GPM SSMI Climate-based Radiometer Precipitation Profiles: Monthly Global Grid

Global monthly precipitation averages derived from satellite microwave sensors, processed using a climate-consistent reanalysis model. The dataset is produced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and was last updated in March 2026. It provides gridded data at a 0.25-degree resolution for climate studies.

Use Cases

• Analyzing long-term global precipitation trends based on climate-referenced satellite retrievals.
• Validating climate models using homogeneous, gridded monthly precipitation averages.
• Studying the sensitivity of microwave sensors to liquid and ice-phase precipitation hydrometeors.

Strengths

• Uses a climate-consistent ancillary data source (ECMWF-Interim reanalysis) for homogeneous time series.
• Provides global coverage at a 0.25-degree by 0.25-degree spatial resolution.
• Based on retrievals from high-quality microwave sensors sensitive to precipitation.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Ancillary data has a 2-3 month lag behind regular production, which may affect timeliness for near-real-time studies.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) GES DISC

Collection Method

Retrievals from satellite microwave sensors processed by the GPROF algorithm.

Time Range

Monthly averages (time series length unspecified).

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 02:16:35.755443; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Global.