GPM PRPS: Satellite-Based Daily Global Precipitation Profiles at 0.25° Resolution

Version 6 is the current version of this NASA precipitation dataset. The Precipitation Retrieval and Profiling Scheme (PRPS) provides a best estimate of precipitation based on matched SAPHIR-DPR satellite radiances, using a static a priori database and topographical data independent of weather models. This fulfills the GPM mission's role of calibrating retrievals for a constellation of passive microwave instruments to improve temporal and spatial coverage.

Use Cases

• Calibrating precipitation retrievals from other passive microwave sensors based on the core GPM observatory data.
• Analyzing climatological precipitation trends based on the model-independent retrieval scheme.
• Generating near real-time precipitation estimates based on the algorithm's design for all scan positions.
• Assessing precipitation error and data quality based on the provided error assessment and quality flag.

Strengths

• Provides a model-independent retrieval, advantageous for both near real-time and climatological analysis.
• Algorithm generates instantaneous precipitation estimates at a constant resolution for all scan positions.
• Includes an error assessment, a measure of observation 'fit', and a quality flag with each estimate.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Inherits limitations from the DPR instrument through the retrieval scheme.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Satellite observations from the GPM mission's SAPHIR and DPR instruments processed via the Precipitation Retrieval and Profiling Scheme (PRPS).

Time Range

Daily (L3 1 day)

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 02:16:37.070692; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Global at 0.25 x 0.25 degree resolution