TMPA: TRMM 3-Hour Precipitation and Uncertainty Estimates

This Level 3 dataset provides 3-hour accumulated precipitation estimates derived from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) and other data sources (TRMM 3B42). It includes corresponding uncertainty estimates for the precipitation data, covering both ocean and land surfaces from 50 degrees North to 50 degrees South at a 0.25-degree spatial resolution.

Use Cases

• Validating climate models based on satellite-derived precipitation estimates.
• Analyzing rainfall variability and extreme weather events in the tropics and subtropics.
• Assessing uncertainty in precipitation measurements for hydrological forecasting.
• Studying the global water cycle over both land and ocean surfaces.

Strengths

• Provides a specific uncertainty estimate for each precipitation measurement, enhancing data reliability.
• Covers a broad latitudinal band (50°N to 50°S) encompassing major tropical and subtropical climate zones.
• Offers high spatial resolution (0.25° x 0.25°) for detailed regional analysis.

Limitations

• Critical metadata is missing, including row count, file size, and specific column definitions.
• There is a significant conflict in data freshness: one platform lists a last update in 2026, while another lists 2010, casting doubt on maintenance.
• The license is vaguely specified as 'other-license-specified', requiring further investigation for use.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), processed using the TRMM 3B42 algorithm (Huffman et al., 2007) with uncertainty estimates by Bytheway and Kummerow (2013).

Time Range

null

Freshness

2026-04 09 (datagov), but conflicts with a 2010 date from nasa_earthdata.

Geography

Global coverage from 50 degrees North to 50 degrees South latitude.