Global Monthly Precipitation Data from GPCP Version 2

GPCP Version 2 provides global monthly precipitation rates, random errors, and a 1979-1999 climatology. This dataset merges measured gauge data with satellite rainfall estimates. A portion covering 1986 to 1995 is available at both 2.5-degree and 1-degree spatial resolutions.

Use Cases

• Analyzing long-term global precipitation trends using monthly precipitation rate columns.
• Validating regional climate models with the provided random error (RMSE) estimates.
• Creating baseline climatology maps for 1979-1999 using the included monthly precipitation climatology.
• Comparing precipitation estimates at different spatial scales using the 2.5-degree and 1-degree resolution versions.

Strengths

• Data combines satellite estimates with ground-based gauge measurements for improved accuracy.
• Includes a 21-year climatology (1979-1999) providing a long-term baseline for comparison.
• Offers data at two spatial resolutions (2.5-degree and 1-degree) for analysis at different scales.

Limitations

• The core time series for this specific portion is limited to 10 years (1986-1995).
• Conflicting last updated dates exist between sources (1995-12, 2026-03), suggesting potential metadata inconsistency.
• Specific column names and row counts are not provided by any source platform.

Provenance

Source

Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP), processed by ISLSCP II staff.

Collection Method

Derived from measured gauge data merged with satellite estimates of rainfall.

Time Range

1979-01 to 1999-12 (climatology); 1986-01 to 1995-12 (primary time series).

Freshness

2026-03-13 01:24:29.523325

Geography

Global