental Convective Clouds Experiment (MC3E). The dataset was a collaborative effort between NASA's GPM Ground Validation program and the DOE's ARM Climate Research Facility, taking place in central Oklahoma from April to June 2011. It was designed to provide detailed characterization of convective cloud systems to constrain model parameterizations and satellite rainfall retrieval algorithms.

Use Cases

• Validating satellite-based precipitation estimates from the GPM mission using ground-truth drop size distributions.
• Improving numerical weather prediction model cumulus parameterizations with detailed in-situ precipitation data.
• Analyzing the microphysical structure of convective storms using measured raindrop size and fall velocity.
• Studying the relationship between drop size distribution and precipitation rate or amount for hydrological applications.

Strengths

• Data originates from a major, well-instrumented field campaign (MC3E) involving NASA and DOE.
• Provides specific, high-resolution measurements of raindrop size and distribution from a two-dimensional video disdrometer.
• Focuses on a critical, previously under-characterized region for satellite validation: midlatitude continental convective systems.

Limitations

• Specific row counts, file sizes, and column names are not provided by any source.
• Sources conflict on the last updated date, with one listing 2026-03 13 and another listing 2011-06-06.
• The license is ambiguously listed as 'other-license-specified' on one platform and null on another.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission Ground Validation program, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility.

Collection Method

Collected by a Two-Dimensional Video Disdrometer (2DVD) instrument during the MC3E field campaign.

Time Range

April-June 2011

Freshness

2026-03-13 01:59:19.148149

Geography

Central Oklahoma, United States