GPM SSMI F14: Global Monthly Gridded Precipitation Averages for Climate Studies

GPM_3GPROFF14SSMI_CLIM Version 07 is a climate-reference satellite precipitation dataset from NASA's GES DISC. It provides global gridded monthly precipitation averages at 0.25-degree resolution, derived from the SSMI sensor on the F14 satellite using the GPROF algorithm. The data uses homogeneous ECMWF-Interim reanalysis as ancillary input to ensure consistency for long-term climate studies.

Use Cases

• Analyzing long-term global precipitation patterns for climate studies based on the climate-reference product design.
• Validating and calibrating climate models using homogeneous satellite-derived precipitation data.
• Studying atmospheric water vapor and hydrometeor distribution based on microwave sensor sensitivity described.
• Investigating regional precipitation anomalies and trends using the global 0.25-degree gridded data.

Strengths

• Version 07 is the current, superseding version, indicating ongoing maintenance.
• Uses homogeneous ECMWF-Interim reanalysis as ancillary data for climate time series consistency.
• Based on retrievals from high-quality microwave sensors sensitive to liquid and ice-phase precipitation.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• The ECMWF-Interim ancillary data has a 2-3 month lag behind regular production.
• Row count and exact temporal coverage are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) via GES DISC.

Collection Method

Retrievals from the SSMI sensor on the F14 satellite processed with the GPROF algorithm.

Time Range

Monthly averages; specific date range is not provided in the input.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 02:16:14.941155; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Global coverage at 0.25 degree x 0.25 degree resolution.