TRMM_1C21: Radar Reflectivity from TRMM Precipitation Radar

TRMM Precipitation Radar Power and Reflectivity L1C 1.5 hours V7 (TRMM_1C21) provides Level 1C radar reflectivity data from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite. The dataset contains the effective radar reflectivity factor (Zm) at 13.8 GHz without atmospheric attenuation correction, offering a three-dimensional view of precipitation distribution over land and ocean. Its specifications changed after a satellite boost in August 2001, affecting swath width and horizontal resolution.

Use Cases

• Analyzing three-dimensional rainfall distribution based on radar reflectivity measurements.
• Studying changes in precipitation detection sensitivity due to the satellite's orbital boost in 2001.
• Comparing pre- and post-boost radar swath width (215 km vs. 247 km) and horizontal resolution (4.3 km vs. 5.0 km).
• Calibrating ground-based radar systems using spaceborne radar reflectivity data without propagation loss correction.
• Investigating the depth of precipitation layers over both oceanic and terrestrial regions.

Strengths

• Provides data from the first spaceborne precipitation radar, a unique instrument for 3-D rainfall measurement.
• Offers detailed specifications for two distinct operational periods (pre- and post-boost) with defined temporal (91.5/92.5 min per orbit) and spatial resolutions.
• The dataset defines a noise-equivalent reflectivity of about 21 dBZ and indicates usable data down to 16-18 dBZ.

Limitations

• The exact column names and data structure are unknown, limiting precise understanding of the file format.
• Metadata for size, row count, and author is missing or conflicting across platforms.
• Data quality for reflectivity values below the noise-equivalent level (16-18 dBZ) is described as marginal.

Provenance

Source

GES_DISC

Collection Method

Measured by the TRMM Precipitation Radar satellite instrument.

Time Range

Coverage spans from before 7 August 2001 to after 24 August 2001, indicating a long-term mission.

Freshness

2026-04-09 21:27:35.983431

Geography

Global coverage over both land and ocean.