GPM_3GSLH_TRMM: Gridded Orbital Latent Heating Profiles from TRMM Precipitation Radar

GPM_3GSLH_TRMM is a NASA dataset providing gridded vertical profiles of latent heating released by precipitating cloud systems. The data is derived from TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR) information and lookup tables based on cloud-resolving model simulations from the TOGA COARE experiment. Version 07 is the current version, with older versions superseded.

Use Cases

• Modeling atmospheric energy budgets based on latent heating profiles.
• Analyzing differences between convective and stratiform precipitation types mentioned in the description.
• Studying tropical rainfall and cloud dynamics based on precipitation-top height and rain type data.
• Validating cloud-resolving model simulations using the derived heating-profile lookup tables.

Strengths

• Data is produced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, an authoritative source.
• Algorithm distinguishes between shallow and deep convection using precipitation depth, type, and intensity.
• Gridded onto a global map with a 0.5 degree x 0.5 degree spatial resolution.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• The algorithm is described as severely limited by the inherent sensitivity of the TRMM PR.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Derived from TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR) information using lookup tables from cloud-resolving model simulations.

Time Range

Temporal coverage is one orbit per granule.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 02:17:09.256189; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Global spatial coverage.