TRMM 3B43: Monthly Global Precipitation Estimates

Monthly precipitation data from 1998 to 2019, now discontinued. The TRMM Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA) 3B43 product provides a merged estimate from microwave, infrared, and rain gauge sources. It offers a 'best' estimate of rainfall rate across a latitude band from 50°N to 50°S at a 0.25° x 0.25° spatial resolution.

Use Cases

• Analyzing long-term precipitation trends based on the multi-source merged estimate.
• Validating climate or hydrological models using the global 0.25-degree gridded data.
• Conducting regional water cycle studies within the 50°N to 50°S latitude band.
• Creating a historical baseline for comparison with the successor IMERG dataset.

Strengths

• Provides a multi-source 'best' estimate by merging microwave, infrared, and rain gauge data.
• Offers global coverage across a 50°N to 50°S latitude band.
• Has a consistent 0.25-degree spatial and one-month temporal resolution for time-series analysis.

Limitations

• Dataset was discontinued as of December 31, 2019, and is no longer updated.
• Specific column names and row counts are not provided in the available metadata.
• There is a conflict in the 'last updated' field between sources (2019 vs. 2026), suggesting potential metadata inconsistency.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Satellite-based measurement using the TRMM-adjusted merged microwave-infrared precipitation rate, combined with rain gauge analyses.

Time Range

1998 to 2019 (inferred from TRMM mission lifespan and discontinuation date).

Freshness

Data collection ended on 2019-12-31. The most recent metadata update listed is 2026-04-09, which likely reflects a catalog update rather than new data.

Geography

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