GPM_3PR: Monthly Satellite Radar Precipitation Statistics and Histograms

Version 07 is the current version of this monthly gridded precipitation dataset from the TRMM and GPM satellite radars. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration provides statistics and histograms of reflectivity and precipitation at 0.25x0.25 and 5x5 degree resolutions, covering latitudes from 67S to 67N for the high-resolution grid and 70S to 70N for the low-resolution grid. It supersedes older TRMM products and aligns with the GPM Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) standards.

Use Cases

• Calculate probability of rain occurrence based on the ratio of rain counts to total observations mentioned in the description.
• Analyze conditional mean rain rates for stratiform rain or bright-band presence as described in the statistical conditioning.
• Study spatial distribution of precipitation using the 0.25x0.25 degree high-resolution monthly grids.
• Compare radar measurement statistics and histograms between the TRMM PR and GPM DPR consistent grids.

Strengths

• Data is Version 07, the current and supported version, superseding all older versions.
• Provides statistics at two spatial resolutions: a detailed 0.25x0.25 degree grid and a broader 5x5 degree grid.
• Grid structure is consistent with the GPM Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR), enabling cross-mission analysis.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for large-scale statistical modeling.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Gridded statistics calculated from TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR) Level 2 output products.

Time Range

Monthly temporal coverage (specific dates not provided).

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 02:16:59.060666; freshness should be verified.

Geography

High-resolution grid covers 67S to 67N latitude; low-resolution grid covers 70S to 70N latitude.